What are employees looking for from employers in a post-pandemic world?

In 2019, employers began to understand the prevalence of mental health in the workplace and realized that they needed to address the stigma, while in 2020, mental health support became essential to running a successful business, while fast forward to 2021, and today, the stakes have been raised even higher. This is due to the stark awareness of workplace factors that can contribute to poor mental health.

There have been many employers who have started initiatives such as mental health days or weeks and enhanced counseling benefits, but there is also a need for employees to connect with such initiatives as it is a new era of mental health in the workplace. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Nalini Saligram, Founder and CEO at Arogya World recalled, “Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a lot of stress, uncertainty and anxiety among people, directly affecting productivity and health them negatively. In addition, mental health concerns and burnout have skyrocketed, and employers have reported increased mental health problems among employees.”

Speaking about what employees are looking for from employers in a post-pandemic world, she revealed: “In the post-pandemic world, employees are looking for happiness and a sense of fulfillment at work, while improving their quality of life. Indeed’s recent survey found that 67 percent of respondents believe the pandemic has exacerbated burnout, compared to just 13 percent who believe it has alleviated burnout. Therefore, companies need to put people first, placing increased emphasis on their health and well-being, especially mental health. The need of the hour is to build healthy workplaces because that is where people spend a significant part of their day. Solutions and plans are provided to build healthy workplaces by groups.”

According to Dipti Manchanda, Associate Director – Human Resources at MedGenome Labs, in the wake of the pandemic, a significant number of employees are eager to see their organizations place greater emphasis on the following themes:

• Psychological safety at work – Employee health and safety is a top priority. While all organizations have policies to support and protect their employee base, the crisis has elevated these priorities into a critical day-to-day thread in the fabric of their cultures. During this time, leaders realized humanity as a way to maintain connection, momentum, and focus. In addition, human interaction and increased connection have facilitated more psychological safety than ever before.
• Second, mental well-being – More than 50% of employees use existing resources within the organization, primarily corporate wellness.
• The third element is a culture that resonates TRUST. Providing your employees with a sense of confidence will motivate them to achieve more.