Staff health & Wellbeing: Part 8 - Covid’s legacy

We are living through what the British Academy has called The Covid Decade. While the immediate impact of Covid-19 on society has been significant, the social, economic and cultural effects of the pandemic will cast a long shadow into the future, and are likely to disproportionately affect the more vulnerable in society. Just as policy-makers need to put long-term support into place to address these problems, employers must also think ahead in terms of supporting staff wellbeing.

As key workers, early years practitioners have been at the forefront of the response to the pandemic, and many took an initial hit to their health and wellbeing. Anxiety about catching Covid and taking it home to vulnerable family members, feeling at the bottom of the pile when it came to protective clothing, testing and vaccinations, and the stress involved in navigating new ways of working, had a massive impact on practitioners’ mental health, says Paula Dunn, early years adviser at the National Day Nurseries Association.

‘For owners and managers there is a real anxiety around finances, and staff who were furloughed or had to reduce their hours because of childcare responsibilities also had a financial strain,’ she says.

A survey by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families published in July 2021 found 66 per cent of early years staff said the impact of the pandemic on their work had really affected their health and wellbeing. Many settings have stepped up over the pandemic period to support staff wellbeing, with initiatives ranging from yoga sessions and wellbeing baskets to flexible working patterns, safe spaces and mental health first-aid training.

However, even when lockdowns and vaccinations are a thing of the past, the legacy of Covid will continue to make itself felt. Given the demographic of the early years workforce, many of these issues are likely to have a significant impact.

Long Covid

Research shows that Long Covid, with symptoms including fatigue, chest pain or tightness, heart palpitations, brain fog, depression and anxiety, rashes and dizziness, is more likely among women, people who are overweight or obese, who smoke, live in deprived areas, or were admitted to hospital with Covid. The Society of Occupational Medicine says Long Covid symptoms can fluctuate, and an initially mild case can be followed by later severe problems. The Trades Union Congress has called for Long Covid to be urgently recognised as a disability and Covid-19 as an occupational disease in order to give workers access to legal protections and compensation.

It is vital that early years employers are as clued up as possible about the condition. If practitioners don’t receive appropriate support, their symptoms could be exacerbated and they may leave the sector all together. Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser (employment relations) at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), says managers should ensure they have sickness absence, return-to-work and health and wellbeing policies that encourage a flexible and personalised approach to managing fluctuating long-term health conditions.

‘The unpredictable nature of Long Covid can make it even more challenging for individuals– and therefore employers and managers – to manage than other fluctuating health conditions,’ she says. Employees may need support to develop their ability to manage their condition effectively, which could include self-management strategies, resilience and developing their confidence in their ability to manage their work and health.

ACAS provides employer guidance around Long Covid. It recommends employers should talk with the employee about any support they may need, such as getting an occupational health assessment, making reasonable adjustments such as different working hours, taking a phased return to work, and discussing what they want to tell others at work about their illness.

Burnout

Parental burnout is a condition identified as a ‘prolonged response to chronic and overwhelming parental stress’, and is one of the many legacies of the pandemic as parents have struggled with combining work and home schooling, finding childcare, and anxiety over their children’s education and wellbeing.

Action for Children surveyed 2,000 parents and found 82 per cent admitted to struggling with at least one of the warning signs that may indicate parental burnout. Given many early years workers are parents too, employers and practitioners should be on the look-out for warning signs including anxiety, disruption to sleep, feeling isolated, depression and overwhelming mental exhaustion. The finding that more women are likely to be struggling with signs of parental burnout as a result of the pandemic than men is also significant, given the overwhelmingly female make-up of the workforce.

Work-related burnout, already a challenge before the pandemic, affects parents and non-parents alike. This burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed and is characterised by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, feelings of negativism or cynicism related to the job or increased mental distance from it, and reduced professional efficacy. Practitioners may display insomnia, tearfulness and difficulty in concentrating.

Bereavement

Covid-19 has highlighted the need for employers to provide a compassionate approach to supporting staff members with the loss of a family member, partner or friend. The CIPD has produced a guide to compassionate bereavement support. Recommendations include:

• Bereavement policies and support should be holistic, long term and take into account individual circumstances.
• Employers should work to be knowledgeable about the law and bereavement, including parental bereavement leave and pay and emergency time off for family and dependants.
• Employers should address health and safety obligations in relation to bereavement and avoid discrimination and address the risk of bullying.
• Develop a bereavement policy, covering aspects such as reporting a bereavement, any leave and pay and returning to work.
• Educate and support managers to show empathy and compassion.
• Provide information on workplace support and signpost to external sources of information and support.

Although coronavirus was initially touted as the great leveller, both its immediate impact and its legacy are likely to have a much greater effect on the most vulnerable. The mortality rate in the least deprived areas in England was less than half of the mortality rate in the most deprived areas across April to July 2020, according to the Office of National Statistics. Research from University College London has found that ethnic minorities, the financially vulnerable, those who come from lower socioeconomic positions and young people are struggling much more than those with greater social privilege. Given the low wages of the sector, there is an even greater need for employers to put support in place for those affected by long-term issues arising from the pandemic.

CASE STUDY: Kidzrus, Manchester

Mental and physical health and wellbeing has always been important to Kidzrus, but the impact of the pandemic has inspired the nursery group to put even more initiatives in place to support staff. ‘We are preparing for the long-term impact with a Covid action plan,’ says Darren Matthews, quality manager for teaching, learning and staff development. ‘It’s better than reacting to events as they happen and being caught out.’

There are return-to-work calls and meetings, with individualised support offered to ensure those returning with health issues are able to work to the best of their ability. ‘We have a sickness and absence reporting policy that incorporates meetings with affected colleagues and managers at key points, including referral to Occupational Health Advisors,’ says Matthews.

Newly recruited staff members may also be anxious about returning to the workplace. ‘Some have been laid off or made redundant from previous positions, because of the pandemic,’ Matthews says. ‘They may not have worked for a while, so we are easing them back in – delivering induction training by Zoom or face-to-face in the most comfortable way for them.’

Some mandatory aspects of induction training, including familiarising themselves with policies and procedures, can be done online at a convenient time. ‘New colleagues are allocated a Buddy to help them settle into their new roles and to answer any questions regarding day-to-day routines or practice,’ says Matthews.

The discreet delivery of food parcels, offered to all colleagues through The Kidzrus Foodbank, began during lockdown. Leadership are all trained in wellbeing, and Kidzrus has trained two Mental Health First Aiders.

The group has a wide range of other support in place, including a detailed wellbeing policy, safe spaces for staff, social events and a reward scheme.

And an ‘open door management’ approach encourages staff to discuss issues or concerns with leaders.

FURTHER INFORMATIION

• A Guide to Compassionate Bereavement Support, CIPD: https://bit.ly/31gYHGa
• CIPD Long Covid Resource page: https://bit.ly/3q6x64X
• ‘Long Covid – advice for employers and employees’, ACAS: https://bit.ly/31sBFfK
• Information and advice on parental burnout, Action for Children: https://bit.ly/3waB1Pf