6 Tips to Support Lone Worker Mental Health
We’ve put together a list of six strategies to help support the mental health of remote lone workers in your organisation.
- Communicate Regularly – Check in with lone workers away from the office every day. Aside from greetings and a few pleasantries, it’s unlikely they will have a full conversation.
- Planning – Lone workers that have their day organised for them (e.g. delivery drivers) should have their day planned out to schedule in breaks, helping to reduce fatigue and stress levels.
- Be Inclusive – Make sure that lone workers feel like part of the team. Even if lone workers won’t be able to come to certain events, they should always be invited, especially to company-wide social events such as the Christmas party.
- Provide Additional Benefits – Offering practical ways to support mental health, such as free counselling, means they can access help when they need it. Services unrelated to mental health (e.g. a personal safety device) can have a big impact on mental wellbeing.
- Authority To Make Decisions – Lone workers need to be empowered to make decisions if they’re trusted to complete the job. Guidelines of what a lone worker can decide themselves should be in place.
- Provide a Safe Working Environment – Lone workers should be trained to complete dynamic risk assessments and be given the tools to deal with serious situations. Consider devices that provide instant access to emergency services.
