Negatiewe Realiteit van Werk-vanaf-die-huis begin inskop

Nie alle Suid-Afrikaners geniet dit om van die huis af te werk nie, die realiteit is dat baie werkers in ’n geestes stryd hieroor verkeer.

Volgens ’n kliniese sielkundige en dokter verbonde aan die Independent Counseling and Advisory Services (ICAS) Southern Africa wat werknemer-berading aan firmas verskaf, Andrew Davies, het die aantal mense wat hulp benodig vir toestande soos angs, depressie en verslawing, baie toegeneem.

Davies was ’n spreker tydens die webinar wat deur die nuutgestigte Business For South Africa gereël is. Hierdie organisasie koördineer die korporatiewe reaksie tot die Covid-19 krisis.

Alhoewel ICAS geen toename in huismoles kon waarneem nie, het die aantal werknemers wat hulp soek ten opsigte van persoonlike verhoudings tuis onder die inperking toegeneem.
Daar was ook ‘n 28 persent toename van mense wat hulp soek met pornografie-verslawing.

Van die ander bevindings was ’n 100 persent toename in versoeke vir skuld berading asook vir hulp met persoonlike begrotings en ’n 300 persent toename in versoeke vir hulp met boedels en testamente.

“Om van die huis af te werk vereis sekere vaardighede asook ’n omgewing wat bevorderlik hiervoor is en indien dit ontbreek word die eerste saadjies vir ’n katastrofe geplant.”
Om van die huis af te werk stel uitdagings aan jou geestes gesondheid en kan normale optimistiese, produktiewe werkers in moeë, ongemotiveerde en geïrriteerde mense omskep, het Davies gesê.

Die inperking het ’n groot las geword vir diegene wat nie fisies vanaf die huis kan werk nie. Dit veroorsaak bekommernis oor sake soos of daar ’n salaris aan die einde van die maand gaan wees en of hulle na die inperking steeds ’n werk gaan hê.

South Africans struggle with the reality of working from home

South African employees are struggling with the new reality of working from home – and, for some, not being sure if they will get paid – and that is showing up as some serious mental struggles.

“There has been an increase in people seeking help for mental health and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders, predominately adjustment disorders, depression [and] addiction disorders,” says Andrew Davies, a clinical psychologist and MD of Independent Counselling and Advisory Services (ICAS) Southern Africa, which provides employee counseling on behalf of companies. He was speaking during a webinar arranged by Business For South Africa, a new organisation that coordinates the corporate response to the Covid19 crisis.

ICAS has seen a 28% increase in requests for help with pornography addiction.  

Although ICAS has not seen an increase in domestic violence reports, the number of employees seeking help with interpersonal relationships at home rose under lockdown.

The organisation has also reported a 100% increase in requests for debt counselling and other requests for budgeting assistance, as well as a 300% increase in request for estate planning assistance and wills.   

Not all employees enjoy working remotely, Davies said.

“We don’t realise that working from home requires particular skills and an environment that is conducive for that and when that isn’t, it sows the seeds for a lot of distress.

Work-from-home jobs can challenge your mental health and can turn normally optimistic, productive workers into tired, unmotivated and irritated people, Davies said.  

The lockdown has been a huge burden for those who can’t physically work from home.

This has caused constant worry about whether they will get a salary at the end of the month or if they will even have a job at the end of it all, said Davies.