‘LOOK AFTER YOUR EMPLOYEES WHO WORK FROM HOME’

EMPLOYERS are being urged to manage the mental health of their staff members working from home.

With the pandemic creating more worries for workers – such as social isolation, financial stress, job insecurity and balancing personal and professional responsibilities, – employers are being warned that they need to bring a renewed focus to employee wellbeing and mental health.

DLA Piper’s Employment Group has published a detailed report on mental health in the workplace, outlining how it can even lead to legal scenarios for the business and how to deal with difficult situations.

The report uncovers the adverse business impacts of mental ill-health including employee absence, staff turnover, loss of skills, and legal and reputational risks.

To avoid such impacts and to help protect the mental health of its workers, they are advising businesses which have not addressed workplace mental health recently, or ever, to update or create a programme to help workers maintain good mental health. This strategy should include training company members on mental health, and tailoring that training depending on their level in the business, as well as appointing a senior member as well as other individuals whom staff can approach with their concerns.

DLA Piper’s head of employment in Ireland, Ciara McLoughlin, said that even though the workplace now looks different, employee wellness has never been more important.

‘People are trying to balance personal and professional responsibilities, with some homes doubling as workplaces as parents try to juggle childcare in between video calls,’ she said.

‘The ability to work from home, once viewed as a perk, is now a double-edged sword and there is no doubt that it is overwhelming for some.

‘Added to this is the fact that certain individuals and households with existing problems have been deprived of their usual supports due to social distancing and the absence of protective routines or close presence of stressed family members. This brought to the surface previously hidden or well-managed mental health issues.’