Although the longer remote working has brought in relaxation among the employees, the pandemic spread has certainly created a negative impact on our mental health. The widespread of coronavirus and the strict lockdown has restricted our movement and arrested us within our homes. The prolonged worry and the stress of COVID-19 has drastically affected the mental health of almost every individual. However, this stress and depression of the employees would have its ill effect on their respective work routines as well.

However, ignoring mental health could reduce trust between the employee and the employers, and create an unsupportive, distrustful company culture, decrease the employee performance and productivity, it might even provoke a discrimination claim. On the employee side, it could decrease their engagement, performance, and productivity. Unaware of whom to seek help from the employee might hide their struggle and put themselves or their employer at risk. Thus, to counter these stress and mental health issues the HR department could come up with some efficient solution.

Use Technology as Mental Health Resources
The utilization of technology is of great help as they aid in easing the process of our work by using certain collaborative tools and video conferences to discuss and maintain work relationships with colleagues even during remote working. Likewise, the organization and the employees could use various technologies to provide a variety of mental health programs such as counselling on call, virtual stress management, and virtual education to employees to learn coping mechanisms and meditation platforms.

Precise Communication with Workforce
Clear communication with the workforce is the key to work on the current mental health and well-being resources that are available to them and that are showing sympathy in a time of crisis could just go a long way this would not just aid the overall well-being of the employees but the organizations as well. Thus, the managers and HR should connect constantly and keep a check on their mental health resources that are been provided and covered in employees' benefits plans such as counsellors they can contact, meditation and stress management services, and access to employee assistance programs. Presently, the employees are facing certain challenges that would be instantly resolved when the crisis eventually terminates. Hence it would be crucial to continue communicating on the mental well-being even after things return to normal.

Prioritize well-being in your benefits plan
Companies should focus on their employees’ well-being that includes physical, mental, and financial health, throughout the year and not just during a crisis. Thus, the organizations should have these resources built in their benefits plan to show their concern towards their workforce. However, the higher levels of stress lead to more medical emergencies, which means increased healthcare costs to the employer. By creating the overall well-being of the workforce a top priority, the companies could ensure they emerge healthier and more united organization.

Continue Office Tradition Virtually
Generally, organizations have annual traditions around the holidays such as video production contest or a large holiday gathering. This gathering enables the employees to express how much they would be missing them this year. But, this could be missed out this year, thus, this celebration could be carried out virtually with the team reimagining things. Although the fun of having in-person events could be missed but hosting the events virtually brings in new benefits such as employees getting access to display and tell items in their homes. These fun activities would not just take employees away from the stress of everyday work, but they also produce an opportunity to connect with the colleagues they miss in the office.

By implementing these minor measures the HR could ease out the stress of the employees and give them a pleasant and happy mind-set to work and be more productive.