Covid-19 pandemic has been impacting each of us for almost two years now in unfathomable ways. Initially the most daunting impacts were considered to be its implications on physical health and the resulting economic fragility that let economies reeling.

However, equally alarming, though less thought of, was pandemic’s influence on mental health – particularly of the general public and employees. In every arena employees have faced a huge amount of stress, their wellbeing particularly overwhelmed amidst rising economic uncertainty, with continuing expectations and sheer exhaustion.

“Covid started the conversation about how important emotional and mental health is to a healthy business and/or country,” notes Dr Saliha Afridi, clinical psychologist and MD at The LightHouse Arabia, an accredited provider of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training in the UAE. “For the first time in history the impact of employee wellbeing was so directly apparent within the corporate sector. Governments and corporations had to pay attention and mental health could no longer be seen as something that falls under ‘personal issues’.”

Data also supports consensus that the pandemic’s impact on mental health and wellbeing has been massive. According to last year’s study by Oracle and Workplace Intelligence, the year 2020 was the most stressful year in history for the global workforce. The study also surveyed UAE workers and found that 91 per cent of people in the country said that their work related mental health issues had a negative impact on their home life, while 77 per cent said that their preference would be to talk to a robot rather than their manager about anxiety and stress at work.

Entrepreneurs across the MENA region have also faced a considerable amount of pressure, a report by EMPWR, WAMDA and Microsoft for Startups suggested. As many as 35.9 per cent of startup founders appraised their mental health state as ‘bad’, with 44.2 per cent reported of spending a minimum of two hours per week trying to destress. Furthermore, with only 2 per cent of healthcare budgets across the MENA region currently deployed for tackling mental health, the impact of the pandemic on young entrepreneurs could cause an economic burden of $1 trillion by 2030, the report added.

“Mental wellbeing is a priority now more so than ever before. Businesses are having to respond to employee health concerns or else risk the costs related to stress and burnout. In effect, there is no turning back as employers take the responsibility of finding ways

to offer their team the support and flexibility they need, which ultimately is to their benefit,” says Sawsan Ghanem, joint managing director of PR firm Active DMC.

Pandemic’s impact on people’s lives has been varied. But depending on the degree of impact, one principle has continued to be true for all - people are in big need of support, from colleagues, employers or in the form of relaxed policies.

“Employees should be mindful of significant changes they may see in team members – personality or work performance because it may be a sign that a person is struggling,” says Sneha John, clinical psychologist at Medcare Camali Mental Health Clinic.

“Managers should make themselves available to staff to talk about fears, to answer questions and to reassure them about work and other issues that might come up. Adopting an employee assistance programme developed by academic professionals could help

equip supervisors with resources to recognise and handle problems related to mental wellbeing.”

“Wellness webinars and one-on-one consultations by mental health professionals should be a regular practice in organisations. Employers should create opportunities for confidential conversations in a one-on-one setting. Empathy and assurance from a manager can go a long way in providing a safe space for employees,” she adds.

Bringing a big change

Work from home proved to be a lifeline for the business continuity during Covid-19 crisis. While preventive measures and widespread vaccination campaigns opened a window for employees to return to offices, a broader discussion was sparked by pandemic on holistic wellbeing. In the weeks and months into the pandemic, professionals showed inclination to reset their priorities and opt for a flexible approach to working. According to the 2021 Cigna 360° Well-being survey, 41 per cent and 43 per cent of office-based workers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia respectively, reported a preference to work from home full-time in some capacity.

Several companies across the world are resetting their policies in accordance to the rising trend to ensure more productivity and also provide employee satisfaction.

PwC has reportedly allowed 40,000 of its employees in US to work remotely full-time. Facebook said that as of June 15, it has enabled remote work to all levels across the company, thus allowing any employee whose can perform the job virtually to request for remote work. Amazon also last month offered greater flexibility to its employees. “For our corporate roles, instead of specifying that people work a baseline of three days a week in the office, we’re going to leave this decision up to individual teams,” Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy said in a message to the employees. In June, multi-service platform Careem launched a pilot model, asking UAE employees to return to the office one day every week. This programme is continuing, until further notice.

“Whether or not a four-day week is the right solution for a business to stay competitive, a serious discussion over flexible and reduced working hours is something that all organisations will have to address in a world where technology not only defines our social habits but also our working lives,” opines Ghanem.

A good investment

After recognising the importance of mental health, the next logical step is seeking help. However, ‘non-traditional medical costs’ associated with mental health can be an out-of-pocket expense, discouraging employees from seeking assistance. “This is still a huge problem in the mental health space. We need to see massive change at a policy level whereby insurance providers and corporate entities are mandated to cover mental health coverage in even the most basic of insurance policies,” says Dr Afridi.

“Health coverage is currently based on a historical idea that mental and physical health are two separate parts of a person’s health and wellbeing – this belief is outdated and false. Insurance companies clearly understand and know that poor mental health will result in serious physical health issues. In fact over 80 per cent of all primary health concerns are stress (emotional and mental) induced.”

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Mental Health Atlas 2020 report highlighted a global lapse in mental health investment. In 2020, only 51 per cent of WHO’s member states reported their mental health policy to be fully aligned with international and regional human rights instruments, just short of the 80 per cent target.

Take on the charge

With people viewing health with a more holistic approach, discussions around mental wellbeing are becoming louder. According to the Cigna survey, globally, 68 per cent of the respondents have mentioned mental health as a very critical influence on personal health and wellbeing, with physical health coming in at 67 per cent.

“Employees are more aware of their healthcare needs today and are looking for an enhanced health insurance package that offers peace of mind. This has potential to move from being a “nice to have” for many employees, to a “must have” that may well influence career decisions,” it added. “With equitable mental healthcare, distinct conversations around related support services and greater cognisance on overall employee wellbeing, the quote, “It doesn’t get easier. You just get stronger” could warrant a change in 2022.”