Firms care more for employee psychology amid pandemic

Employees of ice-cream producer Bliss have either been following the stay-at-work mode, or worked from home since June 21.

"The two groups of our employees have something in common - feeling constrained due to the lack of freedom," Bliss co-founder Dao Phuong Thao said, adding those in quarantine or having relatives experiencing critical health conditions are more nervous.

Employees of Bliss and many other companies have experienced the same situation and more workers have said they need psychological health support.

Two recent surveys by recruitment and headhunting agency Adecco Vietnam showed 80 percent of polled employees said they take mental health very seriously, and that for workers with young children, 30 percent consider mental health support one of the top three priorities.

Some companies have established online psychology centers to address their employees’ mental health.

Intermediary payment service provider Payoo has organized workshops via Zoom every Friday since mid-August, attracting some 200 employees who often seek expert advice on a balanced psychology and improving physical health.

Payoo has also held special sessions on psychological balance therapies like laughing yoga. Meanwhile, Apple Music Vietnam has organized psychology-related training courses, podcasts and talks for their employees, with such topics as "How to work when you have young kids" and "Skills to improve your resilience."

Besides online therapies, some companies have paid bigger attention to online learning for their staff.

Payoo said amid the Covid-19 outbreak, many employees have taken online courses to enrich their expertise and knowledge, including foreign languages like Japanese.

A spokesperson of business school Dale Carnegie Vietnam said demand for individual online training between July and September doubled against previous months.

Another way of caring for employees who work and stay at factories amid the pandemic is provision of food and entertainment as requested.

Bliss employees have the right to choose their daily lunches, and organize onsite camping or singing events, Thao said.