Mental Health, COVID-19 and the Workplace

Mental Health, COVID-19 and the Workplace

As we move through these extraordinary times, we know this pandemic has taken and will continue to take a toll on our working lives, our families and friendships, and our emotional and mental health.

For some, shutdown has been a time to stay home, learn a new skill, and spend time with family. For others, shutdown has meant working from home while caring for children and loved ones, or sharing workspace with partners and spouses.

But for many – about 85% of our Members at Locals 175 & 633 whose workplaces were deemed essential earlier this year – shutdown meant continuing to work every day and adjusting to changing modifications and requirements as they happened.

Everyone has had to come to terms with how these changes have affected them emotionally, physically, and financially.

According to Workplace Safety North [Footnote 1]: “In May 2020, a public opinion poll commissioned by [the Canadian Mental Health Association] CMHA Ontario showed that almost 70 per cent of Ontarians believe the province is headed for a ‘serious mental health crisis’ as it emerges from this pandemic.”

ThinkMentalHealth.ca, a partnership of Ontario health and safety and mental health associations, estimates that about 10% of Canadians suffer from anxiety disorders, the effects of which can range from mild to severe [Footnote 2]. And right now, workers with existing mental health concerns face the added weight of pandemic-related stress.

Working in a Pandemic

Whether you’ve continued to work or you’ve stayed off and may be deciding to return to work, this pandemic is a major stressor.

• Deciding to send children back to school and/or child care.

• Dealing with personal exposure in public or at work.

• Potentially caring for others who are ill or immune-compromised.

• Attending medical appointments.

• Limited ability or inability to attend physiotherapy or counselling services, which can have an additional impact on injured workers who are trying to return to, or stay at, work.

• Financial concerns, and more.

Adding to all of this anxiety, is:

• A constant bombardment of click-bait media reporting;

• Changing restrictions as some services reopen or close;

• Conflicting information on social bubbles;

• Different restrictions with our municipalities, and;

• A lack of real guidance from elected officials.

As these stressors add up, we are seeing a shift to chronic stress and anxiety.

Signs

Prolonged pain, anxiety, stress, or depression can hinder the body’s healing response and it can make a person physically sick.

Some small amount of anxiety is a useful biological reaction. Our brains are programmed to react with flight, fright, or to freeze in the face of acute stressors, so some anxiety can help us perform tasks or avoid dangerous situations. [Footnote 2]

But staying at an increased level of anxiety is not healthy and there is no break when it comes to stress and anxiety about COVID-19.

You face it at work, take it home to your families, deal with it as customers and co-workers, see it in your news feed and on TV, and more.

It is relentless.

This stress might manifest itself as someone being more reactive; having a short fuse and little patience. More serious consequences include high blood pressure, an increased chance of cancer and diabetes, depression, and more.

Depending on the individual anxiety can appear in different ways. Many describe anxiety as a whole-body experience, including the symptoms listed on the right, from Health Link BC [Footnote 3].

What does anxiety look and feel like?

• Trembling, twitching, or shaking.

• Feeling of fullness in the throat or chest.

• Breathlessness or rapid heartbeat.

• Light-headedness, dizziness.

• Sweating or cold, clammy hands.

• Feeling jumpy.

• Muscle tension, aches or soreness.

• Extreme tiredness.

• Sleep problems.

• Restlessness, irritability, feeling on edge.

• Worrying too much.

• Fearing that something bad is going to happen; feeling doomed.

• Inability to concentrate; feeling like your mind goes blank.

• Plus, often people who experience anxiety will hesitate to connect with their support systems including family and friends.

Help and Support

We are all in crisis right now. When people are in crisis, it can be difficult for them to take in new information, control their reactions, and handle additional stress.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the appropriate services immediately – there are crisis hotlines in most communities – or call 911 if you need immediate intervention.

Cashiers and retail clerks get screamed at by customers just for trying to do their jobs. Healthcare workers face upset families and loved ones whose ability to visit and care for their loved ones is limited. Workers in the supply chain often feel overlooked because their job does not have a public face. These experiences create an atmosphere of helplessness.

First, show that you care enough to support workers: wear a mask and adhere to safety procedures to help protect workers and yourself.

Start a conversation with your cashier, thank them for their work and wish them a wonderful day. Show patience and understanding to healthcare workers and let them know you recognize their dedication. Tell someone who works in a less public part of the supply chain that their work matters.

Remember that many people, including injured workers who may be returning to work or who have job accommodations, have existing mental health concerns and that this pandemic only serves to exacerbate their symptoms.

As co-workers, friends and family, and as community members, we need to create an atmosphere of safety, support, and compassion. We need to check in and start conversations with each other. We need to make kind gestures, big or small, whenever possible.

Please make use of the Local Union’s Membership Assistance Program (MAP) which you can find information on in this issue on page 18 or visit ufcw175.com/assistance

You can also contact 211 Ontario (211 by phone or 211ontario.ca) for resources as well.

If you have questions about health and safety at work, please speak to your Joint Health & Safety Committee, Union Stewards, and your Union Representative.

Sources

[1]Return to the Workplace: A psychological toolkit for heading back to work. (n.d.). p. 5 Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www. workplacesafetynorth.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/CMHA_ReturnToWorkplace-Toolkit_EN-Final.pdf

[2] Think Mental Health: Understanding Anxiety Disorders. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from http://thinkmentalhealth.ca/anxiety-disorders/

[3] Anxiety. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/anxty