Following Covid-19, mental health in the workplace has become more of a concern than ever before.
According to recent research, over 40% of employees worldwide have experienced a decline in their mental health since the start of the pandemic. In the UK alone, a 2021 study found that a huge 79% were experiencing wellbeing problems at work. Burnout, anxiety and stress are all commonly reported issues.
And with skill and labour shortages affecting many industries, it’s crucial for organisations to deliver what employees want. For many, this is a much greater focus on mental health, wellbeing and work/life balance built into company culture.
Does tech have the answer?
There’s no quick fix for improving employee wellbeing, and organisations need to put in the hard work to create a more supportive company culture.
But there are ways that technology could help to support newly implemented policies and practices within organisations, in order to resolve workplace mental health issues.
There are many advantages to digital mental health solutions, including making it easier for people to engage. They can make support and therapeutic solutions more accessible, so that issues can be dealt with earlier. This is especially the case in situations where it’s difficult for the person to admit there’s a problem.
Manuel Ronnefeldt, the CEO of meditation app 7Mind, explained to McKinsey:
“People still seem not to want to admit that they might be stressed or dealing with mental-health issues.”
“Employees are more likely to use solutions when they are positively framed—for example, as a way to boost well-being and performance.”
Here are just a few of the latest tech innovations designed to improve worker wellbeing:
- Wearable tech
There are a number of interesting devices and apps on the market at the moment, much of it focusing on collection physiological data. For example, an employee can use their smartphone to gauge their wellbeing through voice, skin temperature or heart rate tracking.
This data not only flags up potential issues to the wearer, but can also be submitted to an anonymised pool within the organisation. This allows employers to gauge the success of mental health policies within the workplace, and take further measures if necessary.
- Analytics tools
If an organisation has a voluntary data collection programme in place (i.e. through employees embracing wearable tech), it can use the data to make critical changes to company policy. For example, managers can be alerted when a team is experiencing high levels of stress, or advise individual employees to take a break.
Personal and data privacy will always be key areas of concern, but these risks can be managed by taking an open, transparent and employee-led approach to implementing workplace wellbeing schemes.
- Prevention and treatment apps
Mental health apps can be one of the most useful ways employers can support their teams and signpost support for workers. Key examples include Ginger, which connects workers to licensed professionals, and Justworks, an HR resource platform for employers which now offers 24/7 counselling services for employees.
If you’re looking for your next opportunity in tech, find your dream role with Fairmont Recruitment. Get in touch to start your search.
