A sleek new wristband allows your boss to track your emotional state if you're working from home during lockdown away from the office.
The wearable tech, called Moodbeam, links to a mobile app that you can download and to a web interface, features two buttons. One yellow and the other blue. The idea is you press the yellow one if you are feeling happy and the blue one if you're feeling... blue.
Moodbeam is aimed at companies that wish to monitor the wellbeing of staff who are working from home, as so many of us are during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Employees are encouraged to wear the wristband (it's optional) and press the relevant button throughout the working week.
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Managers can access the online dashboard to see how workers are feeling and coping from afar. Christina Colmer McHugh, Moodbeam co-founder, said: "Business are trying to get on top of staying connected with staff working from home. Here they can ask 500 members: 'You ok? Without picking up the phone."
Speaking to the BBC, Christina said she originally came up with the idea for the product after discovering that her daughter was struggling at school. She decided to find a way for her child to let her know how she was feeling.
Mental health in the workplace has long been a major concern for companies. With Covid-19 lockdowns and people now spending more time than ever at home in the same environment, the issue seems to have worsened.
UK mental health charity Mind said that 60 per cent of adults thought their mental health had become worse during the first lockdown in March. The findings were published in a document titled 'The Mental Health Emergency' in June 2020 as prime minister Boris Johnson began to lift some lockdown restrictions. There have been two further lockdowns since.
Featured Image Credit: PexelsTopics: UOKM8, Life News, lockdown, News, Life, Coronavirus, Covid-19