Blue Monday: Managing mental health in a virtual workplace
This year Blue Monday falls on Monday, 18 January and in addition to the normal January blues, there is the additional burden of COVID-19 bringing with it the latest lockdown measures, closures of schools as well as continued economic uncertainty.
What does Blue Monday mean for businesses?
The impact of COVID-19 on employees' mental health has been an area of growing concern that has garnered increased attention over the last year. Blue Monday is a good opportunity for employers to focus on mental health in the workplace and review their policies, procedures and communications to ensure that they are providing adequate support to their employees.
Mental health issues can lead to many difficulties in the workplace, ranging from poor performance and productivity, to low morale and substandard retention rates. Employers could also face discrimination claims or constructive unfair dismissal claims for failure to make reasonable adjustments for an employee’s mental health condition.
