From human resources consultant Fundación Chile, called Circular HR, Roberto Larraechea, director of the engagement project, explains that the pandemic is a determining factor for workers’ mental health. Circular HR identified that in 2020 the trend that had been going on since 2014 was broken and there was a decrease in workers’ appetite and motivation as well as an increase in fatigue.

Larraechea commented that forced isolation exacerbated the slump that the social outbreak had produced in indicators of fatigue, mental exhaustion and uncertainty.

Last year a significant recovery resulted, but it can be considered a rebound effect. “We can’t expect it to be something that will last over time, it will be normal in 2023, people are feeling good, but it may be something temporary as working conditions remain the same.”

She added that the most affected were women taking on the roles of caregivers in quarantine and teachers, who had high levels of fatigue and stress.

• He followed Arnold Bakker, whom he considers one of the most important researchers on mental health. Check his Linkedin to see what he shares and the information he posts.
• In occupational psychology and mental health, he recommends Adam Grant -professor, author and organizational psychologist-, for his podcast, some pandemic facts in collaboration with TED and for his Linkedin publications.
• In addition, he suggests taking a look at the workplace wellbeing display from consulting firm McKinsey.

• To measure the mental health of workers, Circular HR uses indicators such as motivation, commitment, fatigue and well-being, unlike those used previously, namely work environment and employee satisfaction.
• Larraechea reviews Microsoft’s reports on productivity and remote work, as they cover new topics like productivity paranoia. “That is when workers from home believe that their productivity is increasing, but the boss thinks the team is less efficient and creates monitoring tools out of distrust.”
• He also added his analysis to the four-day work week debate, which has become a public debate. Check pilots, such as those in the UK, and conduct surveys to assess trends.
• Larraechea highlighted the report on the Mental Health Thermometers from the Chilean Security Association (ACHS) and the UC Center for Longitudinal Surveys and Studies, because “they have compared basic instruments that measure mental health and its aspects, contrasts in different phases of the pandemic.”