It’s Still Here: How to Address COVID-19-Related Workplace Stress and Anxiety

Workplace stress and anxiety after COVID

Workplace stress and anxiety have long been problems for American workers. According to prepandemic data from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, up to 72 percent of American employees said stress and anxiety interfered with their day-to-day lives. Additionally, 40 percent reported persistent stress or excessive anxiety linked to their jobs and 28 percent reported experiencing job-related anxiety or panic attacks.

The COVID pandemic has sent already problematic workplace stress levels soaring and it continues to create additional stress-inducing situations that can affect workplace productivity, communication and interpersonal relationships.  

The following unique COVID-related scenarios are common sources of workplace anxiety and stress. 

Long COVID

In June 2023, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine published an article arguing that long COVID is a “mass disabling” condition. It’s also a condition that medical experts have struggled to understand. However, one thing that’s clear is that employees who live with long COVID may need workplace accommodations — and for some, this prospect may cause anxiety and stress.

“The number of people who have long COVID continues to climb and it’s nearing 20 percent of people in the United States who have had at least some lingering impacts after infection,” said Steph Fowler, therapist and clinical consultant at Misfit Mental Health. “While some of these people may have improvements in their symptoms, many do not fully recover. This can lead to secondary anxiety about difficulty to keep up with work and fear of getting fired.”

Value conflict

When lockdowns arrived en masse in March 2020, a then-unprecedented number of employees suddenly shifted to working from home full-time. Although some of these employees have continued working remotely, many employers have called their teams back to the office. Sophia Spencer, mental health psychotherapist at Socially Fearless, said that employers’ demands for in-person work are driving value conflict and creating workplace anxiety.

“From my clinical practice working with many professional adults experiencing anxiety, I have observed a significant shift in workplace anxiety stemming from conflicting social expectations around the nature of work,” Spencer said. “Many [of my] clients express anxiety and concern over the disconnect between their expectations of flexible working, shaped by what they feel was successful remote work during the pandemic and current organizational pushes for office return.”

Such employees may feel their professional judgment and work output are being questioned when asked to return to the office, explained Spencer, and this leads to decreased confidence and increased anxiety. 

Spencer added that employees who do ultimately return to in-person work also experience stress and anxiety. “Employees who are regularly coming into the office often feel their additional effort might not be recognized or valued,” she said. “They may experience frustration when remote colleagues are less available for immediate collaboration and can feel unfairly burdened with impromptu in-person tasks.”

Now-familiar post-pandemic worries 

When lockdowns began, the idea was that COVID would eventually disappear. This notion has proven to be untrue, so the fear and isolation that emerged at the pandemic’s start are now familiar to just about everyone. These include:

• Employees are afraid of getting sick or spreading illness: Employees who work in their employer’s office may hesitate to engage with co-workers because they’re afraid of getting sick or spreading illness. A reluctance to engage in the workplace negatively impacts collaboration, creativity and productivity.
• Business owners are stressed about financial commitments: Entrepreneurs, particularly in the restaurant, entertainment and hospitality industries, may feel anxious about making financial commitments if their previous businesses were forced to close or were financially battered by shutdowns.
• Remote workers may feel isolated: People who work remotely may suffer from isolation and the feeling of being “always on,” which negatively impacts their work-life balance.
• People may still be grieving: Grief is a never-ending process. Sure, it gets easier to manage over time, but it never disappears entirely. Employees who have lost loved ones to COVID may grieve for quite some time — and future family losses to COVID aren’t out of the question. Even a loved one living with long COVID can cause grief. 

According to Mental Health America’s 2024 State of Mental Health in America report, 23 percent of U.S. adults (roughly 60 million people) experienced mental illness. “I’ve seen an increase of people with anxiety and other mental health concerns, which may be because COVID infections can worsen or cause new-onset mental health conditions,” said Fowler.

Addressing workplace stress and anxiety

Some employees will likely be hesitant to discuss their mental health, fearing adverse effects on their professional development and career opportunities. You’ll need a multi-pronged approach to address the physical and mental challenges of post-pandemic workplace stress and anxiety compassionately and effectively.

