Whilst the Covid pandemic has obviously been, and continues to be, a very difficult experience for very many businesses and employees, two issues that it has particularly highlighted over the last ten months have been individuals’ Mental Health and Domestic Abuse.

We’ve published separate posts about both of these topics during the course of the pandemic, and as we approach Christmas it’s a good time to highlight them again; not least to remind ourselves of the employer’s duty of care. The Government argues that stricter restrictions now means we’ll all be able to enjoy Christmas in a few weeks, but not everyone will be looking forward to the festive break with equal fervour.

What Covid has taught us is that work and being at work is a good thing for more reasons than we might have previously associated with it. There are a high proportion of workers who have relished and thrived at the opportunity to work from home, but it doesn’t suit everybody. Even those who say they prefer to work from home admit to missing the social interaction that being physically present in the workplace brings.

A lot of people rely on their routine of physically going to work and fulfilling their day in the office environment. Routine can be a big contributor to successfully managing our mental health, and that’s before we even consider the effect that the loneliness and isolation of working from home can have on people.

Being required to work from home, or furloughed for that matter, creates its own brand of stress and anxiety for many people. For them, the extra time away from work during the Christmas period may not be something to look forward to.

As much as going to work is seen as way to manage routine and purpose for many, for others the workplace is viewed as a safe haven. The rise in cases and reports of domestic abuse during the Covid crisis as partners and families are forced to spend more time in one another’s company, has been a truly shocking revelation. Extra time at home where the atmosphere could be volatile and fuelled by the readiness of alcohol may be something of a nightmare scenario for some.

Employers are not expected to take responsibility to resolve cases of domestic abuse but they should, in looking out for the welfare of their employees, recognise the signs that it might be happening and support any affected members of staff.

We have a number of training courses that can help businesses to manage their employees’ wellbeing. From our Mental Health First Aider course which equips members of an organisations with the skills and know-how to recognise the signs of mental health issues in individuals and take appropriate action, to our Mental Health Awareness course for groups of co-workers. See our Mental Health Page for more information and course dates.

Our Holding Difficult Conversations workshop isn’t just for disciplinary issues. Sometimes broaching the subjects of mental health or domestic abuse can create a very prickly atmosphere and this course provides methods and tactics to handle tough conversations of all types.

As usual we’re here to help with all you HR and Employment Law issues and have training solutions for the full spectrum of business management. Call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.