Companies are getting creative about engaging staff feeling lockdown fatigue, even taking inspiration from colleagues across the ditch.
With low unemployment, companies have been pulling out all the stops with work perks to retain staff in recent months, but how employers treat staff in lockdown could affect a company's reputation even beyond lockdown.
And if workers are not happy, they’ll walk away.
HR software firm Employment Hero's chief people officer Alex Hattingh says even after lockdown, candidates will be considering how companies treated workers in lockdown when they're applying for jobs.
“Mental health impacts people deeply. You want your employees to be coping or they won't be engaged or performing at their best,” Hattingh says.
“Your employees will also remember when this is all over how you treated them. Friends and family talk too. Hearing that other companies are taking care of their people if your company is not highlights this as an issue of not putting your people first."
Employment Hero’s mental health in the workplace survey of 1010, published just days before the Level 4 lockdown, revealed about a third of respondents wanted their workplace to promote a healthy work-life balance. Half of the respondents also expected their employers to bear the burden of managing their mental health.
The survey also found younger Kiwis under the age of 25 experienced the highest levels of stress at 73 percent.
“You will absolutely see more burnout based on such a high statistic," Hattingh says.
Companies need to offer proactive support to staff over lockdown and also set boundaries to limit burnout.
"You have to allow your employees to feel okay telling you they are burnt out, tired, overwhelmed, or at risk of burnout.
"As managers, remind your team to log off. Notice if team members are online late and check in with them.”
"Your employees will also remember when this is all over how you treated them."
– Alex Hattingh, Employment Hero
Hattingh says it’s also important for employees to set boundaries for themselves to prevent burnout.
“Use your usual commute time to do something that is meaningful to you, like a walk or some quality time with your kids.”
Cloud accounting firm Xero is borrowing methods from colleagues overseas, where staff have been working through some of the longest periods of lockdown in the world.
Xero’s head of people experience Linda Shearer says the company’s Australian arm has set up regular virtual events like comedy shows and trivia or quizzes to engage staff.
Shearer says although New Zealand has spent comparatively shorter times in lockdown, Kiwis were feeling fatigued faster.
“I think we've had some people in New Zealand and lockdown say they feel bad complaining because their team overseas were in lockdown for way longer or had it way tougher. But it's not a competition about who's got it worse.
“I think in New Zealand, fatigue is setting in a little earlier than it did the first lockdown, because there was this novelty period, whereas this time people know what they're in for. So we're very mindful of that.”
Shearer also expects candidates to ask about how Xero supported staff during Covid, because interviewees asked this of companies after the Global Financial Crisis.
"I think it'll be a question we'll get asked a few years from now. But the answer will show the company's culture and how you treat your staff."
Xero learnt from previous lockdowns last year was the importance of setting boundaries as a means for staff to prioritise their mental health.
“We've learnt, you know, there's only so many hours in the day, we're all trying to juggle a hundred different things. We use a shared calendar and block some time out so managers and colleagues know not to disturb you during that time.
"Just focus on the important ones, you know, don't let the important balls drop, like your health, like your family. Work stuff can wait, push out deadlines, everybody is really understanding of that because everyone’s in it."
