Webinar: supporting SMEs impacted by coronavirus

Speakers:

• Deborah Fraser, Director for Regions, CBI (Chair)
• Lauren Adams, HR Director, CBI
• Wolfgang Seidl, Partner and Workplace Health Consulting Leader, Mercer
• Stevie Goulding, Parent Helpline Team Leader, YoungMinds

Overview:

Wolfgang:

• It’s clear we live in a volatile world right now. We’ve been reminded what really matters and health is top of the list. Psychologically, we all respond differently to different challenges and threats, so there is no single right way of doing things.
• It’s not helpful to frame the current situation as a ‘mental health crisis’ – anxiety in the face of a pandemic is a normal response.
• We have learnt that much of the best support comes from personal networks (friends, neighbours, colleagues).
• The crisis is transforming the workplace as we know it. Some more introverted types might welcome this, whereas more extroverted types could find it more difficult.
• People want a sense of control over their lives, so give them some say (within reason) over their workflow/working patterns.
• Mindsets can be trained to deal with and alleviate stress. Cognitive behavioural therapies can be useful to help people cut down on negative thoughts.
• Employee assistance programmes can play a major part through things such as counselling.
• There are many downsides to working from home such as domestic violence.
• Humans are social animals and need a sense of belonging – there’s no point going from one extreme to the other. Please think of people with neurodiversity considerations and their needs for structure, familiarity, socialising etc.
• Some tips on facing mental health challenges:
  • Altruism – being kind makes us feel better
  • Exercise – the endorphin rush from 30 minutes of exercise on a Monday morning can last until Tuesday
  • Count your blessings – think of three things a day you are grateful for
  • Find the positive angle
  • Give yourself a treat
  • Talk rather than message/email
  • Have a good laugh every day
  • Ensure you get a good night’s sleep.

Stevie:

• Many parents were already struggling to juggle home/work responsibilities, but this has been magnified now. Parents have had to become teachers overnight.
• The pandemic has raised risk factors for young people’s mental health with the constant state of uncertainty.
• The lack of socialising has had a huge impact on young people.
• Some results from our surveys:
  • 83% of young people agreed Covid-19 has made their mental health worse
  • A further 32% said it had made their mental health ‘much worse’
  • 67% of parents and carers were concerned about the long-term impact on young people’s mental health
  • 88% of teachers felt a lack of structure in children’s lives will have a huge impact on young people’s mental health.
• The government has pledged further funding for mental health support, but more needs to be done. We’re launching a campaign called ‘beyond tomorrow’ to urge the government to ensure mental health support is in place for every young person that needs it.
• We’ve also created hubs for parents and young people, which are full of online information and advice for parents and young people.
• Our parents service and crisis text service have also remained open as a lifeline for families. All staff are specially trained to give advice on mental health issues.
• Across lockdown, concerns have remained the same:
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Anger
  • Self-harm
• Some tips on sending children back to school:
  • Be kind to yourself if you’ve struggled, or your child has fallen behind
  • Keep talking
  • Validate children’s’ feelings/emotions
  • Re-establish routines
  • Provide as much information as you can
  • Do not put pressure on yourself for quick results
  • Keep the school informed and ask for advice/assistance.

Lauren:

• 35% of employees are now describing their mental health as poor, or very poor. And we’ve found similar in CBI internal surveys. However, the number does fluctuate.
• There are a range of issues that can impact mental health, such as interruptions to daily routines, anxiety about health, or finances.
• Employees are increasingly looking to their employers for support and guidance.
• Main types of support:
  • Employee assistance programmes
  • Government advice
  • NHS website/factsheets
• How to support your team:
  • Be aware of the range of issues ‘at play’ (bereavement, financial worries, anxiety et al) No one size fits all, so when writing a strategy think outside of ‘just the workplace’
  • Return to Work – Those return to office interviews/inductions with staff – treat it like a reorientation exercise
  • Speak to your staff to understand the breadth and depth of needs
  • Consider what is reasonable
• Some tips to support the wellbeing of your employees:
  • Have a mental health strategy
  • Provide training and guidance for managers
  • Reinforce good behaviours and best practice
  • Target your action and intervene early
  • Use existing resources or look for cost-effective apps and technology
  • Make sure staff know how to access mental health resources
  • Create mental health action plans.