New data from real estate consultancy OBI has revealed that nearly 100% of business leaders surveyed across Manchester have expressed concerns around how their employees’ mental health is faring during the latest lockdown and bout of working from home.
The report, titled The future of work and our city, surveyed 100 business owners or managers in leadership positions in offices from a variety of sectors across the city region.
Respondents with younger workforces were particularly worried about how working from home has impacted their teams, as they continue to miss out on crucial mentoring and development ‘face time’.
One such leader noted: “Many of our team members are younger and, in some cases, live alone – so working remotely full-time must be extremely isolating.”
The data mirrors that recently published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which found that during the early 2021 lockdown, happiness and personal wellbeing in the UK remained at ‘some of the lowest levels recorded since […] March 2020’. In addition, ‘anxiety scores were at the highest they have been since April 2020’.
Jordana Anderson from OBI commented: ‘Naturally, it’s really worrying to see this response to our most recent survey.
“Whilst public health is the top priority, and people have happily agreed to work from home full-time in the interest of protecting it, it’s undeniably tough.
“The office and the connections it helps forge are actually a key ingredient in the mix of people’s wider social lives. For some, who live alone and may have recently moved to a city after graduating to seek employment, it can be the only ingredient.
“Mentorship, career progression, social and professional skills, and innovation are all things which are developed in an office setting when team members are around one another and can bounce ideas off each other. Replicating the environments and circumstances which facilitate those things happening is very hard to do from a distance and through a computer screen.
“Especially for younger people just starting out in their careers, anxiousness around whether they’re doing things ‘right’, and if they’re developing at the rate they should be, can be high. Ordinarily, these fears can easily be allayed by a quick conversation across the desk, or by a catch-up at the brew point. It’s natural that removing in-person and easy access to senior leaders for an extended period of time could exacerbate it further.
“We’re pleased to see that Mancunian business leaders appear to be responding in the appropriate way, with 87% of those surveyed saying they are introducing company initiatives to help employees deal with effects on their mental wellbeing that are associated with the pandemic.”
According to the report, these ‘initiatives’ include the provision of counselling report if required; yoga classes; more regular catch-ups; and an increased focus on team building and non-work-related activities.
Once a return to the office is given the green light, OBI found that the top three things that business leaders in the region anticipate they’ll ‘need’ to provide to employees are technology to assist with flexible and agile working,more collaboration space and video conferencing rooms
70% of respondents also believe their teams will want to access outside spaces more frequently than they did pre-pandemic, as many have grown accustomed to breaking up their days by taking walks outside.
Additional findings from OBI present an optimistic picture of the future of CSR, with 60% of businesses agreeing that the pandemic has had a ‘positive’ impact on their corporate approach to sustainability and the green agenda.
Jordana added: “We’ve found that the pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for ‘human-first’, compassionate leadership and business operations. Despite all the challenges COVID has brought, it has forced businesses to reassess their approach to sustainability, as an increasing number of people call on lasting change to be made.
“The positive impacts that fewer cars on our roads and no commuting have had on the UK’s air quality have been regarded as a ‘silver lining’ for many, and it’s unlikely that people will be comfortable with slipping back to pre-pandemic emissions levels.
“We foresee an even stronger push from the Government and local leadership towards public transport, which will be a key driver in helping to rebuild and bring footfall back to our towns and cities. With 80% of the business leaders we spoke to ‘concerned’ about the future of city centres, enabling COVID-safe public transport infrastructure should be a priority.”
