05-28-2020
As COVID-19 continues to upend everything about our lives, including how we work, many employers are trying to understand how to effectively support employees, both physically and emotionally. Many organizations are leaning heavily on Zoom, Slack, and similar platforms in an effort to stay connected, hosting virtual happy hours, planning team games, and scheduling many more meetings, including personal check-ins centered on mental health. In the process, some of these efforts are actually increasing employees’ stress rather than easing it. For those who are introverted, sick of screen time, or just busy, these efforts might well achieve the opposite of the intended effect. Some employees are exhausted by the sheer number of meetings and activities. Others are uncomfortable because the initiatives themselves feel more intrusive than supportive.
Discussing mental and emotional health with anyone from work, much less your boss, is not appealing to many. Well-meaning managers who inquire about “how everyone is doing” should accept vague answers without probing, and recognize signals of discomfort from those who do not want to be asked personal questions or who just seem fatigued by the amount of online interaction. Certainly, organizations always should be concerned about employees’ mental health, and should offer and promote EAPs and strong health insurance so employees can have access to trained mental health professionals.