Supporting the Mental Health of your Remote Employees

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Working from home is great – most of the time. It allows for greater flexibility, eliminates the dreaded commute, and can increase productivity by giving you back more hours in the day.  

Working from home is also really difficult for some people. It can be lonely, isolating, and lead to depression. It can actually increase stress, as the lines between work-life and home-life are blurred, or disappear completely.  

As employers, we have a responsibility to support the wellbeing of our workforce, regardless of whether they are working in the office or in their own home. With your team working remotely, it’s harder to tell who might be struggling. Here, we’ve listed 3 ways to tell who among your team might be struggling, and 3 ways to support their mental health while they are working remotely during a stressful time.  

How do I know who might be struggling if I never see them in person? 

1. Ask them 

Sounds obvious, right? But you’d be surprised how many leaders skip the step of simply asking their employees how they are doing. It can feel uncomfortable to ask someone if they are coping well, and you may not get an honest answer. In American society we are generally conditioned to answer with “Fine, thanks!”, and feign wellbeing, even if we are far from being well.  

You don’t have to give your employee the third degree, some simple questions are enough to start. If you ask them consistently, across different modes of communication (email, virtual call, phone, chat, etc.), you’ll eventually start to gain their trust that your inquiry is genuine. 

Here are some examples of how to phrase the question: 

• “I’m checking in with everyone individually – how are you doing with everything going on?” 

• “How can I support you?” 

• “Do you have everything you need to make it easy to work from home?” 

• “Are you comfortable with the new working arrangement?” 

• “I want to make sure you have a place to go if you feel overwhelmed; if you aren’t comfortable talking to me, you can always go to [other resource].” 

Remember that this questioning should always be done on a one-on-one, confidential basis.  

2. They are absent more than usual 

If an employee who normally took very few sick days begins taking substantially more, it’s a definite red flag. They certainly could be taking care of a parent or child that no longer has outside home care, but you won’t know until you... that’s right, ask. 

3. They are making more mistakes 

It’s unlikely a great employee will suddenly start making multiple mistakes in their work unless something is going on.  

They probably know, or at least could guess, that their work has not been up to their typical standard lately, so don’t go into this conversation accusatory. Instead, ask the employee what is missing that they used to have, and how you can help supplement what they need. Give them a solid chance to adapt and improve their results before another conversation. 

How can I best support my remote employees’ wellbeing? 

1. Provide resources beyond yourself 

Unless you have an incredibly close working relationship with your direct reports, it’s unlikely they’ll want to unload their problems or concerns on you; and they probably shouldn’t! One of the best ways you can support your employees is by giving them an outlet for their mental load that doesn’t involve their boss. 

One important thing you can do for your team is supply them with a variety of resources to help them build healthy coping skills. If you offer an EAP (Employee Assistance Program), this is a great time to remind everyone. Include other free, paid, and employer-sponsored programs for employees to utilize. It will take a little research to find the best resources available for your team, but it’s absolutely worth it for the mental health and longevity of your team members.  

2. Be compassionate 

Many people are at their emotional limit right now, and burnout is rampant. It’s important to be a compassionate leader and accept that these are times when employees need support instead of immediately jumping to discipline.  

Per the Harvard Business Review:  

“Compassion in leadership creates stronger connections between people. It improves collaboration, raises levels of trust, and enhances loyalty. In addition, studies find that compassionate leaders are perceived as stronger and more competent.” 

3. Bring the team together (virtually) for more than work 

Socialization is important; even self-proclaimed introverts need to socialize with other members of the species on occasion. Most organizations would host some type of get-togethers for staff throughout the year, but that hasn’t been possible for a while. What to do instead? 

The “virtual happy hour” idea made the rounds for a while, but it’s often awkward to just sit on video with your colleagues, and includes a fair amount of long, quiet pauses. A better option for more socially inclined teams might be a game night, where participation is a little more organic and less forced.  

But what about your team introverts? “To help introverts adjust to remote work culture, encourage social gatherings where employees can build meaningful relationships and keep connected with their colleagues. Think quality, over quantity. Smaller meetups, for instance that rotate around a shared interest, or creative idea, can be a great way for introverts to nourish their need for deeper connections in a more intimate environment” (Fast Company). 

It’s been a challenging year, and turning the calendar to 2021 doesn’t erase those challenges. Although we are in a new year, we are still quarantining, working remotely without child care, and struggling through missing our friends and family. 

If you need assistance in designing or redesigning your employee-friendly remote work policies, reach out to our HR consulting team today