England is moving to ‘Plan B’ in response to the risks of the Omicron variant.
What are the requirements of ‘Plan B’?
- You must wear a face covering in most indoor public places and on public transport
- Get tested and self-isolate if required
- From 13 December you should work from home, if you can
- Get vaccinated
- Let fresh air in if you meet indoors. Meeting outdoors is safer
- From 15 December you’ll need to show your NHS COVID Pass at nightclubs, some venues and large events to show you’re fully vaccinated, have had a negative test result in the last 48 hours, or you have an exemption
Our response to the new guidance:
The events of the last 2 years have had a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing. More people are experiencing symptoms of mental ill health, and many people with existing mental health conditions have found that their symptoms have worsened- and they may have found it more difficult to access the help that they need.
The new government guidelines mean that many businesses are now considering again how they will mobilise their teams back to working at home – and how they will ensure their safety and wellbeing during this time.
Of course not every business can have their staff work from home, those working in the NHS, care settings, manufacturing, retail and hospitality, to name just a few – will carry on as they have throughout, in sometimes impossible circumstances.
At a time when business leaders had been implementing new ways of working, hybrid working models and encouraging their staff to return to the workplace, and dealing with the business and human implications of all of those things -those that can work from home are asked to do so again.
There will be further implications from a mental health and wellbeing perspective – the new situation brings further uncertainty and worry for many.
We encourage business owners, leaders, and managers to give some real thought to how the new guidance, on top of everything else that we have all been dealing with, may impact their teams.
We will be producing some additional, new, free mental health and wellbeing resources that we will make available to all of our clients and connections in the coming week or so.
In the meantime, you can access a free webinar looking at working at home and mental health HERE.
Also, because we want to provide support to our clients, connections and their teams in the coming weeks and months, we are also extending the offers on our powerful mental health workshops as follows:
- Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout* – reduced from £1500 - £950 – extended to 1st March 2022
- Developing Resilience for Good Mental Health* – reduced from £1500 - £950 – extended to 1st March 2022
- Managing Anxiety Through Times of Change* – reduced from £1500 - £950 – extended to 1st March 2022
- Series of three workshops – reduced to £2500 total – extended to 1st March 2022
* Workshop sessions are interactive, involving group discussions and small group activities.
They can be run online, so your team can access them from home, for up to 25 participants per group, and all participants are provided with a resource pack to take away following the session.
If you would to discuss how we can support your business and your team with workplace mental health and wellbeing, please get in touch now.
Claire Russell – Founder and CEO, Mental Health in Business
