Human Resources Create Cognitive Health

Like any war, the national health crisis of 2020 has left casualties among our workforce. As employers, we cannot ignore the impact social isolation, worry, anxiety, and stress posed by a national crisis has had on our workforce. The true impact of COVID-19 on our employees may not be known for some time, but we will have to ask ourselves whether we will see an increase in factors that, over time, may affect the overall health of our employees and have a direct impact on our costs.

What are the issues related to COVID-19 that can impact your workforce?

• Depression and Anxiety • Lack of Sleep • Weight Gain • Increase in Alcohol or Tobacco Use • Lack of Exercise • Poor Nutrition

C Create ognitive Health in Your Workforce During COVID 19

• Untreated Underlying

Conditions • Lack of preventive care and screenings

Mental health is essential to the overall health and productivity of our workforce. Therefore, it is critical we bring this issue into the open and have an honest conversation about mental wellbeing, and how we can support employees who are struggling with dangerous side effects of the pandemic.

Amid a worldwide pandemic, stress levels are dramatically higher

Eighty-eight percent of workers have reported experiencing moderate to extreme stress over the past four to six weeks.

Almost 70 percent of workers claimed this was the most stressful time of their entire professional career, including major events like the September 11 terror attacks, the 2008 Great Recession and other events.

Approximately 63 percent of workers in the U.S. say their company could do more to support their emotional and mental health during the pandemic, according to a June 1 article in Employee Benefit News.

COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn have negatively affected many people’s mental health. It’s created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders, and has impacted some people who have never suffered from depression or anxiety issues in the past. If left untreated, these issues can lead to cognitive decline and permanent cognitive impairment. Cognitive issues have a significant impact on employee performance and can have a profound cost to employers by influencing the following. • Reduced overall productivity • Absenteeism • Inappropriate behavior • Decision-making issues • Lack of focus and motivation • Increased workers comp and healthcare costs

What Can You Do as An Employer?

Here are some tips from the National Safety Council’s “Safe Actions for Employee Return,” prepared in May.

Revamp Your Wellness Program

Wellness programs will need to comply with safety protocol, social distancing, and content that helps bring awareness to the impact of COVID-19 times. Education should encompass managing underlying conditions and prevention, to awareness about mental health and cognitive health. Reengaging employees because they care about their brain health can motivate employees who may have lost their enthusiasm for wellness.

Cognivue offers a mental wellbeing and Cognitive Health Awareness Platform. It begins with an employee meeting/ webinar on cognitive health awareness that educates employees on how modifiable risks related to sleep, stress, exercise, and nutrition can affect cognitive health and overall brain health. A five-minute baseline cognitive health screening is offered to employees and followed by a series of educational meetings/ webinars to create awareness on how they can make changes in their behaviors to improve their health and prevent or even reverse cognitive loss.

Educate Employees

Educat e employees on common symptoms or warning signs such as feeling physically or mentally drained; difficulty in decision making or focus; becoming easily frustrated; arguing with friends or family; feeling sad, lonely or worried; changes in sleep or appetite, or sensitivity to stimuli like noise or light. Communicate and post frequently about the status, prevention, or practices on COVID-19 and provide local resources. As always, re-educate employees on the benefits available to them through their health and welfare programs.

Revise Policy and Procedures

This reflects the value your organization places on its workforce. Review your policies for supporting employees who experience health or mental health issues. Be sure to include human resources teams, safety professionals, supervisors, employees, and union leaders to ensure you are addressing, supporting, and prioritizing the issues within your workforce.

Create a Respectful Environment and Prepare Supervisors

Employers can manage the stress and anxiety for those returning to the workplace. One of the first steps is to ensure respect and understanding that everyone’s reaction to these times is different. Remind employees that it’s okay to be experiencing stress and anxiety. It is imperative to also remind supervisors and leaders of the importance of communication,

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conflict resolution, stress management, and self-care to recovery. Train your supervisors to recognize changes in behavior. Make sure they have the sensitivity to offer employee assistance versus discipline.

The pandemic may also reactivate or exacerbate pre-existing mentalhealth or substance-abuse issues that employees may have experienced in the past. Communicating processes, employee benefits and resources will help employees access support.

Prepare the Workforce and Be Transparent

Transparency about decisionmaking processes, timelines, and expectations will help alleviate stress and anxiety. Have a safe, confidential space to obtain employee feedback; a place where they can share concerns or ideas and create a sense of teamwork. Organizing committees to implement COVID-19 policies and establishing a peer support program or hotline can help keep everyone safe and connected. Safety measures for keeping employees healthy and to reduce concern of infection as well as Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and resources for non-workplace/family issues should be frequently communicated.

The re is no doubt that our pandemic has had a direct impact on our workforce, and it will take time to reverse the toll it has had. Elevate mental wellbeing as an essential focus for employers to return to previous performance levels. The proactive management of modifiable risk factors through Employee Wellness Programs can reverse, delay, or slow the onset or progression of cognitive decline. If we are not addressing the mental and cognitive health effects of COVID-19 on our employees, we may delay or prevent the physical, mental, and economic recovery of our workforce. Kristin Weber, Director of Safety & Wellness Channels, Cognivue

www.cognivue.com