Safeguarding colleague wellbeing


As many employees gear up to return to work, Jan-Hein Hemke, Managing Director of Facilicom UK & Ireland, explains why colleague wellbeing has to come first as lockdown restrictions ease.


To say the past few months have been challenging is an understatement. The impact of COVID-19 has been felt by every single person across society. From those who have suffered with the illness or sadly lost loved ones to the virus, to the key workers who have been on the frontline, putting their own concerns to one side to support others.


There are those who are now on the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, or have been furloughed, essentially losing 20-30% of their pay overnight. And those who have been working from home might be struggling to manage family life, childcare and work-life balance during lockdown.


In the space of just a few months, the pandemic has changed the face of our society beyond recognition and its impact on our mental health is hardly surprising. In fact, recent news reports suggest that at least a fifth of Irish people have suffered with post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety at the hands of COVID-19. With concerns about the health of friends and family, worries about job security and financial struggles, and the challenges of social distancing, the lockdown has certainly taken its toll on our mental health and wellbeing.


Over the past few months, many of my colleagues at Facilicom have had their world turned upside down due to the pandemic. This is why, at such a time of crisis, we have been trying to take extra care of our colleagues.


As an employer that has always placed the wellbeing of our colleagues at the heart of our business, we already had many procedures in place to help them feel reassured and valued. Our Employee Assistance Programme for example, has been in place for many years, offering our colleagues 24/7 access to a trusted, compassionate health and wellbeing counselling service. We know that this service can really make a difference to those that are struggling, either with workplace stress or pressures at home, and we continue to urge all of our teams to take full advantage of this provision during these difficult times.


Our ‘mental health first-aiders’ have been keeping in touch with our colleagues that aren’t currently working on-site, contacting them once a week to ensure they still feel part of the company. We’re consistently checking how they are coping and discussing ways we can support


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them, from offering reassurance about their positions to motivating them to support their local community through volunteering.


We have also tried to ease the financial burden that furlough and the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme brings, by trying to bridge the gap between the government funding and their usual wage. We do not underestimate the impact that losing 20-30% income overnight can have, which is why we have put provisions in place to ensure that where possible, almost all of our colleagues still receive 100% pay whilst on this leave of absence.


We firmly believe that our people are our prime asset, and regardless of their current status during the pandemic, they all deserve the same wellbeing support to ensure they are as happy and healthy as can be expected.


We also believe that this support shouldn’t end when lockdown does. At the time of writing this article, we had just heard that the COVID-19 lockdown was starting to ease slightly, with some outdoor-based employees encouraged to return to work. Although this news offers a glimmer of hope for some, it may also induce further anxiety for many workers, who are concerned about their safety in the post- lockdown workplace.


This is why it’s crucial that any support continues. It has never been more important to safeguard our colleagues’ wellbeing as we continue to live in an ever-evolving situation. Whether you’ve had support systems in place for many years, or you’ve only recently invested in workplace mental health schemes, now is the time to really be there for your teams and show them that their health truly is a consistent priority, during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.


www.facilicom.co.uk


https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/04/15/news/fifth-of-irish-people-depressed-stressed-or-anxious-during-coronavirus-lockdown-1903399/ twitter.com/TomoCleaning


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