BUSINESSES are looking to safeguard their employees mental health ahead of concerns over a “wave of grief” set to hit employees upon returning to work.
There are fears that a postponed period of trauma and a forthcoming wave of grief could come and a firm has warned that employers should have new foundations in place to help.
Wellbeing and performance firm PUSH have seen a significant increase in enquiries from UK businesses who are looking to better support their workers return to the office.
Over the course of the pandemic alone, PUSH has supported over 20 major UK companies including Catalina, Rightmove, Urban Outfitters, Toyota, Whitbread, TikTok and RGA.
The group say that not only is employee wellbeing a major concern, but that business leaders are also worried about the challenges the ‘new normal’ will bring.
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Cate Murden founder of PUSH said: “It’s clear that we are in the midst of a mental health crisis – simply through dealing with ‘stuff’ that we’ve never dealt with before.
“Take, for example, the fact that having been furloughed for a year or more, many – such as those in the hospitality industry – are feeling the strain of the sudden need to return to a workplace that is intensely busy.
“The last year has been challenging for everyone in a multitude of ways and now this sudden return to work can seem daunting.
“At PUSH we have had an influx of requests to help with auditing, alongside tailored programmes that provide both reactive and preventative support.
“From top down to bottom up, it is clear that companies are realising the need to understand how everyone is feeling and therefore provide their employees with tools to look after themselves and stay motivated.”
PUSH specialises in corporate wellness, mental health, leadership and professional development, working with clients to create tailored solutions to the challenges felt by their teams.
Premal Patel, VP, Managing Director of Catalina UK comments, “The health of our workforce is one of our key priorities as a business.
The work that Cate and her team have done to support us over the last year has been invaluable, not only in encouraging our employees to find a work life balance through lockdown, but also in nurturing their resilience.
We feel like the spirit PUSH has helped us to instill in our team, will also go a long way to helping them adjust to the new normal, in and out of the workplace as we move out of the pandemic.”
