OzHelp COVID-19 Q & A

OzHelp Q&A with Senior Counsellor Katie Godfrey

OZHELP SENIOR COUNSELLOR, KATIE GODFREY

Self-care is really important and it’s crucial to remember that we can take control of our own mental health and wellbeing.

The COVID-19 crisis has greatly changed the way we live, with new safety regulations and spatial distancing creating a ‘new normal’. But how have your employees been copying through this stressful period? How do you recognise the signs that one of your workers might be struggling? How do you start the conversation with them about mental health?

We chatted with OzHelp Senior Counsellor Katie Godfrey to find out more about mental health and COVID-19.

Q. In the recovery phase after the coronavirus, what mental health issues amongst employees could arise?

A. We’ll soon be heading back to a new kind of normal and change can be stressful. So watching out for people’s stress levels, and encouraging them to take an active role in protecting their own health and wellbeing is really important.

For a lot of people, they will also be disappointed at the losses they’ve experienced during the outbreak, such as missing the footy season or the cancellation of a planned holiday, so understanding this is important.

Q. What are some of the signs that employers should be aware of regarding employee mental health?

A. I think if we know our employees and we know their context, certainly looking out for people who have pre-existing mental health or physical health concerns is a great place to start.

It’s also important to listen out for language. If you’re hearing people say ‘I can’t,’ ‘this is so stressful’ and ‘I’m not coping’, really tuning in to that sort of language which is sending the message that I’m not doing okay and I do need some extra support.

It’s also important to look out for some physical signs. If you notice a change in someone’s behaviour. For example, they not their usual chirpy self, are they snappy, more withdrawn or seem tired. And even with virtual meetings, these observations can provide a hint as to where employees are at.

Q. How can employers encourage their employees to look after their mental health?

A. It is important for employers to make sure employees have resources and tools available to support mental health. OzHelp have a great range of information including a factsheet with seven proactive strategies for looking after yourself and others during times of uncertainty. Training is also available in multiple formats.

Self-care is really important and it’s crucial to remember that we can take control of our own mental health and wellbeing. Taking care of each other is important too, and for workplaces it can be useful to implement a buddy system, where people can connect and check-in with each other.

We probably need to watch our self-talk as well. Validating the difficulties as well as encouraging people to put on their problem-solving hat and think outside the square. Maybe even see the positives that have arisen over the last few months. I think gratitude is important too, there’s still a lot to be thankful for.

Q. So if they’ve noticed signs of deteriorating mental health in their staff members and they’re worried, how would they start that conversation?

A. I would start by saying “I’m noticing that you’re not yourself, can you tell me a bit about what’s going on for you?” and even if you can say something really concrete such as “I’m noticing you’re not yourself, you’re really quiet (or you’ve been a bit snappy) the last few days, how are you doing?” It can be good to then ask an open question about what’s going on for that person, ask them how they’re coping. It’s really important to validate people’s experiences, this is not the normal or usual situation so however people are feeling is totally fine.

If you are concerned about an employee, you can also talk to one of our team members at OzHelp. We can support you to have those conversations and provide you with some guidance.

Q. What are some simple measures that everyone can take to maintain their own health and wellbeing during times of stress?

A. Something that springs to mind and that I’m hearing a lot is that old adage “this too will pass”. It’s important to remember that this is temporary, we are safe at home, the government is looking after us as best they can, and there’s still a lot to be thankful for.

Maintaining that positive perspective as a priority and remembering to talk ourselves up because if we can look after ourselves, in terms of our mental health, we can also be there to support others.

Self-care, good self-talk, maintaining perspective and trying to be responsive rather than reactive is critical at this time.

To learn about OzHelp’s training and support programs, visit ozhelp.org.au

If you, or someone you know is having a tough time, please reach out.

OZHELP SUPPORT LINE (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) Ph: 1300 694 357

LIFELINE (24-hour crisis support) Ph: 13 11 14 or their text line is available 6pm-midnight on 0477 13 11 14

BEYOND BLUE Ph: 1800 512 348

If you are in immediate danger call 000.

WORKING FROM HOME

Working From Home (WFH) creates a new set of security concerns for you the business owner to be aware of. Yes, it can be overwhelming, so many small businesses are paralysed with what to do, that they do nothing. Doing nothing is not a great option.

OmniIT provides IT support services to small to medium businesses in the Canberra region. We are our client’s IT department. One major task is to provide advice and support about security to our clients. Our goal is to allow our clients and their staff to access their work applications and data in an easy to use, secure way, so that they can continue to do their job.

Below are a few simple steps that will help you to secure your data from loss and from unwanted attention.

TIP 1: make the computer that you are working on more secure and hide it from the rest of your network (be that McDonalds Wi-Fi or tethered to your smartphone or connected to your home network).

Change your network to Private

How to check and change, if required:

Locate the Wi-Fi network or network icon on the right side of the task bar (down near the clock)

Choose the network that you are connected to and select properties

Under network profile, select Private and close out

This hides all the shared folders, shared printers etc from anyone else on your network making you less visible and more secure.

TIP 2: Do not let anyone gain access to your computer while it is connected to the work environment:

Do not walk away from your computer while work information is accessible. Lock it with a password or pin that is known to you only.

Keep your passwords to you only – no sharing

Make all your passwords different – use a password manager like LastPass – it is free for personal use and it means that you only need to remember one password – how good is that!

Do not store corporate data on your local computer – it is very easy for others to gain access to it even if you think that it is hidden from them

Please do not save passwords in your browser or remote access screens

Do not give your mobile phone to your children or friends if you have corporate email installed.

Have a lock on your phone. Don’t give the passcode out to anyone.

The idea is to keep prying eyes away from your company data – you do not know who is looking.

TIP 3: Research and use careful consideration before selecting a virtual meeting program.

Before selecting a virtual meeting program, you should research the pros and cons of each program. It’s especially important for businesses to consider how security aware these systems are and if there are any security concerns with that program. TIP 4: Home computers should not have anything work related installed or downloaded onto it

Home computers are unknown from an IT security perspective, so we assume the worst and create a barrier between them and the company data and applications.

Home computers can easily be used to take over a workbased computer using remote control software such as TeamViewer, ScreenConnect etc or via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Remote desktop to control the work computer. Both methods are very cost effective (if not free) and are both very secure. This allows you to access all the applications that are on the work computer allowing you to use them as though you were sitting in the office. Use the web browser to access all the Office 365 data and applications.

Do not set Outlook up on your home computer – use the web browser version

Do not sync corporate data to the home computer

Open documents in Word and Excel and save them back to Office 365 – there is no need to save them to your PC

MANDATORY DATA LOSS REPORTING LAWS

In case you do not know, if you store personally identifiable information about people (your clients, your staff etc) and that information is lost e.g. some one sees something on your screen or an email is sent to the wrong person or you are hacked, then the mandatory data loss reporting laws come into action. You will need to inform all those whose data you may have lost, and you have to inform the government about the loss and what you have done to prevent such a loss from occurring again. Not a good look for your business.

Explain these simple tips to your staff and you are on your way to securing your data while allowing them to get their job done.

OMNI IT are more than happy to discuss any of these and any other security concerns that you may have, they are but just a phone call away.

Phone (02) 6230 3839 Email: support@omniit.com.au Unit 8, 12 Sandford St Mitchell ACT 2911