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People’s lives have changed and or been impacted in many ways over the past couple of years. Today, employers and employees are grappling with new challenges or existing challenges exacerbated through the pandemic.

Two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, we are all accustomed to hearing about the health impacts of the virus. From fatigue to muscle aches, shortness of breath to brain fog, the short and long-term realities of the virus continue to affect many of us. But what about the way the virus affects mental health with the potential symptoms of long Covid? And even for those who haven’t caught the virus, how have two years of pandemic provisions impacted mental wellbeing?

The affect the coronavirus pandemic has had on the workplace, with employees reporting a marked impact on their physical and emotional wellbeing, is highlighted in CIPD’s report Impact of Covid-19 on working lives.

Hybrid working is predicted to be new normal for office workers once the Government stops advising home working where possible. But there are significant challenges involved in moving to a hybrid working model.

There are limits to what we can do to control the spread of Covid-19, but there’s a lot that can be done do to control the mental response to it. Employees may be feeling anxious during this time of uncertainty, but there are steps they can take to help them manage their mental wellbeing.

Coronavirus poses a threat to the current economic landscape. Alongside the danger to physical health, there is also a silent effect on mental and financial health, especially for younger employees. For younger members of the workforce, mental health and overall wellness has a critical role in their overall success and productivity.

Since Covid-19 first began, mental and emotional wellbeing have come even more to the forefront of the world of work

We know Covid-19 has had an impact on employees' mental health. So it's crucial that employers understand what the long-term mental health implications are in order to support employees. How can we do that?

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about drastic changes for the global workforce and has had a distressing effect globally, impacting the job market with layoffs, pay cuts and, in some cases, stopping rewards.

During our latest HR Connect session, we explored the legal considerations for potential hybrid working strategies, following the pandemic.

Workplace wellbeing is more important than ever given the ongoing challenges of Covid-19 and the toll this has had on physical and mental health and the economy. Organisations not only have a duty of care to support employees, but the right wellbeing initiatives can actually provide the boost every organisation needs and be key to business recovery.

Close to one million people in the UK were experiencing self-reported Long Covid in June 2021, with 634,000 people reporting that their ability to undertake their day-to-day activities had been ‘limited a lot’, according to the figures from the Office for National Statistics. We recently held a panel discussion to provide clinical insights into the impact of Long Covid on employees and guidance on how organisations can support employee recovery.

The past 18 months have been a whirlwind in relation to emergency remote work. Now, with the relaxing of regulations in various countries, some companies have begun to return to the office while others are planning their return to the physical workplace.

In all countries, the Covid-19 pandemic has crystallized the importance of insurance, be it to protect health, income, or individuals’ overall living standards. Our previous research had shown that shortfalls in earnings, inadequate health care, and difficulties in making monthly commitments out of current income often drives the demand for protection.

Long Covid is anything but simple. The Office for National Statistics calls it “an emerging phenomenon not yet fully understood”. Rather than a single, clearly defined condition, it’s better understood as a constellation of overlapping symptoms which may change over time, affecting any system in the body.

Like many NHS trusts, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has had an unprecedented 18 months. Our staff, both clinical and non-clinical – on the frontline and beyond – have been battling against a virus in a pandemic we have never seen the likes of before in our lifetime.

Much has been written about the impact of Covid-19 on mental health and wellbeing, but few have quantified the extent of the problem.