Everyone wants to see COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, but the pandemic has left lasting effects in the form of a surge in reported levels of psychological distress. That surge has left employers looking for ways to ensure that their workplaces are healthy and robust.
That’s according to Mark SooHoo, health lead at Meteorite and Health Action Alliance, who discussed the alliance’s “Three years of COVID-19: Lessons learned and next steps for employers” report Monday during a call with LeadingAge members.
Companies, he said, are reporting a continued need to prioritize their workers’ mental health after an increase in levels of psychological distress during the pandemic and the lost workdays that have resulted.
The number of lost workdays to COVID-19 in 2022, SooHoo’s organization reported, was equivalent to 1 million to 4 million Amerians leaving the workforce. And COVID-19 deaths have held steady at 400 deaths per day over the past 10 months.
“In other words, employers should continue to account for COVID-19 in their efforts to maintain the physical health, mental well-being and productivity of their people, even after the end of the national emergency on May 11, 2023,” the report noted.
The alliance recommended that employers stay nimble in the “new normal” by providing the right information and flexible policies. To help, the alliance offered a employer readiness assessment to guide planning for a post-COVID-19 world.
Other recommendations include improving indoor air quality, offering accommodations to employees who have long COVID, providing easy access to COVID-19 booster shots, providing a healthy workplace overall and supporting workers’ mental health.
To help employers achieve those recommendations and prepare for the next pandemic, the Health Action Alliance offers a workplace mental health playbook.
“Mental illness is the single greatest cause of worker disability worldwide,” SooHoo said, adding that companies that invest in employee mental health can unlock greater productivity, connectivity and innovation in their workforces.
Employee mental health programming, he added, no longer is something that is just “nice to have.” Rather, it now is expected by workers, particularly members of Generation Z and millennials, who make up 38% of the workforce.
Pointing to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, SooHoo said that employees trust their employers to recognize that health goes beyond physical health and also applies to mental health, and that includes creating a psychologically safe workplace.
“Good health is good business,” he said.
