The Covid-19 pandemic has affected our working lives more than most people can compute.
For example, take the word ‘Furlough’….hands up anyone who knew what this word meant prior to March 2020………no takers? Hardly a surprise, but isn’t it amazing how quickly the term passed into common usage in just a few short weeks?
At the time of writing the Government’s furlough scheme has been extended to October, but companies lucky enough to have survived this first stage of the pandemic are otherwise still in the grip of uncertainty.
As CEOs reshape their teams into lean machines, the fortunate are furloughed, the less fortunate are untimely relieved of their roles and the survivors are working doubly hard, over-compensating for the lost input of their peers, whilst desperately holding onto their seats and coping with cuts to pay.
Organisations that have had to let some of their best people go, need support for those who have lost their jobs, a listening ear to those who are furloughed, and a helping hand to those who are trying to keep the plates spinning.
Companies are essentially work families, as dysfunctional as their biological counterparts, but with similar needs for individual recognition, healthy competition, support and even love. When employees are made redundant, they have to be honoured, supported and communicated with.
Likewise, those ‘left behind’ will want to reach out and make sure their friends are coping, and support them however they can. Furloughed staff returning to the office will need to be kept updated with company developments so they can hit the ground running on their return. Those working, need free channels of communication to senior management to alleviate their anxiety and avoid burnout.
In short, a pandemic recovery programme involves all levels of the organisation, including people who will never return to the workplace. The only way to allow the wounds to heal is to allow everyone in your company to have a voice. Here are five tips for enabling this process:
Being on furlough or working from home is no picnic. We know that work-related stress can lead to burnout; also becoming clear is the fact the stress and burnout are still prevalent when the employee is NOT at work. Redundancy is a huge cause for stress and needs to be managed with the maximum of care and consideration. The dramatic effect of this pandemic will create versions of post-traumatic trauma that nobody could have predicted. Bearing all this in mind, it is now vital that companies act with kindness, understanding and empathy, seeking professional help if necessary to work through unprecedented times.
At PUSH, we take pride in thinking outside the box for our clients and our shared mission to improve the wellbeing of their employees. If you’d like to speak with us about developing an initiative to reduce the stress levels of your team, get in touch – we’d love to work with you.