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02 Nov 2020
by Dawn Lewis

Research: how COVID-19 is continuing to impact employees’ mental and wider wellbeing

We know that the pandemic is having an adverse effect on employees’ mental health. And as England moves to enter a second period of lockdown, supporting employees’ mental health will be paramount. Paul Famer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, has already warned that “we are facing the greatest test of our mental health this year”.

 

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What we know from the start of the pandemic

At the beginning of the first lockdown the nation’s mental health plummeted with more than 30% of adults reporting levels of mental distress indicative that treatment may be needed, compared to around 20% between 2017 and 2019. The figures from Public Health England’s COVID-19: mental health and wellbeing surveillance report suggest that, although there is evidence of recovery since then, levels have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

This week is International Stress Awareness Week and it brings into the sharp focus the pressure that many are feeling at this time. As England moves into a second period of lockdown and the other nations follow their own restrictions, it is important that we learn the lessons from the previous lockdown and move to support employees’ mental health which will be affected for a wider variety of reasons from isolation and loneliness, through to financial stress.

Business in the Community’s (BITC) annual mental health at work study, developed in partnership with Bupa UK Insurance, provides an insight into how workplace mental health has been affected this year. It found that 41% of employees have experienced mental health symptoms caused, or worsened, by work this year; and 51% of poor mental health caused by work this year was due to pressure.

However, there are now signs that workplace mental health provisions are improving. The number of employees who feel that their organisation supports their mental health is on the rise, up from 55% in 2019 to 63% this year. 62% of employees also said they now feel comfortable talking about stress in the workplace.

Employers’ mental health support during the pandemic has been reflected in our own surveys. Our snapshot survey, Impact of the coronavirus crisis on pay, bonuses and employee benefits, carried out at the start of April, showed that 25% of organisations will increase spending on their employee assistance programme and 74% intend to retain their current spend on this benefit. The ringfencing of wellbeing provision amid a time of financial turmoil indicates how indispensable such services have become for businesses. Employers now recognise employee health is paramount to organisational success.

Wider wellbeing implications

A well-documented source of stress is financial pressure. Without doubt, many employees will be feeling the strain, especially as we approach Christmas. Now with the added second lockdown and the prospect that many people will be furloughed again, employees’ financial wellbeing is likely to suffer.

Earlier this year, Close Brothers Asset Management’s Changing trends of financial wellbeing report found that only 54% of respondents consider they were financially prepared for the coronavirus crisis and subsequent lockdown. 

The Money and Pensions Service also found in its Impacts of COVID-19 on financial wellbeing report that concern over financial wellbeing and personal finances is high and those impacted financially also have lower general wellbeing. It also noted that those who have been financially impacted report lower mental wellbeing.

What employers can do to help

There are numerous resources designed to help employers put in place mental health provisions and support structures. Last month we released our REBA Technical Training Guide to Supporting Employees’ Health and Wellbeing in the New Normal, in conjunction with Simplyhealth. It provides insight into how employers can continue to evolve their wellbeing strategies to keep pace with the changing situation.

Mental health charity Mind also has a range of free resources offering ideas on how to support employees’ mental health. It is also a good idea to contact your own benefits suppliers to find out what resources they have available.

In addition, REBA’s Professional Members have been telling us how they’re adapting to the COVID-19 crisis. Debbie Fennell from DHL Supply Chain talks about responding to COVID-19 by increasing its wellbeing provision, while Dr Steve Iley, chief medical officer at Jaguar Land Rover, outlines their approach and why health and wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility. You can find even more insight from our members in our coronavirus actions section.

Of course, one of the most fundamental things that an employer can do is be compassionate and empathetic. The current situation is affecting us all in different ways and employers need to be mindful of that. As Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind told REBA last month: “The agile, trusting and compassionate approach built since March will be even more vital during the coming months: flexible working and management with employee wellbeing at its heart.”

The months ahead will be incredibly challenging to our mental health and, for many people, their employer will be the first line of defence in mental health support.

All of the reports mentioned in this article are available in REBA’s reports section.

The author is Dawn Lewis, content editor at REBA.