STAY CONNECTED
It's important that we support our colleagues and teams to stay mentally healthy and well in unusual times. Employees who are on furlough, although unable to work for the company, still need to stay connected with the business and have contact with you as a Manager or Team Leader.
The Coronavirus outbreak has meant many people are experiencing disruption to their regular routines. There may also be uncertainty and concerns from team members and some will be affected more than others. Below are some ideas and tips to help.
Encourage regular contact with your team. Use tools such a Google Chat, Hangouts or Meet. The frequency is flexible but for some this contact will be so important, especially for those who are living and isolating alone. There are so many ways to connect. Here are some ideas; Last Friday of the month team quiz on Hangouts, lunchtime catch up calls, calls to celebrate birthdays or long service recognitions, tea break Tuesday, everyone connect @ 3pm on a Tuesday.
Team well-being should be the focus of any contact made, it’s ok to give business updates, but remember that those who are furloughed should not be completing any financially valuable work whilst out of the business.
Encourage your team to ‘share their week’ and ‘show and tell’ anything they may like to share e.g a painting they have done or a new skill they have learnt.
Anyone needing support, be it financial, managing relationships, illness, work, family life, or general mental health support should be directed to the EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) page on this site.
The 5 ways of well-being in isolation. This guide contains links to webinars, and personal recommendations to fitness, active workouts and online learning sites.
Be mindful that certain groups or individuals may be more affected by ongoing events and may require extra support. You can guide them to information and resources both internally and externally and again this information can be found right across this site.
Mental Health First Aiders are still contactable, even some of those that have furloughed. This is a voluntary role by the MHFA.
You can click here to see all the MHFA and their contact information.