Enhancing Worker Wellbeing During COVID-19

During COVID-19, workers are doing an extraordinary job of supporting victim survivors and keeping perpetrators accountable under challenging conditions.

At the NIFVS Regional Integration Committee meeting in August, members identified that the second lockdown is taking a toll on workers, who are fatigued and are finding it difficult to have a life work balance. In particular, frontline workers are experiencing challenges in working from home.

Organisations are responding to these issues in a variety of innovative ways including:

• Providing increased individual and group supervision with a focus on staff well-being
• Undertaking staff surveys to check in regarding staff wellbeing
• Additional TIL days gifted to workers
• Organising online dance classes, games, yoga and mediation sessions
• Holding walking meetings and informal team catch-ups
• Delivering online mental health support programs
• Sharing positive activities like a virtual garden tours, favourite Netflix shows
• Creating a COVID Kringle where each staff member mails a package for a colleague.

During this time, here are some extra worker resources you might find useful:

• Zone of Fabulousness: Resisting Burnout and Shouldering Each Other Up: Worksheets that can be used in supervision. (Vikki Reynolds)
• Ten-day Resilience Top-Up: Rebalancing in Tough Times: Free online tips for workers who are juggling the demands of working from home, 24 Aug – 4 Sep (Potential Project)
• On the Shoulders of Giants: Workforce Resilience Forum Recap: Forum summary, resources and strategies to enhance resilience. (NIFVS)