The Importance of Employee Well-being in a Post-COVID-19 World: One Manager's Perspective

Myra Wilder, director, Equal Employment Opportunity & HR Compliance, BAE Systems, Inc.

Every day, whether it be via email, on LinkedIn, or in the news, I see many thought pieces about how COVID-19 changed the way we work. As some of us transition back to a physical workplace, continue to work remotely or have a hybrid schedule, or stay the course because we never worked from home, it is more important than ever for managers to recognize that focusing on their team’s well-being is imperative. Teams that are engaged and feel valued perform better and will meet the goals and objectives established by their manager and organization.

As the manager of a team with both hybrid and remote employees, I’ve made a concerted effort to remain engaged and focus on their well-being. Since the onset of the pandemic, there are three things that have worked for me, and most importantly, kept my team connected and performing a high level.

Keep Your Team Engaged

Regardless of whether your team is 100% on-site, remote, hybrid, or a combination of all three, it is important to keep your teamengaged with each other. Find a way to meet with everyone together, not in siloes. You do not want remote employees to feel isolated and not valued. If you have regular team meetings, use the first few minutes to ask everyone how they are doing. Ask them to share a fun story from the weekend or share pictures from a recent vacation (appropriate ones of course). During my bi-weekly team meetings, we use the first few minutes to talk about non-work topics. I share funny stories about the adventures of my infant daughter. We all share a love of food, so we share recipes or discuss recent dishes that we made. These conversations not only enhance our team rapport, but also show my team that I am interested in who they are as people, and not just employees.

Respect Your Team’s Time and Be Flexible

One of the things I noticed during the pandemic was a failure to respect each other’s time. I found myself quickly eating lunch at my desk as I sat through my third or fourth meeting of the day (by noon!). Late Friday afternoon meetings started to become more of a norm than an exception, and my colleagues on the west coast were being invited to 9:00 a.m. EST meetings on Monday (fortunately one of them spoke up about this). Unfortunately, this behavior continues as we transition to a post-COVID workplace.

“At BAE Systems, we have a comprehensive EAP available to all employees and their household members.”

Prior to the pandemic your team had a life outside of work. That has not changed post-COVID. Inevitably, your team will have personal obligations that arise during work time. Try to exercise some flexibility, where appropriate, so they feel supported. During COVID-19, I was the sole caretaker of an aging parent and was pregnant with my first child. My manager at the time supported me and provided flexibility so I could address personal matters. We have to recognize that our teams are juggling multiple responsibilities inside and outside of work. Respecting their time will maintain high employee morale and reduce the likelihood of attrition or negative employee relations.

Support Your Team’s Positive Mental Health

I recently attended a conference where a presenter shared that a third of employees say their return to the workplace has had a negative impact on their mental health. This statistic highlights the importance of promoting wellness and positive mental health. First, start with encouraging your team to take time off. What is the point of having a vacation or PTO program if employees do not use it? I take time away from work, and encourage my team to do the same. Your team will not perform well if they do not have the opportunity to recharge. Second, have wellness checks with your team. If you have an employee with a sick relative, or recently had someone close to them pass away, ask “How are you doing? Is there any support that you need from me?” If an employee does not want to engage, that is okay. By extending that support, however, you are exhibiting empathy. Generally most employees appreciate some form of “check-in” from their manager within professional boundaries.

Finally, many organizations have Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). At BAE Systems, we have a comprehensive EAP that is available to all employees and their household members. We also have a Resilience Hub that has resources and advice on physical, emotional, and financial resilience and mindfulness. Finally, our Abilities Beyond Limits and Expectations (ABLE) Employee Resource Group launched a program a few years ago called “Ready + Willing = ABLE.” This program, which is comprised of employee advocates, helps to reduce stigma and create a sense of psychological safety for BAE employees to seek assistance when they need it. If you have someone on your team who may need counseling or other wellness services, kindly encourage and remind them to use the EAP.

It is easy to solely focus on the work, but if you provide a supportive environment, you should have a team that is productive, collaborative and happy.

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