A sometimes-overlooked issue in our response to COVID-19 is how to help employees recovering from the virus transition back to work.

The process of returning to work can cause worry, fear or anxiety, says Katie Bobra, a WSPS Workplace Mental Health Consultant. This can exacerbate mental health effects associated with the virus. For example, a returning employee may feel shame and worry about negative reactions from co-workers. “Stigma associated with COVID-19 is a very real thing,” says Katie.

Employees with prolonged symptoms or “long COVID” may also be anxious about returning to work with brain fog, physical limitations or reduced stamina. “Support and understanding are critical,” says Katie, “as well as taking tangible steps to ease the return.” Katie outlines four key steps below.

1. Reduce stigma. “When employees are away for days, weeks or even months due to COVID-19, the absence may contribute to stigma and misunderstanding,” says Katie. For instance, people required to assume an absent employee’s responsibilities may resent the extra workload, blame the person for getting sick, or fear contracting COVID-19 themselves. These beliefs could prompt negative comments or attempts to ostracize the employee on their return.

Here are some strategies for mitigating stigma:

• share information about the virus and long-term effects based on trusted sources, such as public health. “This can help create a healthier environment with open dialogue and reduce stigma.”
• correct any misinformation that is circulating in the workplace
• remind and reassure employees about what your organization is doing to keep the workplace safe – masks, distancing, screening, etc.
• ensure employees have opportunities to share their concerns with their supervisor in a non-judgemental way
• send the message that employees who contract COVID-19 “are valuable members of the team, that you wish them well in their recovery, that you look forward to welcoming them back, and that they are to be treated with respect,” says Katie.
• monitor workloads, and shift priorities to prevent an undue burden on employees.

2. Plan for the recovering employees return to work. Most employees will recover and return to work within a couple of weeks, but some may have residual symptoms, or long COVID, which can last for months. “Keep in regular contact with people who are on leave with COVID-19. This shows your support and that you are focusing on them as an individual, which can help reduce concerns about their own return.”

“Plan the return to work on a case-by-case basis,” says Katie. Provide accommodations based on the individual’s need. For instance, employees suffering from fatigue may require a gradual return to full hours. Those experiencing shortness of breath may need more frequent breaks or modified duties. Those who are regaining physical strength may need to resume gradually the strenuous work they did before. Those experiencing brain fog may benefit from regular check ins and support from their supervisor or colleagues to help them with prioritizing and decision making.

“Be aware that someone who is experiencing long COVID may require additional and flexible sick leave after they return or an adjustment to their return-to-work plan,” notes Katie.

3. Ensure returning employees prioritize their own self-care. “Oftentimes, you see these employees pushing themselves too hard, which can slow the pace of recovery.” Self-care involves monitoring and managing symptoms, seeking medical advice, getting plenty of rest and sleep, and pacing activities appropriately. Encourage employees with ongoing symptoms to speak to their supervisor if they feel work needs to be adjusted.

4. Support employees’ mental health. Provide a psychologically safe workplace. “Share resources – your employee family assistance program (EFAP) as well as community resources, such as Wellness Together Canada. “This 24/7 support service, developed by the federal government in response to the pandemic, offers a variety of mental health and substance abuse resources online and telephone counselling. It’s confidential and free.”

How WSPS can help

Sign up for these training opportunities, which could benefit all employees:

• Leading for Psychological Safety in Challenging Times (1-day classroom training, in person or virtually; can be delivered on site).
• Workplace Mental Health: How Managers Should Respond, WSPS (half-day training, in person or virtually; can be delivered on customer site)
• Reducing Mental Health Stigma in the Workplace, CCOHS (30-minute eCourse)

Chat with our duty consultant on how a WSPS Workplace Mental Health/Healthy Workplace Consultant can help you build a healthier workplace.

Visit the WSPS COVID-19 Microsite to explore all our mental health and COVID-19 resources – articles, eCourses, guidelines, checklists, and more.

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.

Having the skills to de-escalate a potentially violent situation has never been more important, especially in retail and other service settings. Reports of front-line workers and supervisors in stores, restaurants, bars and hotels facing customer anger over COVID-19 restrictions and mandates regularly appear in the media.

“Often staff who are responsible for enforcing rules about vaccine mandates, masks, and capacity limits are ill-equipped to handle the verbal abuse and aggression that come their way,” says Kristy Cork, WSPS Workplace Mental Health Consultant. “The skills and techniques needed to de-escalate situations are not inherent; they have to be learned.

“Saying and doing the right things at the right time can nip potentially violent situations in the bud and prevent them from escalating further. Conversely, the wrong approach can make things worse.”

To help workplaces address this challenge, WSPS has developed a new half-day virtual workshop, Violence and Harassment Prevention: Situational Awareness and De-Escalation. The workshop helps participants recognize situations that may put workers and managers at risk, understand de-escalation techniques, and practice their new skills. “We want people dealing with agitated customers to respond with thought rather than react automatically: is this going to help or hurt the situation?”

Kristy shares five tips on how to better prepare your staff to deal with angry or agitated customers and achieve the best possible outcome.

1. Choose the right people for frontline positions. Appoint staff members who are self-aware, effective communicators, can help people stay calm, and are able to keep their cool, says Kristy. “We’re not trying to win; we’re trying to come to an understanding.” Encourage employees to let you know if they are not comfortable dealing with agitated customers.

2. Encourage staff to listen and empathize. “Strike up a conversation, speak slowly and calmly, and encourage people to keep talking as long as they are being respectful.” This can help agitated customers regain their composure. “The more people talk, the more likely they will feel heard and validated,” notes Kristy.

