Ways to address social and emotional wellbeing during a time of isolation

Even before the coronavirus turned our world upside down, many employees were missing connections to other people. Our 2019 Global Culture Report uncovered a chronic lack of organisational concern for people’s social and emotional wellbeing. In fact, only 14% of those surveyed believed their workplace prioritises emotional wellbeing and only 9% believed their organisation cares about their social wellbeing.

Fast-forward to March 2020 and the world is in lockdown, with employees throughout the globe in isolation, working remotely from their kitchen tables. With such a backdrop of chaos, how on earth can employers effectively address employees’ social and emotional wellbeing, and should it even be a consideration right now?

Why prioritise social and emotional wellbeing

When social and emotional wellbeing are prioritised, employees are 52% more likely to feel less stress than average. We’re now experiencing the most stressful worldwide situation since World War II, which will inevitably lead to increased anxiety levels across the country. If leaders can look to prioritise workers’ emotional and social wellbeing at this time, this will help them to feel uplifted, valued and a sense of belonging, reducing stress levels in the process.

From the employer’s point of view, facilitating strong bonds with employees increases engagement and information sharing, and employees will be more motivated to make an impact. It’s also important to remember that it’s those employers that do the right thing now, which will benefit in the long-term. If companies are showing disregard for their employees’ health and wellbeing during these difficult times, their talent will be quick to leave when the crisis is over.

The need to be social

Even in lockdown, we all still have a desire to be social, to share ideas and interact. Leaders should therefore think about providing channels and tools that allow this during times of isolation. Platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Workplace by Facebook should be used for collaboration and group chat, for example.

It’s also important to encourage video calling when possible and keep the calls authentic. Does it really matter if someone’s cat or toddler joins the conference call? Leaders need to be forgiving, understanding and ‘real’ right now, demonstrating that ‘we are all in this together’!

Leading by example

It’s all too easy for employees working from home to forget to take breaks and to work late into the evenings, which could lead to depression and burnout. Leaders need to encourage regular breaks, and perhaps introduce virtual coffee breaks and lunches, in which colleagues can enjoy non-work-based interaction over a sandwich. And with so many online workouts to choose from right now, from 10-minute workouts through to hour-long Pilates sessions, perhaps employers should encourage fitness breaks to help people’s physical, emotional and social wellbeing. The more adventurous leaders could even run their own fitness sessions using Zoom.

And above anything else, it’s vital for leaders to communicate often and do whatever they can to put people at ease, while always demonstrating honesty and integrity. It’s a time of high anxiety, and anxiety is fuelled by mistrust and silence, so keep people talking, prioritise video calling, welcome feedback and look at ways to increase positivity amidst the doom and gloom, even if it means the CEO donning a tracksuit and running a 10-minute fitness session from their lounge. Yes it’s a challenging time, but it’s not time to lose sight of people’s need for connection. We may be in isolation but that doesn’t mean people should feel isolated.

The author is Robert Ordever, managing director of O.C. Tanner Europe.

This article is provided by O.C. Tanner Europe.