Zoom, booze and blues in lockdown

Sussex researchers continue to share their knowledge and expertise during the Covid-19 crisis. As life in lockdown continues, what's happening to our work-life balance, our mental health, and our drinking habits? Why is it that some relatively young and healthy people are dying from Covid-19? And what will be the consequences of Trump's decision to withdraw funding from the World Health Organisation? These are among the many questions from the media that University of Sussex academics have been trying to answer in the past week. On the homeworking front, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by too many Zoom [video conferencing] meetings, or that you're not being supported by your manager, says Marc Fullman, who's studying for a PhD in digital incivility at the University of Sussex Future of Work Research Hub. Writing in TechRadar , Marc, who's carrying out research with Dr Emma Russell , says: "Managers should be mindful that people will make mistakes as they move to different ways of working. They can encourage the team (as well modelling this themselves) to adopt a compassionate and tolerant attitude when things go wrong." A major issue for many homeworkers is how to cope with looking after children. Psychology doctoral researcher Ali Lacey , who's leading a survey with Dr Kathryn Lester about family life in lockdown, told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour that they were keen to hear about the emotional impact on families. "Siblings will be under pressure," she said.