20 / IN DEBATE
Mind games Stress, burnout and widespread angst will hold back business recovery. Sue Waple, of Dualism Training, tells Julie Baxter how our sector can better support its people The pandemic has put many people in our sector under pressure. HOW CAN EMPLOYERS SUPPORT WELLBEING AS WE BUILD BACK IN THE COMING YEAR? Redundancy, furlough, financial pressures and altered contracts. These cause huge stress on employees. The human brain is five times more likely to view change and uncertainty as a threat than as something positive, and under threat we do not give our optimum performance. When our brains are thinking positively we are up to 31% more productive. Employee wellbeing matters. SW
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES? Today’s Remote working makes checking in with colleagues far harder. We need to make specific time for these conversations and be more aware of subtle signs - colleagues who SW
start turning their cameras off, miss deadlines or become inconsistent in email responses. These can be warning signs. In airlines, new contracts mixing long and short haul flying bring tiredness and lower patience/tolerance and cut opportunities to socialise and de-stress down route. WHAT PROACTIVE STEPS CAN EMPLOYERS TAKE? Employers need to ensure time and opportunity for employees to talk. Actively promoting shared time, team days during working hours, shared office days, even diarised online catch ups if necessary. If the budgets allow offer mindfulness, wellness and yoga sessions. Make the workplace a safe place to talk about mental health without fear of judgment or negative repercussions. Allow time for rest and socialisation, hobbies or volunteering. Stigma and discrimination come from a lack of awareness, SW
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