COVID-19 Employee Fatigue

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing has stayed constant; the dedication of every member of the HenderCare team.
During this highly unusual period, the need for community support and care services has remained relatively unchanged. As your employer, we are highly aware that for some of you, this may have seen you working additional or longer hours and dealing with more intense workloads. When considering these factors, and the general community anxiety surrounding the virus, we want to ensure we are working with you to minimise the chance of employee fatigue.
Fatigue can have long-term damaging effects on both your mental and physical health and can result in symptoms, including:
• mental fatigue from periods of intensive concentration due to increased workload, working remotely or learning a new area of work
• physical fatigue due to working in more difficult physical circumstances, increased service recipient load, wearing PPE or working with service recipients with higher acuity and physical needs
• emotional fatigue from working long hours in high-pressure environments
• stress from heavy workloads and work demands affecting personal life
• anxiety, including anticipation, fear and worry around what could happen
• burnout from supporting others
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, we encourage you to speak with our Employee Liaison Manager, Tracey Dal Corobbo on 08 8100 8838, as soon as possible. Internal staff are also welcome to speak at any time with your direct Manager.
Alternatively, you are also welcome to utilise HenderCare’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at any time by calling 1300 687 327. This is an anonymous service which provides you with up to three over-the-phone counselling sessions.
Reducing fatigue is a responsibility of us all and we encourage you to review HenderCare’s Fatigue Management Policy and Fatigue Management Poster, both available on Qintil.
If you feel you are starting to experience employee fatigue, please speak up as soon as possible so we are able to provide you with the assistance and support you need.
Thank you once again for all your hard work during this unprecedented time.