Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

Paula Lindo Wednesday 8 April 2020

Many workers are struggling with mental health as a result of the rapid changes brought on by the measures taken to combat the spread of the covid19 virus. That issue was addressed during a webinar entitled Managing Mental Health & Wellness hosted by The American Chamber of Commerce of TT (Amcham TT) last Friday.

Chamber CEO Nirad Tewarie said the situation was a stressful and anxious one for which people did not yet have coping mechanisms, since their usual social activities had been curtailed because of isolation measures. He said the question of individual and societal resilience-building for families and companies needed to be explored, as well as how companies can create a safe working environment during the pandemic period.

CEO of Odyssey Consulting Ltd Anthony Watkins said people would be experiencing major spiritual, physical, mental, social, economic and financial disruptions during this time. He said, normally, peoples lives have predictability based on the jobs they do.

Watkins added that people would react differently.

“Some people are going to get quiet. Fear is going to turn into fury. What may be a little moodiness may become deep depression and we may see people who are normally questioning, curious and challenging, shift to blaming and shaming of other people. To adjust to this new reality, we will have to accept that people will respond and react in all kinds of ways, but we will come through it.”

He said society will have to recalibrate how it looks at the world and work, and how the present and the future are managed. He said companies will have to look at what their aim is now, recalibrate and how they relate and engage with staff and co-workers.

Staying home also affects people differently, and most people are stressed. He said people who are at home alone physically need to cultivate an online community so that they are not also emotionally and mentally distanced. He said some people who are having difficulties in their relationships could use this opportunity to work on them, while people who are trapped in abusive relationships should call the police, the domestic abuse unit or seek other outside intervention.

Chief medical advisor at Atlantic LNG Dr Ishvan Ramcharitar said companies should anticipate 25 per cent to 50 per cent absenteeism during this time, either because people are ill or have to take care of their children or ill family members.

Ramcharitar said, in terms of dealing with workers who were working from home or coming to work, there were four main areas that should be looked at. They are: strengthening health barriers, scenario-based planning, communication with stakeholders and implementation of remote working.

He said employees should have a designated workspace, develop a routine and create a schedule, know when to step away from their screens and have video calls and virtual coffee breaks. Employers should create a space to talk about their personal challenges, lead with empathy and take a break from the covid19 bombardment where necessary.

First posted https://newsday.co.tt/2020/04/08/amcham-covid19-break-stressful-for-workers/