Assignment Task

COVID-19 Related Mental Health Effects in the Workplace

Background

The interplay between mental health and work productivity has become more challenging to manage due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a drastically altered work environment. Significant changes in employee psyche and habits have been observed.

Psychological problems among employees increased from 6.3% to 50.9% during the pandemic, with unemployment being a large contributing factor. Employees experienced more fatigue and mental illness as their working hours increased in the work-from-home (WFH) environment, although no rise in productivity was seen. Changes in food intake, physical activities, and overall well-being were also noted. The pressure to meet deadlines further exacerbated poor mental health.

What can be done to help employees WFH

Setting a positive example for behavior is essential. Senior managers can encourage employees to prioritize their limits and self-care. By offering adequate breaks, they can ensure that employees are psychologically prepared to work harder. As a result, incorporating workplace flexibility—such as time for relaxation and exercise—can help improve employees` mental health.

Risk Factors for Employee Mental Health

Risk factors include excessive workload or understaffing, under-use of skills, unsafe or poor working conditions, unclear job roles, a negative organizational culture, inflexible hours, over-promotions, job insecurities, and conflicts between work and life. In the informal economy, where there is no legislative protection for health and safety, more than half of the world`s labor force is employed. These individuals often work in hazardous conditions, put in long hours, lack access to social or financial safeguards, and experience discrimination, all of which can negatively impact mental health, as noted by WHO (2022).

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this study is to analyze the factors related to office resources and the work environment to understand how they impact employees` mental health. It seeks to examine pre- and post-COVID-19 data to determine how the trend of mental health issues has changed with shifts in the work environment. The objectives include:

• Understanding risk factors for employees with mental health issues
• Examining how COVID-19 has impacted mental health stability
• Identifying factors and reasons why modern business environments contribute to employee fatigue and burnout
• Recommending protocols and actions to combat the growing rate of mental illness among employees

Research Questions

• What was the rate of mental illness among employees before and after the COVID-19 pandemic?
• How do changes in technologies affect the rate of mental illness among employees?
• What are the major protocols and procedures that employers can adopt to combat increasing mental health issues among employees?