MSPB Report Offers Ways to Tackle Professional Isolation During Global Pandemic

Many federal employees have felt professional and social isolation while working from home recently in light of the maximum telework policy being imposed by the government due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) September 2020 newsletter includes a report titled “Home Alone 2020” that analyzes the effects of workplace social distancing on employees and the potential negative implications. It also offers some solutions to combat professional isolation.

One consequence of teleworking is professional isolation (PI). According to the MSPB report, PI is defined as the feeling that one is out of touch with others in the workplace and involves physical distance, separation from learning environments, and detachment from peers. There is a correlation between PI and increased amounts of time teleworking. In some cases, job performance is also negatively affected by PI.

Overall, the report did not find that the negative effects associated with max-telework outweigh the positives, but there are steps that employers can take to ensure their employees are thriving in their environment and performing well. For example, employers can ensure employees have access to company resources and information, conduct weekly or monthly staff meetings to keep employees in the loop regarding workplace developments, and pay attention to signs of struggle or isolation from employees.

The report writers interviewed Dr. Paul Quinnett, a clinical psychologist at an educational organization dedicated to preventing suicide. He says that societal changes that effect employees can act as stressors and deepen employee need for social connectedness. In the case of COVID-19, employees are having to cope with this stress while in social isolation. Since there can be stigma associated with trying Employee Assistance Programs, Dr. Quinnett recommends a few solutions:

• Peer support groups with a designated lead who has strong social skills.

• Suicide risk recognition and prevention training. Following a first responder model, organizations can sponsor training for employees in how to recognize risks, intervene at a basic level, and focus on awareness and prevention. The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention has a list of such training programs.

• Organizational self-audits. These involve a systematic collection of local data on suicides and suicide risks to learn lessons and inform suicide prevention plans.

• Big data mining with predictive analytics. These may be useful for large organizations in identifying suicide risk factors and informing interventions.

While max-telework can lead to more feelings of professional and social isolation, these are steps agencies can take to mitigate this problem before it causes serious harm.