Because remote employees are physically out of reach, it can be difficult to determine whether they’re experiencing mental health problems. And if you don’t know about the problems, you can’t assist. Below are three tips for handling this sensitive issue.
1. Know the mental health risks of remote work.
Studies show that remote employees have higher rates of stress compared with office-based workers and are susceptible to loneliness, worry and irritability due to working remotely.
As demonstrated in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the social stage is critical to our psychological development because, when fulfilled, it reduces negative emotions — such as loneliness, depression and anxiety.
Isolating by nature, remote work isn’t naturally conducive to social needs. It can also be hard for employees to adjust to remote work if they’re not accustomed to working alone. Along with reduced social interaction, remote workers sometimes worry about job performance and stability, which can result in diminishing self-worth and lack of confidence.
2. Learn the many causes of poor mental health.
Because a lot of emphasis is (deservedly) placed on remote workers’ social needs, it can be easy to overlook other mental health threats facing this demographic. According to a report by Kaiser Permanente: “Employees are stressed — but not for the reasons employers think.”
Employers tend to think the top three sources of employees’ stress are:
In reality, for employees, the top three reasons are:
Of course, there’s always the possibility of the problem being closer to home — such as marital discord, financial instability or substance abuse.
3. Make your remote team’s mental health a top priority.
This requires a holistic approach that typically includes the following steps:
Remember that no matter what business you’re in, your greatest resources are human resources.
Posted June 2020 – Copyright 2020
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