2022 has been a year of memorable ups and downs.
The good news is that the world gained greater control of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet the outbreak of war in Ukraine, coupled with unprecedented rises to the cost of living, have presented challenges on a global scale.
Happily, employers are aware of these challenges, and many are prepared to offer help. In January, Beyond EAP ran a LinkedIn poll which asked employers if they planned to increase employee support in 2022. 100% said yes.
Long Covid, and the need for phased returns
The year began with the hard work of understanding the lasting effects of Covid. While rates of infection finally began to slow, many employees felt lost. Some were still suffering from Covid-related side-effects weeks or even months after testing positive, while others had sadly lost people close to them.
We recommended that employers should be prepared to implement a bespoke, phased return to work for all employees who need it; an issue we addressed in our January blog post.
“I am still finding it very hard to come to terms with my loss, but Jane gave me some advice that has definitely helped me to understand the way I feel and learn that it is okay.”
We supported many employees who were experiencing the pain of grief and loss, which led us to develop a suite of free resources for those who need instant guidance. These can be downloaded directly from our Resources and Downloads page, with our compliments.
What to expect, when employees are expecting
Maternity leave and support hit the headlines in January too, as female footballers and other professionals were awarded maternity cover in a landmark ruling. I was overjoyed to hear this news, as it means the corporate world is finally waking up to the fact that having children changes people’s lives!
However, later in the year we heard harrowing stories from Jessie J, Britney Spears, and Cristiano Ronaldo in the press, following their experiences with miscarriage and infant death. Sadly, not every pregnancy goes to plan, which is why we also provide compassionate parental bereavement support to those employees who need it.
My own belief is that nobody should suffer alone, so my inbox is always open to those who need to share their experiences in a safe and confidential space.
“Sandie adopts such a personal approach, that it felt like I was being supported by a close friend.”
Mental health challenges
As we entered spring, we were reminded that it was two years since Caroline Flack sadly took her life, and how she highlighted the need for greater mental health support.
We also looked at the effects of antidepressants; a subject close to my heart since I am the ‘one’ of the one-in-three statistic of people for whom they don’t work. It’s why we always ask if an employee we are about to support is on antidepressant medication, so we can offer them just the right level of help.
Summer began to arrive, and with it came a surprising fact from the University of Sussex: adults who constantly distract themselves with digital devices had less density in the area of the brain associated with cognitive and emotional processing. This meant they were more susceptible to anxiety and depression.
We updated our emotional resilience and wellbeing resources accordingly, including plenty of digital-free ways to perform self-care.
Focus also shifted to trauma support, and the importance of recognising that both physical and emotional trauma can be caused by life events that, to a casual observer, could seem utterly ‘harmless’.
For example, up to one in three women who give birth may experience trauma, even if the delivery was healthy and successful. If left undiagnosed and untreated, such trauma could cause more serious health issues later on, and potentially affect their return to work.
Happily, with the right approach recovery from trauma-related conditions such as PTSD is more than possible: a fact I wrote about in detail on the Beyond EAP blog.
“The support I received turned what was a very low point into a valuable learning point in my life. I believe my employer has also benefited, since I’m now more productive and focused at work.”
Keeping in contact through change… and Happy Anniversaries to us!
Keep-in-touch – or KIT days – took the spotlight as the year progressed, mostly because worryingly, we found that many employers didn’t know about them! Our parental coaching resources offer a simple guide, not just to the terminology of parenthood, but how to support employees who are experiencing it.
We also announced that we are working in partnership with Blackbridge Communications, an employee-owned employer marketing agency, regarding our parental leave and coaching support. Exciting times are ahead!
Oh, and let’s not forget that we celebrated a few happy anniversaries in 2022: our first year as Beyond EAP in July, and in October and November, a whole year of being Sandie and the Janes!
You can find out more about Jane Mitchell and Jane Smart (as well as myself) on our website’s About Us page.
The importance of sleep, and welcome changes for women
Sleep took centre-stage later in 2022, as a study showed that 33% of the UK was experiencing burnout due to lack of sleep. I wrote an eBook based on my experiences of helping employees suffering in this way… including one who drank nothing but coffee for two whole weeks, then wondered why they were “on the brink of a breakdown!”
And as someone who has been plagued with sleep issues since childhood, I also decided to share my own tried-and-tested tips for getting a good night’s sleep.
We also looked at the way Covid was being dealt with in the workplace, and noted a positive: mothers are able to head back to the workplace with more flexible working arrangements than ever before. Even McDonalds started offering new careers to women, with built-in flexibility!
In fact, us women were having our moment in the sun, as the Lionesses won the World Cup, and I celebrated my former PE teacher Lorraine Brazier, who set up a football and cricket team for girls in the 1980s, and who instilled a wonderful mindset that we could achieve anything we wanted. I like to think that I am following her example.
Menopause was a hot topic in 2022 for many reasons. Prompted by its new-found publicity, I chose to share a personal story about the link between the thyroid and perimenopause, and the valuable support I received from the London Hormone Clinic.
Take good care of yourself
As the hectic whirlwind of Christmas preparation approached, our newsletter re-visited the importance of boundaries and balance, and the vital part they play in self-care.
With 2023 firmly on the horizon, we very much look forward to being of service to more talented employees, helping them retain successful careers with the companies they love, and which in turn makes those companies more likely to thrive!
Regardless of the challenges ahead, our aim is to help every employee feel valued and supported, as they build the resilience and confidence they need to re-emerge into their lives and work.
Should you need support, we at Beyond EAP are here for you and your employees. In the meantime, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.