As the spread of the Coronavirus has increased and continues to increase, a majority of employees are now working from home. With employees working from home during social distancing, now is the time to ensure that you support your employees. Here are a few tips to ensure you are adequately checking in with your employees and ensuring their mental wellbeing:
Consistent communication
Ensure that regular communication is maintained with your employees, when employees are working from home, it can sometimes be difficult to communicate consistently. A best practice is to create a schedule on when to reach out to your employees, either through email or phone call, on a consistent basis to check-in on projects, tasks, etc., as well as their overall wellbeing in adjustment to these new work conditions.
Alternate methods of check-ins and meetings
In addition to utilizing email and phone calls as methods of communication, video conferencing can be a useful tool for communicating with employees working from home. Holding video meetings can bring employees together and boost morale during times of distancing. This tool can be a more personable way to get in touch with employees either in a one on one or group setting.
Provide mental health resources
Social distancing can cause elevated levels of anxiety and depression, it is important to provide employees with mental health resources to support them during this time. The Mental Health Commission of Canada has addressed the COVID-19 pandemic on their website through their resource hub section. Within this section, there are resources in response to COVID-19 including a self-care and resilience guide. The Mental Health Commission of Canada resource hub can be accessed here: https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/covid19
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