Business owners and managers have a big role to play in supporting an employee with a mental health disorder. If someone in your team is suffering there are steps you can take to help them remain at work or ensure a smooth return to the workplace, and helping to facilitate their recovery is in everyone’s best interests.
According to statistics, one in five working age Australians experience a mental health disorder each year, with anxiety and depression among the most common conditions. Evidence shows that symptoms can be more prevalent among small business owners and employees, perhaps due to the longer work hours and more exacting demands that often go with running an SMB.
Of course the knock-on effects in terms of business performance can be significant. Anxiety and depression both lead to higher rates of absenteeism and reduced productivity and are a leading cause of long-term work incapacity; left untreated these conditions can also negatively impact other team members.
Depending on the severity of symptoms and their ability to cope, experiences of anxiety or depression can vary tremendously from one person to another. Most are able to keep working in their usual capacity, while others may need their working conditions modified, or time off for recovery. Either way, as an employer you have a legal obligation to protect your employees from discrimination and to do as much as is practical to safeguard their health and wellbeing. What’s more, supporting them to stay at work or helping to ensure a smooth return to work is a crucial part of creating a mentally positive workplace. [Link to Creating a workplace mental wellbeing program]
Developing a plan
Providing social connections, a familiar environment, structure and meaning, work can play a big role in rehabilitation for someone with anxiety or depression. From a business owner’s perspective, it’s also far preferable to retain an existing staff member than hire and retrain a new one.
Working together to put a plan in place to keep them at work, manage their return and ultimately promote their recovery is the best way forward – and while this will need to be adapted depending on the individual’s circumstances, the following three core principles can all be applied:
1. Address risks
Work-related stress can be a major risk factor for anxiety and depression and causes include excessive job demands, lack of support from managers and colleagues, job insecurity, bullying and poor job satisfaction. When mental health issues arise it’s important to talk with the staff member about any job stressors that may have played a part in the onset of their condition. As long as the employee can still meet the core requirements of the role, employers are required by law to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ and depending on the primary sources of stress there are a number of things you could consider. Perhaps offer more flexibility around working hours, for instance, or maybe you could reduce their workload or organise more support; identifying aspects of the job they find particularly stressful and modifying these could also help.
2. Work collaboratively
Avoid making any assumptions about the staff member’s condition and the kind of support they require. Instead, try and engage with them as much as possible and listen and respond to their specific needs. If you can, get their permission to involve their health practitioner/s and seek their advice around ways to support the employee. Prepare a plan for them to stay at or return to work in consultation with both parties and agree how best to monitor their progress. This shouldn’t be set in stone, however, so make sure there are regular opportunities for feedback and be willing to adapting the plan to allow for changes in their condition or problems they may be having along the way. Ultimately, think about how you would treat an employee with a serious physical impairment and try and take the same approach.
3. Promote inclusivity
Reportedly, three out of every four people with a mental health condition experience some form of stigma. To help support an employee whose mental health is suffering – and create a more mentally healthy workplace – it’s crucial that you do your utmost to combat stigma in your organisation. Take steps to improve mental health literacy and promote understanding and try to encourage an open dialogue around the subject so it’s not seen as taboo. With the employee’s permission, share a few details about their struggles and explain any changes you’re making to their working conditions, particularly if they affect other team members. Whether they’re still at work or taking time off, make sure they’re treated the same way as before and invited to attend meetings and give their opinion on matters – if necessary, via Skype or conference call. It’s important to make it clear to your staff that your business has a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination.
As well as helping an employee recover from a mental illness and keeping disruptions to a minimum, the above approach is all part and parcel of creating a culture that shows you respect, value and care for your employees. Ultimately, this means happier, more productive staff and an environment that serves to safeguard their health and wellbeing.
Spotting the signs
While anxiety and depression can manifest in different ways, there are a few common warning signs. If you notice the following behaviourial changes in one of your employees try and reach out and offer support:
- being unusually tearful or emotional
- struggling with completing tasks or decision making
- showing a loss of confidence or negativity
- avoid certain work activities and/or colleagues
- becoming easily upset or frustrated
- appearing restless, nervous or worried
- finding it hard to concentrate
- drinking more alcohol than usual
These are all signs that a staff member may have anxiety or depression and, while it’s good to try and broach the subject, it’s crucial they seek professional help as soon as possible.
There are also a number of mental health organisations and crisis support services they can tap into – keeping a list somewhere prominent is worthwhile and also helps to reinforce the fact that mental health is not something you shy away from in your workplace.
*Disclaimer: Optus has no affiliation with the support services listed in this article and opinions contained in this article are that of the author and not Optus.
This article was first published on the Optus Yes Business hub in Sept, 2018.