1. Create an employee assistance program (EAP) to address stress and anxiety.

An EAP gives employees access to counseling services and other resources. Many EAPs address challenges in an employee’s life that contribute to stress and anxiety, such as child care services, financial assistance and legal counsel. Assistance can include phone- and video-based counseling, live web chat and face-to-face sessions, typically at no or reduced cost to employees.

Consider implementing an EAP or enhancing existing packages. Ask for employee feedback about what resources would help them most and craft an EAP that addresses genuine challenges employees face inside and outside the workplace.

2. Implement flexible schedules to help with workplace stress and anxiety.

Consider changing your scheduling and time-off policies to accommodate employees’ mental health needs. Some employees may benefit from working at least part-time from home or the ability to take a “mental health day” with a day’s notice. 

3. Improve the work environment to combat stress and anxiety.

The COVID pandemic led millions of Americans to reevaluate their work environment, resulting in “The Great Resignation” and subsequent labor shortages. According to Lyra Health’s 2024 State of Workplace Mental Health that trend continues, as one in five U.S. employees considered changing jobs due to their mental health. Additionally, 65 percent of workers said that their mental health affected their ability to fulfill their work responsibilities, with 46 percent of employees less focused, 42 percent less engaged and 36 percent less productive.

A good work environment leads to success since it also helps employees feel healthier and more creative. Focusing on employee well-being and feedback, offering flexible work arrangements, prioritizing social responsibility and providing clear growth paths can create this good work environment. In turn, your employees’ mental health may improve and you can reduce employee turnover.

4. Minimize COVID spread and accommodate those with long COVID.

Although The Great Resignation isn’t dominating headlines like it once did, the labor shortage continues. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has reported that the number of people working has yet to return to prepandemic amounts. Fowler said that employers have many COVID-cautious options at their disposal to incentivize employees to keep working for them — or to recruit new team members.

“Employers should familiarize themselves with some of the most common [COVID and long COVID] symptoms and work with employees to make work adjustments that can improve their mental health, physical health and work performance,” Fowler said. “These can include things like flexible schedules and work-from-home options but may also include things like helping people avoid future sickness and worsening symptoms by providing better air filtration at the office or hybrid options for mandatory meetings.”

Fowler noted that some of these options stem from the lockdown era but remain important as people continue to grapple with lasting impacts of the virus. “While there has been a rush to return to prepandemic normalcy, some of the adaptations that were put in place early in the pandemic may be beneficial [still to this day],” explained Fowler.

5. Create a safe environment to discuss mental health.

While workplace mental health discussions are on the rise, many employees don’t feel comfortable requesting a mental health-related accommodation or leave of absence. 

To combat this perception, provide mental health training and encourage managers to inquire about team members’ mental health, notice warning signs and discuss their own mental health to create a workplace culture of compassion and communication.

6. Provide a financial wellness program to help alleviate stress.

According to a 2024 report by the TIAA Institute and High Lantern Group, 42 percent of U.S. adults said that finances negatively affect their mental health. The report also found that money-related stress led to a 34 percent increase in lateness and absenteeism. A financial wellness program can help employees better manage their finances and alleviate some of that stress. 

7. Incorporate mindfulness techniques into the workday to reduce stress.

Practices like yoga and meditation can reduce workplace stress and boost productivity. Consider offering a lunchtime or after-hours yoga class on-site or contracting with an outside studio to provide classes to employees at a discount. Include a meditation module in your employee training so employees can use this technique to reduce stress at work.

COVID isn’t going away, but your team can move forward

With your support, your employees can continue working — and enjoying themselves — even as the threat of COVID continues. Create a positive work environment that accommodates employees struggling with mental health as well as those with long COVID. Add filtration systems and other infrastructure that minimizes disease spread. Offer financial wellness support and yoga classes to alleviate stress. Yes, thinking about or experiencing COVID can be stressful or anxiety-inducing — but you can make it less so for your team.

Jennifer Dublino and Shawn Singh contributed to this article.