Photo: Shutterstock ‘Since the start of the new year, an increasing number of people report corona-related issues to us’, says René Hoevenaren, WUR occupational social worker. ‘The limit appears to have been reached in many people’s motivation and resilience, in part due to the lack of perspective, social contacts and the increased pressure on parents with children of a school-going age.’
The five colleagues of the Occupational Social Work team (Dutch acronym BMW) spoke to 674 employees who experienced issues in 2020. This amounts to approximately 10 per cent of the total number of WUR employees. Almost 200 of these clients were already receiving treatment prior to the corona crisis, 476 clients were new. This is a 4 per cent rise from the previous year.
Work stress
‘We have marvelled at the adaptability of staff and management, at the initiatives that emerged to foster social cohesion and find new ways to continue the work and discover new opportunities’, Hoevenaren says. Nonetheless, the number of work stress-related complaints increased, as did difficulties in maintaining a work-personal life balance. These issues made up 60 per cent of all complaints reported to BMW.
Collegial interaction and regular individual contact between supervisors and staff remain essential.
René Hoevenaren, occupational social worker
BMW noted that certain groups of employees required help sooner during the corona crisis. This group includes single parents who have caregiver responsibilities who struggle to fulfil all of their responsibilities and tasks. PhD students who worry about falling back and international employees who have a limited social circle (such as international PhD students) sought support. Also included were teachers and teaching support staff, who were asked to design and implement online education at record speed, new employees who were onboarded remotely as well as colleagues who have lost friends or family members. Finally, employees who witnessed firsthand the devastating psychological effect the corona crisis has on young people.
Tougher
The longer the restrictive measures persist, the more challenging it becomes, Hoevenaren continues. In the first two months of 2021, there was a 15 per cent increase in the number of requests for assistance compared to last year. In general, corona is not the immediate cause but is the driving force behind the issues. ‘The key question you should continuously be asking yourself and others is: “How are you, and what do you need?” Collegial interaction and regular individual contact between supervisors and staff remain essential.’