The year 2020 proved to be more than challenging for everyone. In every part of the world, some worse than others, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc, and altered the course of lives not nearly for the better.
There were high level risks, and alterations in your life whether you were going into work or working from home. Adaptations were necessary, and some of them still apply up to this day. In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, it’s truly a blessing if you were kept utterly sane through it all. Some people lost their jobs, lost their homes and most people cracked under the pressure. But in addition, dealing with COVID-19 and maintaining a healthy work environment proved to be more challenging than expected.
If you were allowed to work from home you were lucky. You decreased the risk of bringing back the virus to your family, or spreading it to others. But if you were one of those who had little to no choice, the stress of working during something this deadly must have been overwhelming.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, recognizing the signs of stress whether it be in the workplace or at home, is the first step to diminishing it. If you’re not sure, here’s a list of what you should be paying attention to;
- Feeling irritation, anger or in denial
- Feeling uncertain, nervous or anxious
- Lacking motivation
- Feeling tired, overwhelmed or burned out
- Feeling sad or depressed
- Having trouble sleeping
- Having trouble concentrating
Work related stress is a common occurrence, especially during a worldwide pandemic. Not knowing how you’ll come out at the end of this is a staggering trigger for fear and anxiety and the reasons why you might be feeling overwhelmed at work could be included in the following;
- Concern about the risk of being exposed to the virus at work
- Taking care of personal and family needs while working
- Managing a different workload
- Lack of access to the tools and equipment needed to perform your job
- Feeling that you are not contributing enough to work or guilt about not being on the frontline
- Uncertainty about the future of your workplace and/or employment
- Learning new communication tools and dealing with technical difficulties
- Adapting to a different workspace and/or work schedule
In addition to dealing with fear and anxiety, employees sometimes also must battle discrimination, from employers who see the opportunity in such a dark period to take advantage of their workers. Discrimination in the workplace is something that has been a global issue for years. Whether it be because of age, sex, race, disability or any other pivotal characteristic, persons have had to face challenges in their careers and that has surely doubled since the beginning of this pandemic.
With the pandemic forcing small and large businesses to both permanently and temporarily close their doors, some employers took that open window of opportunity to cut a few workers from their payroll. If you’ve been let go or your salary has significantly dwindled because you’re too dark, a woman, too disabled, too young, not heterosexual enough, or don’t conform to certain religious beliefs, then the pandemic has little to no effect on your current employment status.
Sometimes that’s worse though, is how your peers or coworkers treat you. Some of us have experienced some harrowing treatments in the workplace but those who sit and eat lunch with you can just as easily turn their noses up at you at the slightest inconvenience.
COVID-19 has had everyone on edge and paranoid, some more than others. They take extra precautions and stay the designated six feet apart but a COVID-19 scare can put a damper on work relationships. The aftermath of having the virus, or being in contact with someone who’s been sick is equally as mentally dilapidating as actually having it. If you’ve tested positive just once, or had the opportunity of being in quarantine it would matter very little afterwards. Discrimination in the workplace comes in all forms, some more noticeable than others.
Can you spot the signs?
