TT Botnia occupational health care professionals have noticed the impact of changes in work life on employee wellbeing. A noticeable increase in teleworking since the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people in many ways.
TT Botnia Medical Director Tiina Lehtinen and Responsible Occupational Health Psychologist Anu Storm find that employee workloads have grown in recent years. Young employees who have just begun working are particularly worried about coping.
– “Mental health problems and associated challenges to managing at work are coming to light at surgeries. Financial and social insecurity is another stress factor that accompanies workload issues in all age groups,” Lehtinen explains.
As an occupational health psychologist, Anu Storm notes the substantial demands that the world of work imposes on people.
– “People do not necessarily know how to set limits to their own work as a condition of retaining independence and autonomy. This can lead to burnout.”
Storm finds that though self-management is important, it is far from easy. Many employees are excessively conscientious and take on too much responsibility. It is important for supervisors to help employees in recognising their own limitations and setting realistic goals.
Flexible services are one way in which TT Botnia occupational health care responds to the challenges of an evolving world of work.
– “Flexibility is an asset when implementing occupational health care services, enabling functions to be discharged on site or as remote services according to need. Traditional visits to a doctor’s surgery are not always necessary, and it is often smarter to manage things remotely,” Lehtinen says.
Teleconferencing can provide an ideal service channel for occupational health psychologists, allowing employees to seek help and support at the most convenient time. It may also lower the threshold for seeking help when an employee can access the service from home.
Flexible services and promoting well-being at work are important ways of preventing excessive workloads and boosting job satisfaction.
