Tag: employee anxiety

Workplaces across the globe are facing a mental health crisis of unprecedented scope, as the effects of almost two years of anxiety, uncertainty and fear will transition into another period of flux as we enter 2022, a leadership expert says.

The myriad challenges that COVID-19 has forced on our lives have been stressful, none more so than for many working professionals. Based on our 2021 Stress Index, fear of loss of income and the fear of losing a family member to COVID-19 went head-to-head as the biggest stress factors of the last year.

For the first time ever, we can measure a person’s genetic capacity for resilience and improve it - thanks to a ground-breaking new DNA test which has been developed by a South African biotech company. Resilience refers to a person’s grit – their ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events.

The business case for dealing with mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is absolutely clear. Not only are the workplace costs associated with poor mental health significant, but positive mental health (manifested as employee engagement and other positive mental health states) has been found to play a key role in organisational success.

There has never been a more critical time than now for employers to celebrate worker’s month by providing their employees with structured wellbeing programmes with a particular focus on financial wellbeing that can ultimately affect the bottom line if not managed effectively.

As South Africa braces itself to reach the peak in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Government statistics have shown that the country could reach 400,000 infections by mid-July. While lockdown conditions may have been eased to level 3 for now, South Africa, and much of the world, is nowhere near the end of the pandemic, and the economic and health repercussions of COVID-19 are going to persist for months to come.

In much of the world, the LGBTQ+ community has made great strides toward ‘equal’ even though the odds have been against them. The LGBTQ+ community knows adversity well and discomfort still abounds. By some basic measures, LGBTQ+ employees in many parts of the world have progressed in the workplace but behind the outward signs of progress, LGBTQ+ employees experience often unseen – but deeply felt – challenges and privately held fears on the job.