Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
Gender equality
Practice meets perfect
May/June 2023 issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Features
Human factors
COVID-19
Stress
Wellbeing

The key to unlocking good emotional health

Open-access content Brendan Street — Thursday 14th May 2020
From the archive:  Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.
Social distancing_mental health

iStock

As countries in Europe begin to ease some of the Coronavirus-related restrictions, we consider how to support employees' emotional health as workforces gradually return to work with social distancing measures in place.

A recent poll revealed that many workers feel uncomfortable going back to their normal lives – according to the UK's Office for National Statistics, nearly half of over-16s currently rate their anxiety as 'high', more than double the numbers since 2019.

It’s not yet clear what further actions to ease the lockdowns across Europe will take place, but organisations need to think carefully about how they will prepare for the possibility of returning to work with some restrictions still remaining and how they can support employee mental health post-lockdown.

First steps and legal considerations

Anxiety often stems from the unknown. Anxious employees repeatedly ask themselves ‘what if?’ and focus on problems before they have happened.

Sharing actionable steps on how the business is planning to safeguard their health and how they can protect themselves when back in their old work environment will help rationalise this issue.

Make sure company health protocols are clear and accessible. This means keeping staff informed on the steps you are taking as a business and giving advice on how to stay hygienic and safe around others.

Ensure payroll staff are notified when furlough will end, and when employees should be back on full pay. The exact timeframes need to be communicated widely to staff and as soon as possible, which will help alleviate anxiety surrounding reduced personal finances.

Staff should be given a reasonable period of notice for when they will be expected to return to ‘normal’ work conditions. Many will need to plan for childcare or adjust working hours if schools have reopened, so the more notice you give, the less you are adding to an existing list of worries.

Communicate emotional support

Some employees may have anxiety about going back to work, commuting on public transport, or have experienced difficult situations during lockdown.

Arrange one-to-one meetings, if possible, with every employee – or with set teams, if your company is large – virtually, before they return to work. You should encourage them to share any concerns they have and address any worries about their physical and mental wellbeing.

This assures employees of the emotional wellbeing support you will provide, like employee assistance programmes (EAPS) or how you are scheduling your business’ wellness action plan for the coming months.

Assess your old workspace

Businesses reopening this coming week will have to maintain some elements of social distancing post-lockdown. Before employees return, review your previous work environment, and think about how you can enforce these measures effectively.

Think about whether staff will be able to keep a two-metre distance between each other. If not, you will need to adjust the layout of your workspace and consider other practicalities like how you will hold team meetings and maintain good relationships with existing customers or clients.

If your workplace has been closed for a while, consider a deep clean, paying close attention to things like phones and keyboards, so employees feel safer when they arrive.

Make sure you have the right supplies in place. Health guidelines state the importance of basic hygiene measures like washing hands regularly, using hand sanitiser and disposable hand towels.

Checking there are plenty of supplies for employees to use is the simplest way of helping relieve some of the worry, supporting staff in staying hygienic in a busy office.

Some industries may need to wear PPE, like face masks when they return to work. If this is the case, you should be prepared and ensure you have a supply staff can use, as well as asking them to bring in their own masks if they have them already.

Think about vulnerable staff

Now the government has begun its phased return to work for UK businesses, it will still not be possible for many vulnerable staff to return. It is important for wellbeing and resilience to ensure connectivity for members of staff who are still self-isolating. Those forced to continue working remotely may face psychological hazards linked to increased loneliness and isolation.

Risk assess for these and consider increased connectivity through for example the use of virtual water coolers, so teams can stay connected.

You may also have employees who have suffered the bereavement of a friend or family member, who are not in the right emotional state to return to work yet. There is no statutory right to bereavement leave, but responsible businesses should be sympathetic to requests for additional time off if required.

There are plenty of wellness options which can be offered to staff remotely, too – including cognitive behaviour therapy, which can be delivered safely and effectively by phone, video or email for flexibility and privacy.

Other types of therapy, which are also safe, effective, and accessible remotely, include counselling (for example relationship, bereavement), interpersonal therapy, and access to psychiatric assessments.

Brendan Street is professional head of emotional wellbeing at Nuffield Health

You may also be interested in...

Behaviour and culture

 Return to work after COVID-19: the impact on people and culture

Thursday 14th May 2020
When adapting your workplaces to accommodate changes required due to Covid-19, perhaps the area where this will have the greatest impact is the people and the culture of your organisation.
Open-access content
Plates spinning

 How OSH professionals can keep the plates spinning

Monday 4th May 2020
We are in unprecedented times. We are navigating unchartered waters. As OSH professionals, our skills and ability to make dynamic risk assessment, to help businesses make informed risk-based choices and protect people have never been more critical.
Open-access content
Revitalise 2.0 – build back better and healthier

 Revitalise 2.0 – build back better and healthier

Thursday 4th June 2020
As economies, organisations and workers strive to recover from the downturn caused by the public health crisis of COVID-19, there are calls for long-term investment, prevention plans and to revitalise and ‘build back better’, writes Richard Jones, head of policy and regulatory engagement.
Open-access content
iStock

 Amendments to annual leave provisions

Tuesday 9th June 2020
The Working Time Directive has been amended to provide workers the ability to carry holiday forward
Open-access content
web--p50-51-Seismograph-Machine--Getty--502061751.jpg

 Global trends: hold on tight

Monday 18th May 2020
What are the global trends that will challenge the OSH profession about to undergo seismic change? IOSH held a series of workshops to shape the focus of its work in the future.
Open-access content
web--p60-64-Megatrends--Abstract-yellow-wires--Getty--1133773279-EDIT.jpg

 Megatrends: the earthquake in the workplace

Monday 18th May 2020
Megatrends are slowly and profoundly reshaping the world: how we do business, where we work and what we care about. What does the future look like in a world where technology holds sway?
Open-access content
Topics
Features
Human factors
COVID-19
Stress
Wellbeing
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health and Safety Improvement Manager

Leeds
£35000 - £50000 per annum
Reference
5452992

SHEQ Systems Advisor

Up to £40000.00 per annum + Car Allowance
Reference
5452988

Senior Health and Safety Manager

Reading
Up to £65000.00 per annum + Great Car Allowance & Benefits
Reference
5452983
See all jobs »

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2023 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