18: How to support your team's mental health when transitioning back into the workplace - Emma Mamo

In this podcast, Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at the UK mental health charity; Mind, shares her advice on how leaders can effectively transition their employees back into the workplace in a mentally healthy way.

You can read the full transcript at: https://social.hays.com/2020/06/28/podcast-18/

Timestamps:

(01:16)Please could you introduce yourself, explaining a little bit about your role?

(01:50) Please could you define what we mean by the term mental health?

(03:27)Are there any signs leaders should look out for which might indicate that their own mental health might have suffered?

(04:52)Now, if any of our listeners recognise any of the signs you've just mentioned, what would you recommend they do to better prioritise, maintaining their good mental health, both during this current crisis and also in the long-term?

(06:46)Understandably, many employees may be feeling concerned about the prospect of returning to the workplace. In fact, according to our recent survey, 74% of respondents have reservations around this, with the main reasons being the risk of potential infection, their commute, and the disruption to their work-life balance patterns. What impact do you think these concerns are having on employee's mental health as they contemplate returning to the workplace after months of working from home?

(09:54)What are the signs that leaders should look out for both now and in the future, which could indicate that a member of their team is struggling with their mental health, or perhaps is feeling particularly worried or anxious about returning to the workplace. And can these be more difficult to spot when working remotely?

(11:25)How can leaders facilitate supportive discussions and help their employees open up about our concerns or worries? Do you have any tips on how to do this, particularly when managing remote or hybrid teams?

(12:52) As well as initiating these types of conversations, are there any other proactive steps you'd recommend leaders take to help ease the transition of employees back to the workplace? Whilst, of course, prioritising their wellbeing and mental health. Surely every individual is experiencing this crisis differently, thus this demands a different approach from leaders, would you agree?

(15:48) Some leaders will unfortunately have to face the difficult decision to make headcount reductions. Do you have any advice you can share on how this process can be undergone compassionately, limiting wherever possible, any negative impact on mental health to those affected?

(17:59) In future, it's likely that hybrid teams, when part of the team works in the office part of the time, and the other part of the team works from home, part of the time will likely become more common in this next era of work. How will this impact the focus of, and the way in which mental health and wellbeing programs are delivered by employers?

(19:26)What do you think are the three qualities that make a good leader and crucially, do you think these qualities have changed as a result of the pandemic?