Following up with an empathetic response – one that reflects what the customer is feeling and why – also helps to defuse a situation by acknowledging the person’s emotional state. It could be as simple as responding with “I understand that this is a huge source of frustration.” Kristy notes that showing empathy doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing with the person or swaying from the mandates and rules that may be causing distress. An additional response might be, “I’m sorry we can’t make exceptions to the rules; we have to abide by Public Health requirements.”

3. Train staff to recognize early warning signs and apply situational awareness skills; for example, when customers begin to fidget, speak loudly, or appear dissatisfied. Ignoring these signs could lead to more agitation, rude, abusive or aggressive language, and even physical violence.

4. Provide an out so that if a situation continues to escalate, employees have ways to leave or get help. “If a customer starts name-calling, using abusive language, or threatening physical violence, the front-line employee should remove themselves from the situation and contact a supervisor or manager,” says Kristy. Designate a “safe” room for staff, and include procedures for summoning help quickly in your workplace violence and harassment policy.

5. Train your front-line staff, supervisors and managers on de-escalation techniques so that employees are prepared and don’t have to navigate these potentially dangerous situations on the spur of the moment.

How WSPS can help
Register for

Violence and Harassment Prevention: Situational Awareness and De-escalation (half-day virtual workshop)
Harassment and Violence Prevention for Managers and Committees/Representatives (2-hour eCourse)
Download these resources:

WSPS Workplace Violence and Harassment Toolbox
Workplace Harassment Policy
Reporting Workplace Violence and Harassment Procedures
Workplace Harassment Investigations in Small Businesses: Tips for Employers
WSPS consultants are also available to conduct violence risk assessments, create programs and policies, and more.

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.

As the province lifts pandemic restrictions for public places, what are the workplace implications? Should your workplace lift its restrictions in line with the province?

“Not necessarily,” says WSPS Consultant Pamela Patry. “It’s not about throwing out the controls and processes you’ve put into place. It’s about merging them into a sustainable system.” This way you have the flexibility to either ramp up again if COVID-19 case numbers increase and guidelines are reinstated, or loosen restrictions further when Public Health gives the green light.

Loosening workplace restrictions requires thought and careful management, says Pamela. Before you decide what controls to lift, monitor changing requirements, consider your COVID-19 risks, how comfortable employees and customers will be with changes, whether pandemic controls offer other benefits to your workplace, and how you will communicate the changes.

Pamela offers more on these considerations.

1. Stay on top of changing requirements, both province-wide and from your local public health unit. Still have questions? Call the province’s COVID-19 business information line.

2. Assess risks. While case numbers and hospitalizations are down and public restrictions are lifting, the risk of contracting COVID-19 has not disappeared. “COVID-19 isn’t going away, and there could be new strains on the horizon,” notes Pamela.

Before lifting workplace controls, update your existing COVID-19 risk assessment, or conduct a new assessment. For example, loosening controls or bringing teleworkers back into the workplace may be problematic if employee vaccination rates are low, or your workplace is located in an area where cases counts are still high.

“It’s okay for your workplace requirements to be stricter than what’s required by Public Health,” notes Pamela. “Remember, you have a legal obligation to do everything possible to protect the health and safety of your workers.”

3. Anticipate worker/customer response. How will people react to fewer restrictions? “It will likely be very mixed,” says Pamela. Some employees and customers will happily abandon physical distancing, mask wearing and working at home; others will want to continue to take these precautions, including vulnerable workers with compromised immune systems or medical conditions that put them at greater risk.

Finding the right comfort level for everyone means remaining flexible. For example, if some employees are hesitant about re-entering the workplace, could they continue working from home? if you are planning an in-person meeting, could hesitant staff attend virtually? Likewise, could employees continue to wear masks if they want to? What measures could you retain or introduce to protect vulnerable workers?

4. Weigh other benefits. Some COVID-19 controls are keepers for reasons other than reducing the risk of transmission, says Pamela. Mask wearing, physical distancing, sanitizing, and staying at home when sick are effective ways to prevent colds, flu, and other infectious diseases. If you eliminate these controls now, should you reinstate them during flu and cold season? Could you change your workplace culture and practices to encourage staying home when sick?

Other examples of possible side benefits include maintaining

• hybrid models of work where they increase productivity and efficiency
• Plexiglas guards in retail settings, which may reduce the risk of violence and harassment
• higher rates of ventilation. Bringing more fresh air into the workplace can help reduce fatigue and increases alertness. For more on this, read We’re all exhausted. Here’s what workplaces can do about it.

5. Communicate the changes. “Once you’ve decided which controls to keep or relax, have honest and clear communication with your staff about what you’re doing and why,” advises Pamela. Include these messages:

• the workplace is continuing to follow instructions and guidance from public health
• your policies are consistent with the risks you’ve identified in your workplace, and may exceed public health guidelines in order to keep employees safe
• the changes you are making are flexible and take into consideration the comfort levels of all employees
• you expect staff be considerate, respectful and empathetic to the choices of other employees, such as continuing to wear masks after this requirement is lifted, or working from home
• policies may be adjusted or reinstated, according to public health guidelines.

How WSPS can help

Check out these free online resources:

• Managing Changing COVID-19 Requirements (resource guide)
• Conducting a COVID-19 risk assessment before bringing employees back (article)
• COVID-19 Workplace Risk Assessment and Safety Plan (20-minute eCourse)
• Return to Work During COVID-19 (30-minute eCourse)
• Return to Work During COVID-19: Preparing Workers (30-minute eCourse)
• Pandemic Planning: Reopening for Business (30-minute eCourse)

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.