Balancing virtual work and mental health

Virtual work in light of the pandemic and the entailing new normal has sparked an ongoing conversation on the state of mental health among employees.

According to a survey by Ipsos which measured the impact of work-from-home policies on employees, Malaysians reported the highest anxiety levels among 28 countries. The study also shows that women below 35 years of age and lower income employees are the hardest hit – experiencing significantly adverse negative effects compared to the rest.

A lot of this can be attributed to the isolation of working from home compared to the more social environment of a physical workspace, stress from the change in routine and family pressure. 57% of Malaysians are found to be lonely or isolated when working from home compared to a global average of 49%.

So, as managers, how do we address mental health issues among employees to ensure their emotional wellbeing is also well supported?

First, we have to be present for them. Let employees know that they are always heard and that their welfare is the company’s top priority. In my years of working in HR, I cannot stress this enough – an employee is the biggest asset to an organisation. Forget technology, brands and trademarks – without employees to make the gears turn, a business is as good as dead in the water.

During this time when financial constraints are a perennial danger to the going concern of a company, there is a tendency to overlook the “human essence” of an employee. Do not treat them as just another statistical node or cost centre. Treat them as individuals, with their own volition to life. Working from home can be lonely, so engage them effectively in virtual “get-together” sessions. Do what it takes to show them that the employer is always there to listen, help and make work fun especially in these challenging times.

Next, help employees draw boundaries between work and home. It is found that 63% of Malaysians are finding work-life balance a problem when working from home, compared to the global average of 50%. A situation where an employee gets up in the morning, works from his or her laptop until bedtime is fast becoming a norm in the work-from-home era. This is not healthy for an employee’s personal wellbeing and does little to help them balance their work life from social life.

Practice these boundaries even though they are working virtually. Allow employees to have that much needed family time and time for themselves and do not make it a habit to drag work on after working hours. A simple method is to impose a “no emails after 5pm” rule. All matters pertaining to work are to be dealt with during office hours on weekdays.

Finally, support an employee whenever needed. The impact of the pandemic has left families troubled with financial woes and other social problems. It is your employees that are dealing with these very real troubles while also attempting to maintain their productivity at work. Employees with children for example have to think of ways to care for them when their schools are shut down, or even help them catch up with studies they might have missed during lockdown.

Therefore, it is contingent on HR to provide the necessary support which is effective and long-term in nature. Whether it is by having a psychiatrist on retainer or a trained mental health professional from within the organisation, it is vital for employers to address such issues before things get too severe. Do not wait for an employee to break down before acting. Be there for them and provide them the necessary resources to help their mental welfare.

Working from home is tough in many ways to many different people. It is a different kind of challenge if you have kids or toddlers, or having to care for elderly parents, or having to deal with ¹financial constraints. Everyone has their own struggle that can irreversibly affect their work if the employer does not step in to help provide a remedy.

The onus is therefore on the employer to help employees get accustomed to this new working style. This is where an organisation’s leadership is put to the test. We have to treat people like the human beings they are and not machines with a sole purpose to meet the demands of your organisation’s bottom line. There is nothing to be gained in the long-term if we overwork employees in these trying times. You simply do not get the best out of them at the very least, and in the worst-case scenario, they implode which can result in negative consequences to your business.

Remember, employees are a company’s biggest asset. Only if we invest in them can we be guaranteed success in the long run.

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Source: Cllement Tan, Founder and Group CEO, RAMSSOL Group Berhad

¹ All statistics taken from IPSOS Malaysia, 20 January 2021: Pandemic’s Impact on Malaysian Workforce