EG’s wellbeing survey 2021: ‘Don’t forget the lessons Covid has taught us’

First, the good news. When it comes to mental health, real estate is talking and listening more. Almost three-quarters of respondents to EG’s third annual wellbeing and mental health survey said that their employer’s focus on mental health has improved over the past year. “I’ve definitely seen leadership be more mindful of mental health and have driven a top-down approach to wellbeing checks being carried out by line managers,” said one mid-level manager working in a real estate consultancy. “I think my employer is acutely aware of the negative impact Covid has had on a lot of people and has driven initiatives and provided support to help with this,” said a manager in a property management business. That’s important, not least because half of EG’s respondents said the mental health of the real estate industry’s workforce has not improved over the same period. And a stigma over discussing mental health openly remains, according to almost two-thirds. And so now comes the challenge: how to ensure that businesses continue to prioritise the wellbeing of their workforce as they look to move past the Covid-19 pandemic – at a time when there will be no one simple method of ensuring they feel supported. Having the same four walls to work from for a prolonged period of time has been mentally draining as it feels like you never get a break “Dreadful days” A majority of the survey respondents – 58% – have experienced mental health challenges at some stage of their career, and most are comfortable discussing the topic with their employer. But the Covid-19 pandemic has added a new layer of pressure, and more than 60% of respondents said the effect of the coronavirus crisis on their working life has had a negative impact on their own wellbeing. For some, their companies were too slow to appreciate the specific circumstances of employees adjusting to working remotely and balancing work and home life. “The business continued to expect work to come first. The bottom line was always the important factor, forgetting each individual employee had a different scenario going on,” said a mid-level manager in a residential property management firm. “Dreadful days mostly since Jan 2021. Everything offered was lip-service box-ticking for HR compliance.” For a large number of respondents, the isolation of working remotely and the disconnection from colleagues was a big factor in their wellbeing struggles during the past year. Asked to describe what had contributed to a worsening of their mental health during the pandemic, one said: “Little communication with team and colleagues. The ‘fun’ of working taken away. No socialising. No change of scene. No commute to bring purpose to the morning. No learning and bouncing off others.” Another – a manager in a consultancy – said: “Staff were furloughed, meaning that those who were left were picking up extra work, and I had a two-year-old at home to look after at the same time. Having the same four walls to work from for a prolonged period of time has been mentally draining as it feels like you never get a break, with the dining room also being the boardroom, office and meeting room. Not having colleagues on tap in the office as a sounding board has also been tough, causing anxiety with work-related issues.” “Office politics” Not everyone found remote working a struggle, however. In fact, our survey respondents were evenly split between those who said their mental health was better at home than in the office, and those who said it was worse. Many found benefits to being away from the office. “Working from home allowed me separation from office politics and control over my day, rather than being controlled in an office,” said a senior leader at a consultancy. “Therefore, it relieved the anxiety brought on by the office environment. WFH allows me to manage my life better and be more productive, it allows me more sleep as there is no commute, and it allows me to have a lunch break and do exercise in a nice environment rather than a polluted city.” Another respondent offered: “At home I can spend more time with my family without really trying – I don’t have to do two hours of commuting each day. It is easier to focus without the distractions of the office, so easier to feel productive when workload is busy.” What does this mean for companies as they start to encourage people back into the office? The largest proportion of respondents – 49% – said a return to the office will support their wellbeing. But a similar proportion said it would either detract or would have little effect. Any company leader looking for an easy answer as to whether employees are likely to welcome a return to their desks will be disappointed. Most respondents now expect flexibility around when they come to the office and when they continue to work at home. One said they want their employer to offer a “more relaxed approach to agile working”. “The industry says it supports remote working, but in reality the majority of real estate companies want everyone back in the office,” they added. Don’t forget the lessons that Covid has taught us – to be an inclusive, supportive community “It’s OK not to be OK” EG asked survey respondents what initiative or offering their employer could introduce that they believe would have the greatest positive impact on their mental wellbeing. Some of the answers were geared towards interaction and colleagues helping each other. As one respondent suggested: “tea breaks, book clubs and buddy groups to support each other across the business”. Others were centred on working practices: respondents wanted their managers to focus on ending a culture of receiving and replying to emails in the evenings or at weekends and overloading diaries with meetings.  Many suggested a rise in concrete, mental health-focused initiatives such as the introduction of mental health first-aiders and counselling services. Yet more want to see their company leaders focus on continuing to break down the mental health stigma. One asked for “more open discussions within teams about managing mental health to make it less taboo for staff members to bring up these issues”. Another said: “Creating a culture where it’s OK not to be OK and that doesn’t result in performance reviews, and instead they understand that you are going through a lot.” And one said they simply want their employer to make sure that the struggles of the past 18 months of the pandemic have not been for nothing. “Don’t forget the lessons that Covid has taught us,” they said. “To be an inclusive, supportive community; recognise that flexible working has real physical and mental benefits; and that remote working reduces our carbon footprint. “I can see a force gathering to go back to the ‘old ways’ and forgetting what Covid has taught us in regard to flexible working and mental health. These voices need to be supported so that the wider workforce are engaged and included.” To send feedback, e-mail tim.burke@eg.co.uk or tweet @_tim_burke or @EGPropertyNews Photo © Shutterstock