Supporting Employee Wellness During COVID-19

Workers have varying degrees of risk tolerance and fears about the pandemic related to their personal values and responsibilities. Employers can support their workers through open communication, empathy and providing resources for workers that may be struggling to cope.

Beyond the required COVID-19 Safety Plan, our Health & Safety Specialist offers other key considerations for supporting employees during COVID-19.

Psychological health

• We are seeing increased anxiety, depression, stress, pandemic fatigue, and compassion exhaustion as a result of dealing with the pandemic. It is important to remember that people have varying perspectives, fears, values, and responsibilities. 
• Compassion, empathy, and accommodation are all required to support your workers and help them successfully manage work and home responsibilities during this pandemic.
• There are additional resources available for people including financial, mental health, and disability support at COVID-19: Support for people.

Maintaining a respectful workplace

• Understand that with the added stress and anxiety, workers may be less tolerant or respectful of others; especially if their views and values differ. COVID-19 is a very “HOT” topic and may result in heated conversations or outright disrespect and discrimination in the workplace.
• It is important to note that distress caused by the pandemic is not an excuse for unacceptable behaviour, and as an employer there is an obligation to maintain a respectful workplace. The best course of action is to recognize employees that are struggling and offer support before an incident occurs.

Working from home

• Many workplaces have shifted to work from home situations to reduce exposure. Workers may not have dedicated workspaces at home, with proper desks and seclusion from family members.
• Workers may also have other family responsibilities such as childcare, eldercare, or home schooling and distance learning. There may also be other adults in the household working form home and vying for available workspace.
• Employers still have a responsibility for worker health and safety, related to the work performed and any injuries or illness arising out of or in the course of employment. There are some limitations to this obligation, but injuries and illnesses may still be reportable to the WSIB.

Work refusals

• Workers have the legal right to refuse work that they genuinely believe is unsafe. This includes unsafe workplace conditions, equipment, violence, or a contravention of the law that presents serious and imminent danger. There are some limited rights to refuse work for essential service workers and some industry sectors.
• If a worker refuses unsafe work, the employer must follow the procedure as described in the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Workers may not have valid reasons for refusing, but remember that people have very different views on COVID-19 depending on their age, health, values, occupation, etc. Some are very concerned about working during the pandemic. Remember that risk is subjective, and each person has their own risk tolerance. Employers need to be objective and reasonable when assessing risk and respect employee concerns. Communicating with employees to explain the how risks are being managed and to clarify the control measures in place, is a proactive approach to preventing work refusals.

Accommodation

• Employers do have a duty to accommodate workers up to the point of undue hardship. This applies when workers cannot perform regular duties due to disability or potentially another factor related to COVID-19 such as a compromised immune system or greater susceptibility to the virus and its adverse effects.
• Accommodation could include, but is not limited to, reassignment, different PPE, working from home, modified duties, or modified work hours.
• Workers may also take a leave of absence related to COVID-19, as per the Infectious disease emergency leave which has been further extended to July 3, 2021.

As with any plan, know that it could change and evolve to reflect new information and developments. You should also regularly connect with your employees and review your plan to ensure it is effective in supporting their needs in the current environment.