New year is traditionally a time for fresh thinking and looking forward, and it’s normally the time that many of us make trend predictions for industry and employers for the upcoming 12 months. This year though, after the pandemic-dominated rollercoaster year that was 2020, the only thing we can say with any certainty is that the crystal ball has misted up and all bets are off.

Uncertainty is unsettling and we’ve had a year’s worth of it, with Covid-19 taking its toll in more ways than one. Working from home, being furloughed, trying to cope on reduced income, threat of job loss, long-Covid, bereavement and social isolation have all created a perfect storm for deterioration in the mental health of the UK workforce. The fact that the government has seen the need to publish a winter mental health plan, which recognises the role that the workplace can play, really brings home the expectation that employers are well placed to help their people through this difficult time and beyond.

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