Supporting Mental Health of Employees During and Beyond Covid-19

This toolkit is designed to help business leaders and managers anticipate and take actions that effectively support employees’ mental health during Covid-19 and beyond.

Mental health always matters in the workplace. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it matters now more than ever. Business leaders and managers who integrate mental health into their Covid-19 recovery plan have the opportunity to help their employees and company thrive during the recovery and beyond.

Because of Covid-19, employees all over the world have been forced to adjust their routines. Millions of workers have been working from home because of the pandemic. It is the largest and quickest mass shift in working patterns ever recorded. Returning to the office after working from home also presents significant challenges and stresses.

Every employee has different circumstances. Some have their children at home. Some have responsibilities, both longstanding and new – caring for older family members who are ill. Work disruptions, extended time at home, additional personal stresses, financial pressure, caring for family members, and uncertainty about the future – all of these changes can impact employees’ mental health and influence their work engagement and job performance.

AXA Asia and Columbia University World Health Organization Centre for Global Mental Health partnered in the development of this toolkit. Additional expert consultation was provided by Stephen Bevan, Head of HR research development at the Institute for Employment Studies UK and David Ballard, organizational consultant and former head of the American Psychological Association’s Office of Applied Psychology, Center for Organizational Excellence, and Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program.