The pandemic blindsided all of us. For many of us, it has thrown the pieces of our lives in every which way. The impact of the pandemic, along with the lack of a social safety net, structural inequalities, and systemic racism, has compounded both financial and mental health challenges for many.

Economic stability is core to our wellbeing. Yet the pandemic particularly upended workplaces across the United States. Workers lost jobs, faced cutbacks in hours and pay, dealt with new working conditions, were forced to choose between their health and a paycheck if PPE and other protective gear wasn’t provided, and carried the burden and toll of the stress and strain of caring for family members or kids without support.

Across thousands of conversations over the past year, people who reached out to Empower Work shared:

 “So many of us are behind on bills...no one asked for COVID, and who could put a time on it, or control when they have it? This whole system is not fair, especially to our first responders.”

 “I work at a restaurant so I find this to be a serious issue. I have asked them several times each shift to wear a mask for the sake of our patrons and employees. I am also concerned that if I try to go further with it, I will lose my job and be denied unemployment.”

Now that we’re a year into the pandemic, we’re seeing the cumulative toll. Stress and anxiety tripled in mentions across text conversations with Empower Work over the past year. And this stress is not likely to go away any time soon, even with the promising trends of vaccinations. 

So what can we do to protect our mental health, especially if our workplaces aren’t being supportive?

Mind the Workplace

As hard as things have been, the challenges of this past year have brought an opportunity: there is a new understanding that we need to radically rethink how we support mental health at work.

Our partner, Mental Health America (MHA), just released a new report, “Mind the Workplace 2021”, that calls attention to helpful ways we can make it through this trying time.

MHA, like Empower Work, recognizes the psychological impact that workplaces can have on employees. 

The report reinforced what we see in thousands of conversations with workers. That “the American workplace was unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect it would have.” As a result, people working across the U.S. are:

• More stressed than ever (nearly 8 in 10 adults say the pandemic is a significant source of stress in their lives)

• More anxious about their financial well-being (employee financial stress has doubled since the start of the pandemic)

• More worried about their physical and mental health (nearly 42% of employees report a decline in mental health since the pandemic began)

• More concerned their supervisors and employers were unsympathetic to the stresses they felt

What we hear from people who reach out to us: 

“I can’t sleep [because] I’m so worried about work and feel so stressed all the time. Bills are due [and] groceries are low.”

“I’m so far behind with my bills and I am trying to pick up more work, but people are still not wanting to let me work because of COVID-19.” 

“Last month my parents both got COVID and my father was hospitalized—I didn’t take any time off because we had a lot of deadlines, but I was really depressed and continued to make mistakes. Because of my performance issues and her unsympathetic responses, I’ve been too nervous to ask for COVID leave or mental health leave.”

And stress takes a huge toll on frontline workers:

“I work in a hospital ICU that is imploding with COVID patients and have been meeting this challenge to care for them head-on for almost a year. And now that I am affected by COVID, there are no resources of support for me…I am so frustrated and angry.”

We see on our text line the pressure to stay in a job for many, and the strain of job loss with record unemployment for many others. Since November, struggles filing for and receiving unemployment benefits have been among the top issues raised by texters.

Making Mental Health a Priority

At Empower Work, we believe workplace mental health is key to improving the lives of millions of people and to a lasting economic recovery. In order to ensure workplace mental health is prioritized, employers need to create supportive environments where people feel safe to speak openly about their struggles and fears, while offering specific resources for in-person, hybrid, and remote workforces. 

What do we mean by support?

• A workplace culture that values, models, and encourages openness about mental health and wellbeing

• Health insurance that includes mental health benefits

• Information and resources about managing stress and maintaining mental health

• Formal and informal workplace mental health programs

• Policies that support a full spectrum of needs such as paid family and medical leave 

• Management and individual contributors trained on how to support the mental health of their team members

Regardless of the policies and actions at your workplace, how can you personally take action to protect your own mental health? The CDC recommends some ideas, including:

• Taking breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media

• Taking care of your body (via exercise, deep breathing, stretching, meditation, eating well-balanced meals, getting plenty of sleep, etc.)

• Making time to unwind and do activities you enjoy

• Connecting with others and regularly talking with people you trust about your feelings and concerns

• Connecting with your community, faith-based, or other organizations

Taking care of mental health can also include:

• Reaching out for information about benefit programs like food or bill pay assistance if you’re stressed about finances (FindHelp.org is a solid starting point)

• Utilizing local and free mental health services (Mental Health America offers a search tool)

• Getting support for a job search 

As we grapple with the impact of the past year and anticipate larger changes ahead, we know these thoughts can often spark the question, “What if I need something right now?” If the resources and ideas above have surfaced anything you would like to discuss more in-depth, our trained peer counselors are a text away.

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“Everyone needs someone they can talk to in a moment.”

If you’re frustrated, hurt, or wondering what to do about mental health in the workplace, free, confidential support is just a text away: 510-674-1414.

*Note: Empower Work provides non-legal support for workplaces challenges. This information, while authoritative, is not legal advice or guaranteed for legality. Employment laws and regulations vary by state. We recommend consulting with state resources for specific interpretation and decisions. If you believe you were discriminated against in violation of the law, we recommend you seek legal advice.