Mental Health Spotlight: How to recognize if someone is not okay in a hybrid work environment
Contributed by Patrick Weston, Head of HSSE and Sustainability – Infrastructure Solutions Australia
The advent of hybrid work has revolutionized the way we work and how we engage with each other. This paradigm shift brings many benefits such as flexibility, enabling our people to craft a work-life balance that suits their individual needs. Yet, amidst the benefits lie new challenges, such as physical detachment. Not only could this lead to feelings of isolation, but it can also hinder our ability to connect with colleagues on a deeper level and to recognize subtle changes in their mental well-being.
The R U OK? movement in Australia offers a great framework that promotes mental health awareness and encourages meaningful conversations about mental well-being by checking in on one another.
If any of the following questions makes you think that someone in your sphere might not be okay, consider how you can check in on them.
Recognizing the signs that someone might not be okay
What are they saying?
- Are they less engaged during virtual meetings (i.e., quieter, not as upbeat, camera turned off)
- Has their tone changed in virtual meetings, emails and messages? Perhaps they don’t use emojis anymore, aren’t as enthusiastic, or appear more stressed or moody.
What are they doing?
- Are they taking longer than usual to respond to emails and messages?
- Are they coming into the office less or taking more sick leave than usual?
What is going on in their life?
- Are they experiencing a busy period at work?
- Are there things happening in their personal life?
Checking in on your Colleagues
Use your best judgement to determine whether a phone call or message would be more appropriate for reaching out. Depending on the person, a phone call may be too abrupt or confrontational, so perhaps try messaging them first.
Keep it casual by saying, “I haven’t seen you or spoken to you in a while and wanted to see how things are going.”
If they don’t answer your call or respond to your message, follow up and ask when they’re next in the office to see if they would like to catch up for a coffee or lunch. If they decline, this may be a sign that they’re not okay.
When talking to them, express your concern and encourage them to open up. (i.e., “You seem less chatty than usual. How are you?”) If they don’t want to talk, offer your support for if they ever do. If they open up to you, listen to what they say. Aim to avoid judging or interrupting them, and encourage them to explain how they feel.
Depending on the situation, you might encourage them to seek support from one of KBR’s professionally trained Well-being Ambassadors and/or professional help via the employee support program, which is free and available 24/7.
Remember to check in after a few days or weeks. If they are really struggling, check up on them sooner.
Resources for you
KBR offers a wide variety of resources for mental health and fitness support, training and engagement, which can be accessed here.
Taking charge of your own mental health and fitness
While it is important that we check in on each other, it is also important that we check in on ourselves. Therefore, you’re encouraged to explore KBR’s resources which include:
- The meQuilibrium (meQ) app: designed to help build personal resilience and provides customized solutions required to face and manage stress, uncertainty and change.
- KBR’s Mental Fitness Keys: designed to remind our people why and how to design and practice their mental fitness habits and encourage healthier behaviors.
As we continue to navigate this evolving workplace dynamic, it is important that each of us proactively looks out for each other by regularly checking in with our colleagues and recognizing the signs that someone is not okay.
