The company, which works with profit to member super funds to promote mental health and wellbeing, has reported it will be updating and bolstering its virtual mental health training resources in response to the queries.
Superfriend reported increased pressure on the super industry as a result of the early release measure had led to increased demand for super workers to support their members – with overloaded contact centre staff managing distressed callers who had been impacted by the coronavirus crisis.
Many workplaces were said to be experiencing escalating anxiety in employees working from home or dealing with changed working conditions.
SuperFriend chief executive Margo Lydon commented with rapid change occurring across businesses, the firm felt it was “paramount to address the new demands on the industry.”
“The way we work has shifted significantly this year without giving us much time to adjust to the ‘new norm’,” Ms Lydon said.
“The pandemic has impacted the mental health and wellbeing of the vast majority of Australian workers, either from losing their jobs or being asked to work from home or in different ways.
“After listening closely to our partners, we have updated and adapted our mental health and wellbeing training solutions and resources to address the challenges that have emerged from COVID-19.”
SuperFriend’s virtual training is being conducted via Zoom or MS Teams.
The range of courses include:
- Psychological First Aid for COVID–19
- Contact Centre Staff Training
- Workplace Mental Health Fundamentals
- Workplace Mental Health for People Leaders
- Managing Challenging Interactions
- Person-centred Claims Management Training
Ms Lydon emphasised the interactive and inclusive nature of the sessions, with polls, shared whiteboards, virtual breakout rooms for group discussion, live roleplays and facilitator feedback.
During times of uncertainty, frontline staff are also set to “routinely” interact with people who are frustrated, upset, angry and aggressive, Ms Lydon said, which can be more difficult to manage when working remotely.
“If not managed empathetically and effectively, customers experiencing distress or anger can escalate quickly. It also impacts the staff member,” she said.
“We aim to help frontline staff recognise their own triggers and how to de-escalate or terminate interactions to protect themselves from unacceptable violence or aggression.
“Workers today are facing a huge number of pressures in both life and work – so it’s important to help them build up their toolkit of resilience and coping strategies. This will not only ensure loyalty and commitment to their employers for the longer term but also act as the building blocks of a thriving workplace and better society.”
