Can you access an Employee Assistance Programme?
One such step you could take is to find out if your employer has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). EAPs are intended to help employees, confidentially, to deal with personal problems they may be experiencing including those related to mental health. They often include assessment, counselling and referral services for employees and their immediate families and can be a great starting point for support around mental health.
Seek help from your Mental Health First Aider
It’s also worth finding out if there are any mental health first aiders at your workplace. The role of a mental health first aider is be a point of contact for anyone who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. They are trained to listen non-judgementally, give support and information and encourage appropriate professional help.
Tell your manager about any mental health concerns
Beyond these more formal avenues, your manager will want to help support your transition from home working so do consider talking to them about any concerns you might have. Be honest, check that you’re clear what is expected of you and ask for support if you need it. It may also be useful to talk to your colleagues to find out how they’re feeling about their return – how can you support each other?
Use a guide developed by mental health charity, Mind
Finally, the mental health charity Mind have put together a guide to managing your feelings about lockdown easing. It explores what you might be feeling and ways that can help you manage these feelings.
We look forward to welcoming our team, clients and candidates back into the office for work, meetings and interviews when the conditions permit. In the meantime, we have a bank of remote working resources for you to support your return to the workplace and assist with your job search.
