The intersection of COVID-19 and mental health – Accounting Today

The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a significant catalyst for mental health care, with the crisis sparking concern for the emotional wellbeing of entire populations. Around the world, many people are trying to manage symptoms of stress and anxiety stemming from new ways of working, a fear of contracting the virus and unexpected financial challenges. In the digital sphere, mindfulness and meditation apps are trending and almost every social interaction is preceded with an emotional wellbeing check-in.

In terms of destigmatizing the topic of mental health, this change in behavior is good news and bodes well for the new normal that we are all working toward. That said, there is still much work to do and it is the responsibility of employers and employees alike to make sure we normalize mental wellness, as we do with physical wellness.

Considering how we deal with mental illness in the long term is finally starting to get the attention it deserves. Earlier in the year, the World Health Organization released a memo articulating the most critical psychosocial considerations during COVID-19 and, importantly, emphasized that the current situation will not go away overnight and [the focus should be] on longer-term occupational capacity rather than repeated short-term crisis responses.

Prior to the pandemic, many businesses had already increased their focus on workplace mental wellbeing, but today those efforts are even more imperative.

As we navigate various transitions over the coming months and years, we are likely to see employees struggle with anxiety, depression, burnout, trauma and PTSD. Those mental health experiences will differ according to economic opportunity, caregiving responsibilities, job type and many other variables. So, what can employers do to support people as they face a variety of new stressors and upheaval?

The RSM approach

With people being RSMs greatest asset, the importance of workplace wellbeing has long been at the forefront of the networks business agenda. But, as COVID-19s presence made itself increasingly known, member firms have thrown more weight behind proactively supporting mental wellness initiatives, and being empathetic where there are people suffering from mental health issues.

RSM UKs creation of a Mental Health Champions Program stemmed from an early recognition that mental ill-health within our profession was on the increase. Recognizing the significance of this, they took a planned approach to raising awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing, tackling the stigma that may have existed around mental ill-health, and putting in place tangible support for their people. RSM UKs Mental Health First Aid Champions Program is just one of the support mechanisms that they have introduced in recent years. Others include: a calendar of regular articles, webinars, hints and tips on mental wellbeing on their intranet; training workshops for managers to give them the skills to identify when someone in their team might be struggling; and the tools for effective conversations and signposts to sources of support.

In the United States, RSM recently launched an enhanced flexibility system and coaching line to offer an opportunity for the firms people to discuss their needs and find flexibility support that is right for them. To help with family care needs related to the pandemic, they expanded their child and elder care benefit programs and modified their extended care cash program for employees to use taxable reimbursements to help offset these costs. RSM USs care for its employees also extends to their family members, and they offer access to resources for family support services, including virtual learning and tutoring, nanny services and college coaching.

At RSM Uruguay, the team have been offering personal coaching sessions for those experiencing difficulties, ensuring they have been attentive and available to support the different employee needs that might arise. The firm has also carried out A talk with HR every two weeks, including people from all departments and levels. In these sessions they seek to be closer to their people and talk about all issues, from development and wellbeing to health and emotional management.

RSM South Africa has used the knowledge and guidance of one of its employees who is a registered psychologist to create webinars on significant emotions like managing anxiety and depression. Having a psychologist join meetings to talk to teams about their specific emotional concerns has added great value and assisted in proactively protecting mental wellness as well as the performance of the teams. It has also created an environment where individuals feel more comfortable seeking assistance directly should there be a confidential matter they wish to discuss.

Our final example is RSM Australia, whose team has sent out a pulse survey every few weeks targeting a different topic, such as working from home, wellbeing, mental health, returning to the workplace and the like. In recent times, they have been focusing on looking ahead and sparking excitement in their people in terms of how they can take their learnings from the last year and use it to provide an even better employee and client experience in the future.

What else can organizational leadership teams do?

Dealing with issues regarding mental wellness is just as common among top management as it is at any other organizational level. It is important to lead by example in reducing stigma around mental wellness, and this starts with being able to have conversations that are open and honest. In the current environment, business leaders need to be able to demonstrate their own healthy behaviors, and that includes sharing their challenges, and how they deal or have dealt with them. Listening to how colleagues speak about their problems, understanding the issues they are facing, and taking note of any behavioral changes is critical for taking proactive action in taking care of those around us.

Alongside this, there are other practical ideas for engaging and promoting mental wellness:

Focusing on mental wellness is critical to maximize organizational performance. The stigma that still surrounds mental health issues hampers initiatives that are required to make this area of employee wellbeing become a point of focus. As we move toward the new normal and increase economic activity, business leaders need to understand employees and their holistic needs in order to have the high levels of engagement, productivity and creativity that are so necessary to finding opportunity in the future.

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The intersection of COVID-19 and mental health - Accounting Today