Every employer has a duty to protect their employees. We tend to focus on health and safety when talking about reducing the risk of work-related injuries and illnesses, but employers can go a lot further. Mental illness is increasingly prevalent. In this guide, we’ll discuss some effective steps business owners can take to help employees who have mental health disorders.
Open lines of communication
One of the main problems people who have symptoms of mental illness face is difficulty in talking about their health. Most of us are happy to discuss injuries and health problems that affect our bodies, but we shy away from being open when we have conditions that affect our mental health.
As an employer, it’s so important to try to remove barriers and encourage people to communicate as openly as possible. Provide a safe space for your employees to talk to you, listen to what they say and encourage them to be honest with you. Offer reassurance and support and let them know that they can talk to you without worrying about how what they say will affect their future at the company.
Many people will be inclined to keep problems to themselves due to fear or embarrassment. Taking down walls and barriers and promoting inclusivity plays a key role in enabling people to come forward and open up.
Carry out research and ask questions
Many of us are uncomfortable talking about mental health because we have a lack of knowledge and experience. It’s incredibly difficult to understand what somebody is going through if they have an addiction or they have been diagnosed with depression or an anxiety disorder if you’ve never been in the same position.
Try to do your best to understand by researching, learning more about conditions and symptoms through talking to health experts and using addiction resources, and asking questions. Don’t be afraid to ask your employees about how they feel or what kinds of symptoms they have or the challenges they face.
If you have an idea of what your employee is going through, this can help you to tailor the support you provide and the measures you put in place to help them.
Invest in mental health
More and more employers are offering health incentives and benefits, but we tend to think of the body, more than the mind when discussing health.
If you run a business, talk to your team and implement measures that will help to prevent or reduce risks related to mental illness. Managing time and workloads, creating a supportive, inclusive environment, having fun, making time for socializing, encouraging people to maintain a healthy work-life balance and promoting exercise, fresh air and healthy eating can all make a difference.
If stress is a common problem, for example, or your employees are at risk of burnout, look for ways to lighten their workload and limit working hours by putting a deadline on work emails and calls. Employees should be able to switch off when they log off or leave the office for the day.
Supporting employees with mental health disorders can be difficult for employers, especially those who have limited knowledge or experience of mental illness. Take these tips on board to be a supportive employer.
