Helping employers manage staff mental wellbeing remotely this winter

A new course from specialist workplace training providers Virtual College will support employers in looking after their employees’ mental wellbeing remotely as businesses across the UK continue to work from home over winter.

This past year has undoubtedly been the hardest in many years for businesses and their staff, with the pandemic and the resulting economic and business implications of lockdown impacting many workers’ mental wellbeing. Indeed, Virtual College has seen a notable increase in purchases of their courses connected to mental and emotional wellbeing since the start of 2020.

The Christmas period and through into the New Year in particular, can be a difficult time for mental health, and it’s important that employers are equipped to support their employees where they can at this time. With the majority of teams currently working remotely, employers may find being able to offer this support particularly difficult this year.

The new course from Virtual College is specially tailored towards supporting employees in a remote environment, including a focus on coping with the mental wellbeing implications of the pandemic.

Other advice given throughout the course includes guidance on workload management, outlining techniques to support teams in balancing their tasks effectively and dividing their time to avoid any unnecessary stress. 

The risk of burnout is also highlighted  in the course, with advice for helping  individuals understand how to avoid this. It then provides information for employers on how best to support members of staff struggling with different mental health conditions, in particular those who may be most susceptible to workplace burnout in these demanding times. 

To help employers encourage positive mental wellbeing in all  their employees, the course provides tips for building resilience and maintaining a growth mind-set. And whilst factors outside of work can also have an impact on mental wellbeing, helping employees to improve mental resilience and maintain a positive mind-set is a proactive step that businesses can take to help support their employees right now.

The course includes downloadable resources that offer advice on dealing with stress and suggests exercises which help to build a positive mental attitude.

Hannah Brindle, MD of Virtual College says,

“We are delighted  to offer this online training resource  in, what has been, an incredibly difficult year for employees and employers alike.

It is absolutely vital that, as employers, we take proactive steps to help and support our  team’s mental health and wellbeing – deploying  new processes and techniques that can work effectively in remote working environments.

We truly hope our course will be a valuable resource in helping organisations to manage and care for their people.”

Suitable for a range of employers, team leaders and HR professionals, the course can be completed in 20 to 30 minutes, and provides a comprehensive insight for managers on supporting the mental wellbeing of their remote team.