Helping to safeguard firms’ top asset

Amica HR Director David Grech said: “Following Government guidance, anyone who can  should now be working from home. Long periods of isolation, with little face-to-face contact, are great for slowing down the spread of the virus. They are also challenging and may lead to people suffering bouts of mental ill health.”

Research by Deloitte suggests that poor mental health cost UK bosses more than £43 billion in 2018. That was an increase of 16 per cent since the previous estimate of £37bn in 2016.

But David and his fellow Director Suzanne Tricker fear that the enforced working arrangements people are having to cope with, could make things worse.

“Anxiety may flare up due to stress, money worries, work stability issues and a general loss of control. Depression can be caused by excessive loneliness and a loss of routine.  These are quite relatable worries for many during this Coronavirus outbreak – even if, in most cases, symptoms are mild and manageable to begin with.

“As an employer or manager of someone working from home or on furlough, there is a duty of care to ensure business owners and managers check in on their employees’ mental health and wellbeing, to help guard against their symptoms worsening,” said David.

Having open and honest conversations with staff members is important.  Amica HR said making the first move and putting appropriate support systems in place is vital to maintain healthy mental wellbeing during the pandemic. It will also help to break down common misconceptions that mental health problems shouldn’t be discussed openly.”

BlueBell Healthcare and Amica HR are ready to assist firms with identifying areas where they can proactively “manage” their workers’ individual state of mind, irrespective of whether the business is operating as normally as it can, or staff are working from home or furloughed.