How will we come out of this? The psychological impact of Covid in the workplace

Article written in February 2021, during the pandemic.

We are living through a very unusual and wholly unexpected period. Who among us, in January 2020, would have thought such a sudden change in our way of life was possible?

The restrictions we have all endured because of Covid-19 have produced a range of emotions we were not prepared for. Beyond their individual character, these emotions have also appeared at the collective level. The ones we find in accounts of earlier epidemics are always the same: fear, distrust and uncertainty. This time, however, anger has been added, perhaps because we had convinced ourselves that progress had made us safe from this kind of risk, or perhaps because, unlike earlier generations, we believe we are in control of what happens to us.

The rules imposed on us to limit the spread of the pandemic have, over time, created a new normal. Distancing, safety rules and the restriction of freedom have had a heavy impact on individuals, families, companies and communities, one that could last for years.

From several points of view (medical, psychological, sociological, economic), this pandemic can be seen as an enormous experiment, a case study in human nature unlike any we have ever lived through, because of its worldwide impact and the extremely short time in which it spread.

Those who go to the workplace have a different experience from the pre-Covid situation: fear, difficulty in putting the safety rules into practice, distance from colleagues.

People who work from home are exposed to psychosocial risks such as isolation, the loss of balance between work and family, and the stress that comes from the unpreparedness of companies and workers.

Workers also suffer from the fear of losing their jobs and from the financial difficulties tied to pay that is often lower. Insecurity, financial problems and unemployment can have a strong impact on mental health.

The psychological risks associated with Covid-19 have taken a back seat to the health problem, but increased stress can lead to physical and mental health problems. People have to cope with low motivation, worsening mood, anxiety, the risk of exhaustion, depression and burnout, in addition to all the physical reactions associated with stress.

Workers also find themselves having to organize family and household life and to care for children and other dependent relatives who could previously be looked after by other people or facilities as well. They have seen the room for social contact at work shrink and have often had to manage remote working in cramped spaces shared with partners, children or housemates.

School closures and the interruption of home care services create further stress and make it harder to reconcile work and family. In Eurofound's 2020 European survey, among those who had children under 17 and worked only from home, 22% found it hard to concentrate on their job because of their family, compared with 8% of parents who worked outside the home (Living, working and COVID-19).

The study of collective emotions is an important tool for understanding the impact of the pandemic on our society and how much what we have been through will shape the years to come.

In April 2020 an international online survey was launched to assess the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions on people's lifestyles, in particular on physical activity and eating behaviors. The results show a negative effect of home confinement on physical activity and eating behaviors, an increase in sedentary time and a tendency toward unhealthy eating (Ammar et al., 2020, Nutrients). Another analysis, based on thirteen studies with a total of 33,062 participants, found high levels of anxiety and depression among healthcare workers (Pappa et al., 2020, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity). For the general population, the World Health Organization later estimated that in the first year of the pandemic the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% (WHO, March 2, 2022).

Several other surveys, in many different countries, have found a significant reduction in life satisfaction.

Many people have lost loved ones, borne the hardships of illness or had to reckon with serious financial difficulties such as losing their job, but even those who have suffered no direct harm feel a shared pain at seeing the pain of others. The loss of our certainties, of control over our lives, of our freedom, of the conviction that we can protect our family joins the loss of human lives in a collective grief that we will have to face personally and as a group. Grief, however, is not only about what we lose; it is also about the loss of our identity.

Working through grief means passing through stages, which are not linear, however, nor necessarily in a set order. Collective grief is a situation that, although already seen in other historical periods (for example, the end of a war), has no certain course. As individuals we live through the stages described by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance), but at the group level things are far more complex and we cannot predict how they will unfold.

Anxiety and fear about the possibility of being struck by a threat are amplified by uncertainty. People try to reduce their sense of unease by blaming governments or other outside powers that should have taken more adequate measures. Another way to fight fear is to reject the danger of the situation, in a denial that can itself become very dangerous.

Blaming others for the situation we find ourselves in lets us replace fear with anger. This mental mechanism is often associated with populist thinking, which blames the government for the situation without really analyzing it or offering alternative proposals.

As part of the European research project DEMOS (Horizon 2020 program), researchers at the University of Amsterdam studied collective anxiety about Covid-19 in four European countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom). As expected, respondents in Spain, the hardest-hit country at the time of the survey (April 2020), turned out to be the most anxious.

The most anxious people also direct their anger at those who break the safety rules, and here too fear feeds anger. Anger, especially when it is irrational, needs to find a target, and so there is a risk of unloading one's frustration on the first target available.

There have been protests in many countries, staged by people who see the restrictions as a violation of personal freedoms and civil rights, or meant to draw attention to the groups that have borne the greatest economic impact. Covid-19 is not the only topic of debate, however: the other issues people feel they should mobilize for have not seen a drop in interest.

We do not know what the long-term psychological and social effects of this pandemic will be, but a renewed desire to take part in public life could help in working through the grief collectively.

Employers have found themselves facing many problems at once, concerning themselves (and the organization of their own families), their workers, customers and suppliers, safety decisions and financial problems. Uncertainty is present in every setting; everything is in constant flux. The ways of communicating are changing too, and different approaches are needed to communicate both with those who work from home and with those who continue to come to the workplace.

Workers often spend more time at work than with their families. It therefore becomes very important for employers to put in place policies for support and stress reduction. People, disoriented and angry, need help, support, appreciation and encouragement, but they also need to be involved in the situation and in company decisions. The future of companies depends a great deal on how well employers manage their people in this period in particular.

(Alberto Viotto)