HR lessons in compassion from the pandemic

Employers everywhere are gearing up for the new year with plenty of uncertainties about what the future holds. With the Omicron variant delaying return-to-work for many employers, and millions of workers being impacted by long-haul COVID, the workplace has undoubtedly been disrupted and yet HR leaders everywhere are helping companies and their people forge ahead.

Over the last nearly two years, companies have had to adapt to reshape its focus on employees and the human impact that the pandemic has had in their personal and professional lives. With the Great Resignation adding another layer to employers’ concerns, many companies and their HR leaders have had to pivot and think outside the box in order to address the needs of employees, retain talent and help keep organizations healthy and thriving.

There are a number of employers that have done a stellar job of supporting employees, and that have taken the lessons of the pandemic to heart. Here are a few things that employers can do differently now and in the future:

Empower managers with autonomy

Manager support has been key for many organizations over the last 18 months and counting. Manager-employee relationships play a critical role in overall employee engagement and satisfaction. According to Gallup research, employees who are supported and have frequent communication with their managers are about 70% less likely to experience burnout. When managers struggle, companies struggle. Conversely, when managers feel supported, they are better enabled to support their employees.

Business priorities have changed over the course of the pandemic, and this means employers can support managers, first by allowing them the autonomy to address individual employee’s unique situations. Managers may need to make reasonable adjustments for employees who might need extra support, and a personalized plan for individual team members may be needed to help employees juggle a new work environment to ensure business needs are met.

In addition, since managers are on the frontline of the pandemic workplace, employers have the opportunity to listen to them and gain feedback that otherwise might never reach top leadership and influencers in the organization. This can be further enhanced by creating manager cohorts and opportunities to network with other managers within the organization.

Prioritize and address behavioral health

Research continues to show that behavioral health in the workplace is suffering. Findings from The Standard’s 2020 Behavioral Health Impact Update show that nearly half (46%) of full-time American workers are suffering from mental health issues. Forty-nine percent of full-time American workers self-reported problem use of alcohol, drugs, or prescription medication. Among workers struggling with mental health issues, more than half (55%) report it has been affecting their work since the pandemic began.

Companies that are aware of and addressing behavioral health and connecting people with resources and support are the ones who will reap the benefits of a healthier and more productive workforce. To avoid added stressors for struggling employees, it is important to communicate resources and benefits and make them readily available and easy to access.

Go beyond EAP support for behavioral health

By normalizing conversations around mental health and supporting related issues and giving managers the ability to work with employees to prevent a leave of absence, employers also have formal programs available to refer employees should they need that additional support. Employee Assistance Programs are incredibly important and valuable to any organization, but the pandemic has highlighted the importance of going a step further and thinking outside the box. Employees need even more support than before, whether they are handling behavioral health issues in their personal lives, caring for a sick loved one or treating and recovering from their own illness or injury.

Stay-at-Work and Return-to-Work programs that take a holistic approach to the whole person are helping organizations support employees in place – that is, they are helping employees get the support they need while keeping their jobs. With the end of the pandemic hard to predict, employers will want to normalize conversations around behavioral health to help valued employees feel safe to come forward and seek support without fear of losing their jobs.

Be flexible, flexible, flexible

Wellness Days and PTO Buyouts are no longer “perks” – they have become a best practice of employers over the last 18 months. Allowing employees, the flexibility to juggle life and work can improve retention and overall productivity and satisfaction. Offering managers flexibility and encouraging managers to extend the same to their employees, is what is helping organizations overcome some of the greatest challenges of the pandemic.

With the uncertainty brought on by new variants of COVID-19, flex schedules can prevent change fatigue for workers who have already adapted to the work-from-home environment. A recent Gallup study shows that a large majority of remote employees (nine in 10) prefer to continue working from home. This year, The Standard insurance company issued employee surveys to gauge sentiment across the company and learned that a large majority of Standard employees prefer to work remotely and want the flexibility to come into the office on occasion. By granting this flexibility, the company has also been able to expand its national talent pool with more virtual employees spanning across the country and multiple time zones from Portland, Oregon to New York and Pennsylvania.

Compassion and human connection

Keep listening to employees and managers and reiterating the message of self-care. Employers who continue asking “What are we missing? How can we help?” may learn new lessons and challenge themselves to do better. Employee surveys could be a great way to glean top strengths, opportunities, and outline goals. Open up communication, follow through and follow up. This level of employer engagement solidifies an underlying theme of compassion as an HR lesson from the pandemic. Compassion for others in the company and self-compassion.

The pandemic has affected everyone, and the impact is being felt across the workplace, because we cannot neatly separate life and work into separate boxes. Maintaining culture and care in the coming year and beyond might seem like a tall order for some employers, but it doesn’t have to be, especially for those who are already comfortable with listening and checking in with their workforce. Employers and their HR leaders recognize this reality and are making great strides in attrition and care for the very people who keep their businesses going and growing.

Debra Villar, LMHC, CCM, is manager at Disability Management Resources.