COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the mental health of workers around the world. According to the annual study “Artificial Intelligence (AI) at work” by Oracle and Future Workplace, 7 out of 10 people say that this situation has been the most stressful of their working lives. In addition to health concerns and complex family dynamics, 4 in 10 people say they are also struggling with everyday stressors in the workplace, such as pressure to meet performance standards, routine and tedious tasks, and unmanageable workloads.
In this same study, 21% of employees, managers and HR managers surveyed indicated that dealing with burnout is the greatest challenge of telecommuting. The report found that managers were suffering from more mental health problems than their employees, and that ‘Generation Z’ workers and ‘Millennials’ were the most exhausted.
This has meant that companies around the world are looking for quick solutions to support their workers and to eliminate the causes of burnout. In line with this, and based on the study of stress and emotions at work carried out by the Human Capital Institute in 2020,
Oracle and HCI have developed 11 recommendations for business practices that aim to prevent burnout and mitigate its effects:
• Encourage free time, with tools for the easy request for leave time and support in relation to COVID, in addition to the usual vacations.
• Offer tools and resources that promote wellness and self-care, such as subscriptions to health apps, Employee Assistance Programs, etc.
• Provide flexible work arrangements, with additional paid time off, flexible hours, and support for employees who are caregivers and guardians.
• Deploy wellness and resilience training and benefits, with fitness classes, ergonomics, dietary advice and general guidance, and more.
• Increase communication and connection with creative media and through various channels, to encourage commitment and belonging to the community.
• Enlist the support of managers to spread the word about mental health and wellness, and to be flexible about schedules.
• Recognize contributions to the organization, offer motivational videos and share messages of support to maintain employee engagement.
• Establish boundaries to balance work and home, fostering a focus on health, safety, and family throughout the organization.
• Reorganize work, being flexible around when tasks are completed, prioritizing and scheduling conversations about career growth.
• Listen and listen to remote workers and those who have returned to work in person, to provide support and promote a safe work environment.
• Structure and balance meetings to open up to new ways of working and offering flexible options, inviting employees to participate.
• Prioritize wellness and safety. In order to meet these new challenges, HR needs to reexamine how they can create an environment that focuses on mental wellness and keeps employees happy, engaged, and productive. To do this, Oracle has different solutions that contribute to a sense of connection.
• Oracle Connections helps make the employee experience more engaging, which is critical for so many organizations that take advantage of remote work. Employees can connect with their colleagues in a whole new way to build relationships by sharing more information about themselves on their profile, as well as recording their own introduction video.
• Oracle Work Life enables employees to set wellness goals and also provides recommendations for behaviors that can increase wellness, especially your well-being. By offering a wellness program helps create greater employee engagement, contributing to a sense of connection.
• Oracle Workforce Health and Safety provides organizations with the ability to effectively and easily manage the entire process around health incidents (such as confirmed COVID-19 cases). HR professionals can help employees feel protected while monitoring and reporting, minimizing exposure to the broader workforce, and taking appropriate action quickly.
