‘Pay attention to mental health’

by Marlon Madden

Organizations across Barbados are being warned to pay closer attention to the mental health of their employees as they help them to effectively cope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This call was issued recently by University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus senior lecturer Professor Dwayne Devonish, as he pointed to a survey conducted during the June lockdown period at one major services sector firm, which showed that only a third of employees felt comfortable when returning to the office this month.

Devonish said while individuals were trying their best to take care of their physical health, sometimes they needed help with their mental well-being.

Stating that organizations should go beyond just having protocols in place, he said: “no amount of sanitizing, no amount of wearing facial mask, no amount of physical distancing can address the mental condition of workers, especially those workers who are expected to return to physical sites”.

“Mental wellness and readiness then is absolutely critical to the return of workers to the workplace. I know many employees . . . especially hotel workers who were furloughed, and they say ‘they can give me all the money in the world and show all the pictures they have to protect front office staff and visitors but I would want the opportunity to air my grievances’,” explained Devonish.

“Workers are saying they want to be part of the planning process, they want to be part of the operationalisation process, they want managers and employers to recognise it is not just about the physical site. It is also that you give me the platform to air my views and concerns. Physical readiness is only one of the criteria. Mental wellness and readiness is a very important component,” he stressed.

He was addressing a virtual lunch and learn CIBC FirstCaribbean client appreciation day session.

Without naming the regional firm, Devonish said from the 150 workers surveyed, only 31 per cent indicated that they felt comfortable to return to the physical office in September, while 69 per cent were either unsure or not comfortable.

Another key finding was that most workers reported “average levels” of perceived risk of being infected with COVID-19, most of them indicating a score of four or less on a scale of one to seven, where seven is the highest perceived risk and one the lowest.

Using the same scale, most workers also gave a score of four or less to their expected severity of COVID-19 infection.

Of particular note was that most of those who were not comfortable with or willing to return to the physical work location represented those who had a higher perceived risk and severity of infection.

“At least 75 per cent of those not comfortable with returning to work were the ones who had the higher risk perception,” said Devonish.

The management and organizational behaviour professor called on organizations to look for best practices to update health and wellness policies, consult with workers to obtain key insights into how they can help to make the workplace safer, and to have return to work consultations and other open communication platforms where workers can share thoughts without fear of reprisal.

“When employees are a part of the process the buy-in component is easier to navigate,” he said.

“So don’t rush workers back to [the office] without them being perceived as ready. Have a clear risk assessment policy . . . and one of the things I am calling for, because we think the mind cannot be affected by COVID-19 but it can through anxiety and concerns and fears people take on, so I am calling for organizations to take a greater grasp on mental health support services,” he said.

He also encouraged employees in collaboration with employers, to create clear boundaries between work and home life, set work deadlines and commitments, and put measures in place to ensure access to necessary ICT support and resources to facilitate efficient and productive remote work.

He added that support systems should be put in place for employees whose home environment was not conducive to effective remote work.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb