{"id":6299,"date":"2022-05-13T11:18:48","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T15:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/?p=6299"},"modified":"2023-12-11T15:43:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T20:43:23","slug":"mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><button id=\"listenButton1\" class=\"responsivevoice-button\" type=\"button\" value=\"Play\" title=\"ResponsiveVoice Tap to Start\/Stop Speech\"><span>&#128266; Listen to this article<\/span><\/button>\n        <script>\n            listenButton1.onclick = function(){\n                if(responsiveVoice.isPlaying()){\n                    responsiveVoice.cancel();\n                }else{\n                    responsiveVoice.speak(\"This article is part of our focus on Mental Health Awareness Month in May. To continue the conversation, join us for a free webinar on Thursday, May 19, at 12 p.m. Eastern time. Register today for Wellness at Work: Building Resilience by Supporting Mental Health or watch the on-demand recorded event afterward.\u00a0 More than two years ago, the coronavirus pandemic forced offices to close, and employees scrambled to figure out how to work from home. Today, companies are slowly opening their offices, but most workers aren\u2019t returning \u2013 at least not full-time.\u00a0 According to Pew Research, 59% of U.S. workers whose jobs can be done remotely are working from home all or most of the time. That compares with 23% of workers who worked from home before the coronavirus outbreak. \u201cThe new culture is not defined by space. The new culture is defined by people,\u201d says Greg Ng, CEO of Brooks Bell, a marketing research firm focused on enterprise-level testing, personalization and optimization services. \u201cMaybe that\\'s the big myth that we were all supporting pre-pandemic? It\\'s never been the space. It\\'s always been about the people.\u201d The office environment might never be the same, and it\u2019s up to leaders to ensure all employees \u2013 whether they are in the office or working remotely \u2013 feel respected, resilient, and ready to work. In addition to figuring out the logistics of a hybrid office, successful leaders must also nurture an inclusive, productive company culture, and they have to pay attention to their employees\u2019 mental health.\u00a0 The pandemic helped to normalize talk about mental wellness While stress, burnout, and anxiety weren\u2019t unusual before 2020, the widespread worry, grief, and uncertainty in the wake of COVID-19 made mental health a top priority for everyone. Although they might have been physically safe at home, people were struggling emotionally. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot more awareness because of the past two years. The pandemic highlighted an issue that was already there, but folks weren\\'t ready to talk about it,\u201d said Ruby Brown-Herring, president of RBH Wellness Solutions, which helps organizations create employee well-being strategies that support mental health at work.\u00a0 According to a 2018 report from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), untreated mental illness costs the nation as much as $300 billion every year due to decreased work performance and productivity, absenteeism, employee turnover, and increases in medical and disability expenses. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered widespread anxiety and depression in millions of additional individuals, with resulting costs of close to $1.6 trillion, according to a 2020 JAMA article. \u201cI think the pandemic definitely opened folks\\' eyes,\u201d says Brown-Herring. \u201cWhat I\\'m seeing across the board, with my clients and with other colleagues who are doing similar work, is that leadership \u2013 from CEOs, C-suite to manager level \u2013 are recognizing that we\\'ve got to figure out a way to better take care of our employees.\u201d Communication and transparency are even more important A good place to begin taking care of employees is to ask them what they need to be most productive. These conversations should include frank discussions about mental health and how people are feeling about being in the office.\u00a0 \u201cSo often, I\\'ve seen leadership say, \u2018This is what we\\'re going to do. This is what it\\'s going to look like.\u2019 But the boots on the ground, the folks who are going to be most impacted, are saying, \u2018That\\'s not going to work,\u2019\u201d Brown-Herring says. Even when folks are excited to be back in the office for a couple of days a week, Brown-Herring cautions that enthusiasm should be tempered with boundaries. For example, a hybrid workplace might have all the staff meetings scheduled on one or two days, which could create unintended stress. \u201cI\\'m happy to be back, but I can\\'t fill my days with meetings. Otherwise, I\\'m overwhelmed; I\\'m anxious because my work is not getting done,\u201d she says. The flexibility of the new workplace should include more than physical location. There should be an openness to doing things differently. Not every meeting needs to be face-to-face, and not every work conversation needs to be in the office. Changing the environment, taking a walking meeting, or sitting outside can help employees navigate those days when there are back-to-back meetings.\u00a0 When possible, Brown-Herring also suggests that employees should be allowed to set their schedules based on what needs to be accomplished. There are instances where individual desires must bow to the needs of the group, but when possible, allowing employees autonomy can be beneficial.\u00a0 \u201cHelping employees to feel heard is important and also developing that trust with them. They\\'ve shown you over the last two years that the work can continue outside of the building. And now that they\\'re coming back into the office, don\\'t go back to January 2020, the \u2018I\\'ve got to know everything you\\'re doing every single moment,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s important to continue that trust that you\\'ve shown them over the last two years.\u201d Brooks Bell builds workplace culture to support employees, wherever they are Trust and flexibility are integral to the new office policy at Brooks Bell. Before the pandemic, nearly everyone worked 9-to-5, Monday through Friday, in the Raleigh, N.C., office. Today, the atmosphere is much different for the firm\u2019s roughly 35 employees.\u00a0 \u201cThere still are people that go into the office, myself included, but the way in which we work is far different,\u201d Ng says. \u201cOur return-to-office policy has been that we do not have a specific return-to-office policy.\u201d The new hybrid workplace has also created staffing opportunities for the company, Ng says. Before 2020, all new hires would have to relocate to Raleigh. Now, they can recruit from anywhere. About a third of the current team isn\u2019t in Raleigh, so the leadership team has had to create intentional ways to foster belonging among those working out of state and those working nearby. Ng and his colleagues have done that with virtual social events \u2013 like Happy Hours \u2013 and a liberal travel budget. \u201cEvery quarter, we are intentionally flying in everyone who works remotely to work a full week here in Raleigh in the office,\u201d Ng says. \u201cWe have somewhere between 12 and 15 employees now who are out of state, all flying in on the same week. That creates additional momentum for those who live locally, to also come in and spend time with these people who they\\'ve only built relationships with through Zoom or telephone.\u201d During the week that everyone is in Raleigh, there are team dinners, lunches at the office, and other special events \u2013 all designed to help everyone get to know each other. And while these gatherings do much to build belonging, Ng says it\u2019s also vital to focus on everyday mental wellness and to publicly show that mental health is important. \u201cHow do you ensure, when you\\'re taking mental health time, that people don\\'t just acknowledge it or tolerate it, but they actually support and celebrate it? Those are things that need to start with me. It starts with our executive team to be pretty public when we need time to refresh and recharge,\u201d he says. One way Brooks Bell has done that is by using the Pingboard software for its paid time off and mental health time. Although acknowledging the mental health time publicly was a small step for the company, Ng says it has had a big impact on attitudes.\u00a0 \u201cIf someone wants to work out in the middle of the day, go for a walk, take a nap, spend time with their kids, go on a field trip, or do whatever, we create a space in our administrative tool to say I\\'m taking this time for mental health,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen someone puts that on Pingboard, people are clapping for it; they\\'re celebrating that. So, even that little thing can help destigmatize the idea of mental health.\u201d While the flexible new office culture is paying off for the firm, Ng admits that all the new freedom doesn\u2019t suit every employee. Workers should be involved in creating the new office culture, and leaders should be quick to address any unintended anxiety.\u00a0 \u201cThere are people who want to be told what to do, and sometimes flexibility becomes uncertainty for them,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want to address it, on a person-by-person basis, instead of holding ourselves to the old standard, or being too quick to define the new standard.\u201d That cautious approach is a big reason Brooks Bell hasn\u2019t abandoned its physical office. The leadership team is still figuring out the new workplace culture and aiming to keep mental health as a top priority. \u201cWe\\'re just getting started, and I don\\'t think you can ever fully be finished with these types of things. I don\\'t think we\\'ve solved this problem. I think we\u2019re trying to keep it on the forefront, to be intentional. This is a really important topic for the health of our company and our employees,\u201d Ng says. Blue Cross Blue Shield NC focuses on flexibility and well-being at work Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has always prioritized the total health of its workforce. However, the pandemic required leaders at the Durham-based insurance company to be even more vigilant when it came to the challenges facing their team members, says Fara Palumbo, Chief People Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.\u00a0 \u201cDuring the pandemic, there\u2019s been an even greater awareness of the stress placed on individuals and families who have had to struggle with so much,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have encouraged leaders to provide as much patience and flexibility to allow everyone to focus on their well-being.\u201d Flexibility is a key component of the post-pandemic workplace at Blue Cross NC, which was named one of 2022\u2019s Best Employers for Diversity by Forbes magazine.\u00a0 When the company invited employees back to the office, leaders instituted a hybrid model that allows nearly everyone to choose where they prefer to work.\u00a0 \u201cWe firmly believe it\u2019s critical to provide employees flexibility to decide how they get their work done, and the pandemic gave us an opportunity to explore many ways to support them,\u201d Palumbo says. More than 73% of the company\u2019s nearly 4,800 employees have chosen to remain full-time remote, with roughly a fourth of the staff splitting their time between home and office. A small number of employees work full-time in the office, either because their role requires it or they have chosen to do so. Among its new efforts to safeguard employees\u2019 mental health are Mental Health Stress Breaks \u2013 30-minute sessions to help manage daily stress through guided meditation \u2013 and two paid well-being days. Employees can use the days whenever they need a mental health break, and are in addition to their existing paid time off. \u201cWe have also communicated working norms to help set expectations and guardrails for everyone. These include standard meeting hours, avoiding meetings after 2 p.m. on Fridays, encouraging employees to take breaks away from their desk, and avoiding weekend emails,\u201d she says.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not all perfect at this yet, but it\u2019s important to acknowledge that when working virtually most of the time, it\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of \u2018always working.\u2019\u201d As a mental health professional, Brown-Herring agrees that it\u2019s important to establish boundaries between work and personal time. Even though a manager might not intend to cause anxiety with a 10 p.m. email, the recipient is still likely to feel the pressure.\u00a0\u00a0 Continued focus on DEI can address existing bias and new challenges Brown-Herring also cautions that existing workplace challenges might make some employees more anxious about returning to the office, even for just a few days a week. In fact, many people from underrepresented groups are reluctant to return to the office because of common microaggressions. \u201cWorkplaces are more diverse now than they\\'ve ever been, and we also know that those microaggressions are real,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\\'re seeing folks leave their jobs, because they don\\'t want to come back into the office, because they know they\u2019ve got to deal with this kind of stuff.\u201d\u00a0 Bias, even unconscious bias, is a huge concern for employees with all sorts of diverse identities: working parents, women, folks with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color. Special care should be taken to continue diversity, equity, and inclusion measures even when employees are working remotely.\u00a0 Any robust DEI strategy should include mental health awareness, because it is in business leaders\u2019 best interests to support valued employees through unsteady periods. This is in addition to many other well-documented diversity benefits. \u201cWhen employees feel like they belong, when they feel like their thoughts are valued, and when they feel valued as a person, we know productivity increases. We know retention increases,\u201d Brown-Herring says. \u201cWhen folks feel like you\\'re investing in them, they\\'re going to invest everything that they have back into your company,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\\'re going to be more engaged, they\\'re gonna stay longer. But it\\'s got to be real; it\\'s got to be part of a culture.\u201d At this moment, when the workplace is already changing, there are real opportunities to transform your workplace culture into something more supportive and inclusive. Whether your company has a few dozen employees or a few hundred, DEI Navigator has the resources leaders need to create a better workplace \u2013 whether it\u2019s in-person, remote, or a combination of the two. Plus, subscribers get access to DEI experts and world-changing ideas to help your employees feel respected, resilient, and ready to work, wherever they are.\u00a0 Amber Keister is a Content Writer and Editor at The Diversity Movement. She has spent more than 20 years as a journalist for publications throughout the South. Connect with her on Linkedin.\", \"US English Male\");\n                }\n            };\n        <\/script>\n    <\/br><br \/>\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article is part of our focus on Mental Health Awareness Month in May. To continue the conversation, join us for a free webinar on Thursday, May 19, at 12 p.m. Eastern time. Register today for <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/landing.thediversitymovement.com\/wellness-at-work\/?_ga=2.36387360.1835804040.1652365546-1903666223.1649165133\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wellness at Work: Building Resilience by Supporting Mental Health<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or watch the on-demand recorded event afterward.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than two years ago, the coronavirus pandemic forced offices to close, and employees scrambled to figure out how to work from home. Today, companies are slowly opening their offices, but most workers aren\u2019t returning \u2013 at least not full-time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/social-trends\/2022\/02\/16\/covid-19-pandemic-continues-to-reshape-work-in-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pew Research,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 59% of U.S. workers whose jobs can be done remotely are working from home all or most of the time. That compares with 23% of workers who worked from home before the coronavirus outbreak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe new culture is not defined by space. The new culture is defined by people,\u201d says Greg Ng, CEO of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brooksbell.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brooks Bell<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a marketing research firm focused on enterprise-level testing, personalization and optimization services. \u201cMaybe that&#8217;s the big myth that we were all supporting pre-pandemic? It&#8217;s never been the space. It&#8217;s always been about the people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The office environment might never be the same, and it\u2019s up to leaders to ensure all employees \u2013 whether they are in the office or working remotely \u2013 feel respected, resilient, and ready to work. In addition to figuring out the logistics of a hybrid office, successful leaders must also nurture an inclusive, productive company culture, and they have to pay attention to their employees\u2019 mental health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>The pandemic helped to normalize talk about mental wellness<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While stress, burnout, and anxiety weren\u2019t unusual before 2020, the widespread worry, grief, and uncertainty in the wake of COVID-19 made mental health a top priority for everyone. Although they might have been physically safe at home, people were struggling emotionally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere\u2019s a lot more awareness because of the past two years. The pandemic highlighted an issue that was already there, but folks weren&#8217;t ready to talk about it,\u201d said Ruby Brown-Herring, president of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/herringtrainingandconsulting.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RBH Wellness Solutions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which helps organizations create employee well-being strategies that support mental health at work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a 2018 report from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), untreated mental illness costs the nation as much as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\/getattachment\/Get-Involved\/NAMI-National-Convention\/Convention-Program-Schedule\/Hill-Day-2017\/FINAL-Hill-Day-17-Leave-Behind-all-(1).pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$300 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> every year due to decreased work performance and productivity, absenteeism, employee turnover, and increases in medical and disability expenses. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered widespread anxiety and depression in millions of additional individuals, with resulting costs of close to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/fullarticle\/2771764\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$1.6 trillion,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> according to a 2020 JAMA article.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think the pandemic definitely opened folks&#8217; eyes,\u201d says Brown-Herring. \u201cWhat I&#8217;m seeing across the board, with my clients and with other colleagues who are doing similar work, is that leadership \u2013 from CEOs, C-suite to manager level \u2013 are recognizing that we&#8217;ve got to figure out a way to better take care of our employees.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Communication and transparency are even more important<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good place to begin taking care of employees is to ask them what they need to be most productive. These conversations should include frank discussions about mental health and how people are feeling about being in the office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSo often, I&#8217;ve seen leadership say, \u2018This is what we&#8217;re going to do. This is what it&#8217;s going to look like.\u2019 But the boots on the ground, the folks who are going to be most impacted, are saying, \u2018That&#8217;s not going to work,\u2019\u201d Brown-Herring says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even when folks are excited to be back in the office for a couple of days a week, Brown-Herring cautions that enthusiasm should be tempered with boundaries. For example, a hybrid workplace might have all the staff meetings scheduled on one or two days, which could create unintended stress.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI&#8217;m happy to be back, but I can&#8217;t fill my days with meetings. Otherwise, I&#8217;m overwhelmed; I&#8217;m anxious because my work is not getting done,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The flexibility of the new workplace should include more than physical location. There should be an openness to doing things differently. Not every meeting needs to be face-to-face, and not every work conversation needs to be in the office. Changing the environment, taking a walking meeting, or sitting outside can help employees navigate those days when there are back-to-back meetings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When possible, Brown-Herring also suggests that employees should be allowed to set their schedules based on what needs to be accomplished. There are instances where individual desires must bow to the needs of the group, but when possible, allowing employees autonomy can be beneficial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHelping employees to feel heard is important and also developing that trust with them. They&#8217;ve shown you over the last two years that the work can continue outside of the building. And now that they&#8217;re coming back into the office, don&#8217;t go back to January 2020, the \u2018I&#8217;ve got to know everything you&#8217;re doing every single moment,\u2019\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s important to continue that trust that you&#8217;ve shown them over the last two years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8874 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-1024x341.png\" alt=\"TDM Library. Your one-stop-shop for update DEI Resources. Explore with a free trial. Click here to learn more.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"341\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-600x200.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-768x256.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/341;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Brooks Bell builds workplace culture to support employees, wherever they are<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trust and flexibility are integral to the new office policy at Brooks Bell. Before the pandemic, nearly everyone worked 9-to-5, Monday through Friday, in the Raleigh, N.C., office. Today, the atmosphere is much different for the firm\u2019s roughly 35 employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere still are people that go into the office, myself included, but the way in which we work is far different,\u201d Ng says. \u201cOur return-to-office policy has been that we do not have a specific return-to-office policy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new hybrid workplace has also created staffing opportunities for the company, Ng says. Before 2020, all new hires would have to relocate to Raleigh. Now, they can recruit from anywhere. About a third of the current team isn\u2019t in Raleigh, so the leadership team has had to create intentional ways to foster belonging among those working out of state and those working nearby. Ng and his colleagues have done that with virtual social events \u2013 like Happy Hours \u2013 and a liberal travel budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEvery quarter, we are intentionally flying in everyone who works remotely to work a full week here in Raleigh in the office,\u201d Ng says. \u201cWe have somewhere between 12 and 15 employees now who are out of state, all flying in on the same week. That creates additional momentum for those who live locally, to also come in and spend time with these people who they&#8217;ve only built relationships with through Zoom or telephone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the week that everyone is in Raleigh, there are team dinners, lunches at the office, and other special events \u2013 all designed to help everyone get to know each other. And while these gatherings do much to build belonging, Ng says it\u2019s also vital to focus on everyday mental wellness and to publicly show that mental health is important.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHow do you ensure, when you&#8217;re taking mental health time, that people don&#8217;t just acknowledge it or tolerate it, but they actually support and celebrate it? Those are things that need to start with me. It starts with our executive team to be pretty public when we need time to refresh and recharge,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way Brooks Bell has done that is by using the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pingboard.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pingboard<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> software for its paid time off and mental health time. Although acknowledging the mental health time publicly was a small step for the company, Ng says it has had a big impact on attitudes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf someone wants to work out in the middle of the day, go for a walk, take a nap, spend time with their kids, go on a field trip, or do whatever, we create a space in our administrative tool to say I&#8217;m taking this time for mental health,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen someone puts that on Pingboard, people are clapping for it; they&#8217;re celebrating that. So, even that little thing can help destigmatize the idea of mental health.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the flexible new office culture is paying off for the firm, Ng admits that all the new freedom doesn\u2019t suit every employee. Workers should be involved in creating the new office culture, and leaders should be quick to address any unintended anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere are people who want to be told what to do, and sometimes flexibility becomes uncertainty for them,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want to address it, on a person-by-person basis, instead of holding ourselves to the old standard, or being too quick to define the new standard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That cautious approach is a big reason Brooks Bell hasn\u2019t abandoned its physical office. The leadership team is still figuring out the new workplace culture and aiming to keep mental health as a top priority.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe&#8217;re just getting started, and I don&#8217;t think you can ever fully be finished with these types of things. I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ve solved this problem. I think we\u2019re trying to keep it on the forefront, to be intentional. This is a really important topic for the health of our company and our employees,\u201d Ng says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theinclusivelanguagehandbook.com\/?utm_source=blog-ad&amp;utm_medium=banner&amp;utm_campaign=tilh-launch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6166 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TILH-Ad.png\" alt=\"ad featuring the inclusive language handbook cover\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TILH-Ad.png 1200w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TILH-Ad-600x200.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TILH-Ad-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TILH-Ad-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TILH-Ad-768x256.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1200\/400;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Blue Cross Blue Shield NC focuses on flexibility and well-being at work<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has always prioritized the total health of its workforce. However, the pandemic required leaders at the Durham-based insurance company to be even more vigilant when it came to the challenges facing their team members, says Fara Palumbo, Chief People Officer at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluecrossnc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDuring the pandemic, there\u2019s been an even greater awareness of the stress placed on individuals and families who have had to struggle with so much,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have encouraged leaders to provide as much patience and flexibility to allow everyone to focus on their well-being.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flexibility is a key component of the post-pandemic workplace at Blue Cross NC, which was named one of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mediacenter.bcbsnc.com\/news\/news-stories\/forbes-names-blue-cross-nc-one-of-best-employers-for-diversity-2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2022\u2019s Best Employers for Diversity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forbes<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> magazine.\u00a0 When the company invited employees back to the office, leaders instituted a hybrid model that allows nearly everyone to choose where they prefer to work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe firmly believe it\u2019s critical to provide employees flexibility to decide how they get their work done, and the pandemic gave us an opportunity to explore many ways to support them,\u201d Palumbo says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 73% of the company\u2019s nearly 4,800 employees have chosen to remain full-time remote, with roughly a fourth of the staff splitting their time between home and office. A small number of employees work full-time in the office, either because their role requires it or they have chosen to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among its new efforts to safeguard employees\u2019 mental health are Mental Health Stress Breaks \u2013 30-minute sessions to help manage daily stress through guided meditation \u2013 and two paid well-being days. Employees can use the days whenever they need a mental health break, and are in addition to their existing paid time off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have also communicated working norms to help set expectations and guardrails for everyone. These include standard meeting hours, avoiding meetings after 2 p.m. on Fridays, encouraging employees to take breaks away from their desk, and avoiding weekend emails,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe\u2019re not all perfect at this yet, but it\u2019s important to acknowledge that when working virtually most of the time, it\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of \u2018always working.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a mental health professional, Brown-Herring agrees that it\u2019s important to establish boundaries between work and personal time. Even though a manager might not intend to cause anxiety with a 10 p.m. email, the recipient is still likely to feel the pressure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Continued focus on DEI can address existing bias and new challenges<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brown-Herring also cautions that existing workplace challenges might make some employees more anxious about returning to the office, even for just a few days a week. In fact, many people from underrepresented groups are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/06\/23\/us\/return-to-office-anxiety.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reluctant to return to the office<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because of common microaggressions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWorkplaces are more diverse now than they&#8217;ve ever been, and we also know that those microaggressions are real,\u201d she says. \u201cWe&#8217;re seeing folks leave their jobs, because they don&#8217;t want to come back into the office, because they know they\u2019ve got to deal with this kind of stuff.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bias, even unconscious bias, is a huge concern for employees with all sorts of diverse identities: working parents, women, folks with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color. Special care should be taken to continue diversity, equity, and inclusion measures even when employees are working remotely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any robust DEI strategy should include mental health awareness, because it is in business leaders\u2019 best interests to support valued employees through unsteady periods. This is in addition to many other well-documented diversity benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen employees feel like they belong, when they feel like their thoughts are valued, and when they feel valued as a person, we know productivity increases. We know retention increases,\u201d Brown-Herring says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen folks feel like you&#8217;re investing in them, they&#8217;re going to invest everything that they have back into your company,\u201d she says. \u201cThey&#8217;re going to be more engaged, they&#8217;re gonna stay longer. But it&#8217;s got to be real; it&#8217;s got to be part of a culture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this moment, when the workplace is already changing, there are real opportunities to transform your workplace culture into something more supportive and inclusive. Whether your company has a few dozen employees or a few hundred, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/dei-navigator\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DEI Navigator<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has the resources leaders need to create a better workplace \u2013 whether it\u2019s in-person, remote, or a combination of the two. Plus, subscribers get access to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/team\/brentley-wright\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DEI experts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/microvideos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">world-changing ideas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help your employees feel respected, resilient, and ready to work, wherever they are.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8047 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-1024x85.png\" alt=\"Display ad for TDM Library. Text says &quot;Find more content like this in TDM Library. Start my free trial&quot;\" width=\"1024\" height=\"85\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-1024x85.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-600x50.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-300x25.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-768x64.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/85;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/team\/amber-keister\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Amber Keister<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a Content Writer and Editor at The Diversity Movement. She has spent more than 20 years as a journalist for publications throughout the South. Connect with her on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/amberkeister\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Linkedin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article is part of our focus on Mental Health Awareness Month in May. To continue the conversation, join us for a free webinar on Thursday, May 19, at 1215<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,5],"tags":[74,72],"tdm_type":[92],"class_list":["post-6299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inclusive-leadership","category-blogs","tag-diversity-holidays","tag-mental-health-wellness","tdm_type-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know - The Diversity Movement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The office environment might never be the same, and it\u2019s up to leaders to ensure all employees \u2013 whether they are in the office or working remotely \u2013 feel respected, resilient, and ready to work.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know - The Diversity Movement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The office environment might never be the same, and it\u2019s up to leaders to ensure all employees \u2013 whether they are in the office or working remotely \u2013 feel respected, resilient, and ready to work.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Diversity Movement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thediversitymovement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-05-13T15:18:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-12-11T20:43:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM-1024x666.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Walk West\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Walk West\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Walk West\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/person\/96226c18fc3fda99e138ea5726960e51\"},\"headline\":\"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-13T15:18:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-11T20:43:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/\"},\"wordCount\":2334,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Diversity Holidays\",\"Mental Health &amp; Wellness\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Inclusive Leadership\",\"x Blogs\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/\",\"name\":\"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know - The Diversity Movement\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-13T15:18:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-11T20:43:23+00:00\",\"description\":\"The office environment might never be the same, and it\u2019s up to leaders to ensure all employees \u2013 whether they are in the office or working remotely \u2013 feel respected, resilient, and ready to work.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM.png\",\"width\":1792,\"height\":1166},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/type\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/\",\"name\":\"The Diversity Movement\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Diversity Movement\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Stack-Blue.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Stack-Blue.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":619,\"caption\":\"The Diversity Movement\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thediversitymovement\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thediversitymovement\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/thediversitymovement\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/person\/96226c18fc3fda99e138ea5726960e51\",\"name\":\"Walk West\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/098990f08f15560a82addd4bf4c3ec68a20487d4d17beade5a7e24775b385f86?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/098990f08f15560a82addd4bf4c3ec68a20487d4d17beade5a7e24775b385f86?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Walk West\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know - The Diversity Movement","description":"The office environment might never be the same, and it\u2019s up to leaders to ensure all employees \u2013 whether they are in the office or working remotely \u2013 feel respected, resilient, and ready to work.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know - The Diversity Movement","og_description":"The office environment might never be the same, and it\u2019s up to leaders to ensure all employees \u2013 whether they are in the office or working remotely \u2013 feel respected, resilient, and ready to work.","og_url":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/","og_site_name":"The Diversity Movement","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thediversitymovement\/","article_published_time":"2022-05-13T15:18:48+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-12-11T20:43:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":666,"url":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM-1024x666.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Walk West","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Walk West","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/"},"author":{"name":"Walk West","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/person\/96226c18fc3fda99e138ea5726960e51"},"headline":"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know","datePublished":"2022-05-13T15:18:48+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-11T20:43:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/"},"wordCount":2334,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM.png","keywords":["Diversity Holidays","Mental Health &amp; Wellness"],"articleSection":["Inclusive Leadership","x Blogs"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/","url":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/","name":"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know - The Diversity Movement","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM.png","datePublished":"2022-05-13T15:18:48+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-11T20:43:23+00:00","description":"The office environment might never be the same, and it\u2019s up to leaders to ensure all employees \u2013 whether they are in the office or working remotely \u2013 feel respected, resilient, and ready to work.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-13-at-11.17.10-AM.png","width":1792,"height":1166},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/mental-wellness-in-post-pandemic-workplace-what-leaders-should-know\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Articles","item":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/type\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Mental Wellness in the Post-Pandemic Workplace: What Leaders Should Know"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/","name":"The Diversity Movement","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#organization","name":"The Diversity Movement","url":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Stack-Blue.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Stack-Blue.jpg","width":1500,"height":619,"caption":"The Diversity Movement"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thediversitymovement\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thediversitymovement\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/thediversitymovement\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/person\/96226c18fc3fda99e138ea5726960e51","name":"Walk West","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/098990f08f15560a82addd4bf4c3ec68a20487d4d17beade5a7e24775b385f86?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/098990f08f15560a82addd4bf4c3ec68a20487d4d17beade5a7e24775b385f86?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Walk West"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6299"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8938,"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6299\/revisions\/8938"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6299"},{"taxonomy":"tdm_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tdm_type?post=6299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}