Why taking care of your employees is more important than ever

Whatever industry you’re in, your business has no doubt struggled over the past year. You’ve likely had to deal with dwindling profits, government restrictions, fewer customers, and uncertainty about the future. Business owners will continually be fighting fires and revising their strategies to stay afloat in this turbulent time.

But one crucial factor that may have escaped your notice is the health and wellbeing of your employees. Many business owners will be so focused on ensuring operations can continue, that they pay little attention to the effect the pandemic is having on their team. Workers across the country are furloughed, remote working in isolation, or having to risk catching a deadly virus by coming into the office every day.

These frustrations and pressures are having an impact on their mental health and if unchecked, could lead to more severe concerns like anxiety and depression. As an employer, it is your responsibility to look after the wellbeing of your staff during work hours. To ensure they have everything they need to protect their mental and physical health and remain happy and productive. This will not only benefit their lives, but they will be happier at work and work harder as a result.

So what can you do to help your employees?

Talk to them

Everyone is different, and a one-size-fits-all approach is not the way forward. Some of your staff might be scared to take public transport and work in a crowded office. Some, on the other hand, might find that the isolation of working from home takes a toll on their mental health. Talk to each member of your staff to identify how you can help them thrive in this challenging time. Can you manage their workload to take off some of the stress? Are you prepared to let them change their hours to fit in with other important commitments? Can you trust your staff to choose whether they work from home or the office? Showing your team you are willing to listen will reflect well on you as an employer, and may bring new ways of working you hadn’t considered.

Be flexible

There are many stories in the news right now about employers forcing their staff to come into work during lockdown. Your team will all feel differently about the current circumstances, so for the sake of their mental health, you should embrace a flexible working structure. Online communication platforms make working from home easier than ever before. 

Keep them safe

No one should ever feel unsafe in the workplace, especially with a deadly virus on the loose. If staff have to be physically present at work, it’s important that you take every possible step to follow coronavirus guidelines. Even if you’re not too worried, there’s a good chance that many of your team are. Enforce social distancing regulations and provide plenty of hand sanitizer and face masks. And it’s not just Covid-19 you need to worry about. Make sure you keep them secure with adequate fire protection and emergency procedures.

21/01/2021