While some people believe that the remote working opportunity has given them a better work-life balance, many others believe that it is leading to a serious issue – burnout. BurnoutOpens a new window has the power to decrease employee performance, productivity, and creativity. In these extremely stressful times, balancing work as well as responsibilities at home is leading to significant strain. Employees have been managing an extremely intense situation for several months now, and if they want to have fulfilling careers, they may need to take a break. Some other reasons shared by Wherewithall, a consulting firmOpens a new window , were unintended childcare and the fact that some feel better when they are occupied with work.
An ADP surveyOpens a new window collected responses from dozens of managers and business owners. They shared advice for employees who are not returning from furlough, stating that taking vacation days off at this time is crucial. Several employees have not been opting for vacation days as a result of fears over job security.
Nord VPN, a private network service provider, is tracking internet usage during the pandemic and has found that employees are working three hours longerOpens a new window now than they used to. This is leading to mental health issues.
Therefore, some companies have taken it up as a policy to make paid time off mandatory. A phone service provider, TextNow, remained closed on July 1–3 (Wednesday to Friday) to give workers an entire five-day holiday. Some organizations are also changing their policies to encourage their employees to take personal time off before the end of the year.
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Paid Time Off Is Critical – How Are Companies Enforcing It?
The core reason for suggesting a vacation even when employees are at home is to help them attend to their mental and emotional well-being. In addition, organizations as well as service providers have introduced other initiatives to help with this.
1. Sharing examples of those who took PTO
By sharing examplesOpens a new window of employees who took time off and returned to work with a fresher mind and better health, companies are encouraging others to follow the same route. This allows others to see the benefits of taking a break and the positive impact it has on their work as well.
2. Teletherapy and counseling support
Organizations are providing teletherapy to many of their employees so that they can receive help as and when they truly need it. TalkspaceOpens a new window is also a much-used platform for online therapy as well as digital services for mental health and well-being.
3. Insurance provision for mental health
Several corporate healthcare insurance plans that cover mental health and counseling within their coverage. Recently, Chubb launched a unique plan in this area to allow companies to reimburse employees who were under psychological stress due to working from home.
4. Apps for special segments of employees
An example of this is the app launched by the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health called the Heroes Health InitiativeOpens a new window . This is designed to support the mental health of first responders and healthcare workers. Similarly, mental health and self-care apps that are designed for marginalized communities such as ShineOpens a new window , AyanaOpens a new window , and many others, provide them with the support they need currently.
5. Virtual workshops
Virtual workshops that break the stigma associated with mental illness and stress along with classes on meditation through apps like HeadSpace, Calm, and Insight Timer, are also being conducted. This helps companies to disseminate the information and importance of being emotionally resilient to a bigger set of employees.
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Organizations are emerging as support structures that provide tools to help employees access the right kind of help. These tools could be apps, hotlines, or counseling services, so that they do not continue to struggle with their mental health.