50% of employees feel the effect of Coronavirus on their wellbeing

• 46% of employees are having trouble sleeping 

• 24% admit they aren’t coping with the current situation 

• 7.5% expressed that they do not understand current Covid-19 guidelines 

UK Based Govox calls for organisations to check in with their teams after online reach outs to more than 13,800 people reveal that over 50% of employees are feeling the effects of Coronavirus on their wellbeing.

As we all navigate through this unprecedented period that has undeniably been life changing for so many, there has never been a more significant time for Mental Health Awareness to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. 

The uncertainty and disruption to everyday life has been particularly poignant when it comes to the working environment. During this time many have been forced to adjust to a new normal, and this disturbance of routine undeniably has an effect on wellbeing. More and more companies are looking to “check in” with their employees as remote working becomes commonplace. 

To date, Govox – a platform and tool to help leaders in the monitoring of, and capability to support, their organisations wellbeing and mental health – have conducted over 160,000 check-ins for businesses across the globe. The recent statistics they have gathered (throughout the past 4 weeks of lockdown) show how important an effective line of communication is for the overall health of companies and individuals. 

Of the people reached out to, the platform found 7.57% expressed that they didn’t understand the current Covid-19 guidelines, and what is expected of them, and 24.43% of people admitted they aren’t coping with the current situation (either inside or outside of work). What’s more 46.22% of people are having trouble sleeping, and 52.95% of people admit that things can bother them. Nearly a quarter (17.94%) of those who were checked-in on indicated that they would like to speak to someone. 

While over 88% of people said they felt trusted to get on and do a good job, which is a great indicator of employee confidence, the fact that over half of those asked are clearly feeling the implications of the virus on their wellbeing proves the necessity of regular check-ins; and with nearly 20% of people explicitly admitting they need support, it is clear that proactive channels of communication are invaluable to enabling this. Now that these emotions have been identified, those responsible within the organisation will be able to prioritise the conversations needed; allowing them to reach out to the individuals behind the numbers and offer support.

A check in is a check in. It’s vital to know how your colleagues and your teams, in whatever organisation are feeling –  it’s our responsibility as humans to keep an eye out for each other.

Now more than ever the value of this is being recognised. We’ve seen a huge increase in organisations proactively looking to monitor and measure their employees’ mental wellbeing – and benefiting commercially as well as holistically from the results.

With the pandemic reinforcing the need for open communication, we hope that the importance being placed on health and wellness during this period is something that will turn into standard practice for organisations.

Richard Lucas, CEO of Govox

The results of the Govox check-ins demonstrates the need for tools to monitor the health and happiness of employees under the current circumstances, and indeed beyond. As there is a collective awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing during the pandemic, the need to find innovative ways to nurture workplace community–building and reinforcing relationships–will mean that employers and leaders will be trying different channels of communication perhaps for the very first time. This will ideally pave the way for organisations nationwide to incorporate  long-term solutions for the measuring, and support, of mental wellbeing.      

This support is something that isn’t restricted to businesses alone. Govox was born from a need to open conversation around wellbeing within sporting clubs, a need that is applicable across all organisations with individuals in their care – from companies, to education, to charity organisations; the platform is now used across a wide range of industries offering an on-going tool for leaders to connect with their communities.

In a recent article Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation commented that this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 18th – 24th) “could be the most important week we’ve hosted”. Rowland believes protecting our mental health is going to be central to us coping with and recovering from the coronavirus pandemic – with the psychological and social impacts likely to outlast the physical symptoms of the virus.  

The theme for Mental Health Awareness week this year is kindness. As the Mental Health Foundation states, Kindness strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity, and is a cornerstone of our individual and collective mental health. Now is the time for those responsible within businesses and organisations to exercise kindness as best they can. The check-ins conducted by Govox and the Foundation prove the collective need to look after individuals’ health and happiness. The pandemic has expedited the necessity of consistent communication, however this channel should always be open between organisations and the people within them.

About Govox: 

Govox is an easy-to-use yet powerful wellbeing platform for educators, employers, managers and leaders that streamlines the consistent, continuous monitoring of individuals’ emotional health and happiness. Govox takes a soft approach to communication, asking relevant questions to define the conversations needed; helping people proactively pinpoint at-risk individuals and prioritise the conversations that matter. 

A check in takes less than 30 seconds, there’s no log-in required for the individual, they get the request on email, they click on the link, answer the questions, then move on with their day. This is then presented on the wellbeing dashboard for those people who are responsible so they can react to the dashboard in whatever way they feel is relevant for that person.