Supporting Working Parents
During the pandemic, we have been given insights into so many previously unseen lives. There have been stories in the media of frontline workers carrying on in the face of real adversity. We have seen leaders struggle and the mask covered faces of people trying to keep their businesses, families and way of life going in some form. We have seen a little or in some cases a whole lot more into the lives of our people. From the tech-savvy who entertain us with their everchanging exotic or fanciful backgrounds to the unashamed pyjama or tracksuit wearing team members with a pet on their lap. Whatever we see, it's what we hear that provides a fuller picture, the voices of young children or the excited bark of a dog who has decided its always time for a walk.
We all have lives outside of work, people who depend on us, whether it be partners, children, older parents or close friends and family, they demand our attention and can give us a great deal of worry as well as a great deal of joy. This week we turn our spotlight to supporting the mental health of working parents or caregivers and the children they care for.
Although there is a sense of so many people being affected by the pandemic in so many different ways, the mental health and wellbeing of children and teens is something that has been given significant media coverage. It is the subject of research projects across the globe, in Australia one such survey found that up to 10% of the children of the 700 families surveyed may need support for anxiety and depression. The other side of that is a positive story 80% of the children were found to have good mental and emotional health.1
Supporting your people who have caregiver responsibilities is not always easy, particularly when we are managing the economic and social constraints of government restrictions put in place to protect the community. We've created tools to provide some practical ways for you as leaders to support working parents and for parents to help their children, particularly teens as many of the nation's 17-18 year-olds face their final exams. Find our wide range of Leader Tools and Personal Tools, in the Employer and Employee Login Areas of our website.
As we continue to focus on Mental Health this month, I encourage you to share your experiences in supporting parents and caregivers with us. Reach out to here at AccessEAP. As always, our people are here to help support you and your people be their best in life and work.
References
ABC News 2020, Coronavirus survey into children's mental health reveals anxiety, depression,
https://info.accesseap.com.au/e/872921/health-anxiety-survey-12702726/399nz/113572075?h=4T6DRo3WKotq6WBH3RdOuTrAUMnq55KFjoMOam9oyEw
