How do you manage Mental Health at Workplace?

Most employers want to make sure that employees who experience mental distress are taken care of but don’t know how to do it. And the truth is -most businesses will, at some stage, have staff who experience some kind of mental health problem.

People with mental health concerns can, and do, perform well in the workplace if supported right. They can continue to be highly efficient employees and a long-term asset for the business according to top hr consulting firms. It’s always a good idea to listen to their concerns to avoid any hurdles in their growth, although this approach is applicable to all employees it is more sensitive this case. Through this, they will recover more quickly.

For most of us, it can be very difficult to see people in distress and easy to think you could make it worse. But many effective responses don't need extreme intervention. At the most, small actions - such as just listening - makes a big difference, really!

Why invest in this case?

To understand the answers to these questions, consider the core areas in which the “costs” of mental health concerns arise, being:

   Ø  Absenteeism: Absenteeism not only costs businesses’ in terms of paid leave but has a fundamental impact on productivity. At its essence, the business is, of course, paying a person for zero productivity output.

  Ø  Presenteeism: Presenteeism measures where an employee is at work, but operating less productively because of the absence of a mental health condition.

  Ø  Compensation: these are typical claims made through workers compensation or other claims/actions for mental health-related conditions.

Some ways to manage these concerns at work as suggested by top hr consultants in Delhi are:

Understanding:

Employers need to have a basic understanding of mental health-related issues. There is psychological science behind the whole disorder, which varies from individual to individual. Specifically, just because a staff member may be experiencing a mental health issue, it does not necessarily mean that it is long term or permanent issue or that it will significantly impact the operational effectiveness of the organization.  Importantly, a mental health problem or illness does not mean that an impacted person cannot continue to be a productive member of the workforce.  A mental health problem is a problem that affects the way a person feels, thinks, behaves and interacts with other people.  As top hr consultants in Delhi suggest - Mental health problems are quite common and can be temporary in nature due to the stressors of life.  Left untreated mental health problems may develop into mental illness that can have more severe impacts requiring intervention from suitably qualified practitioners.

Identification:

Once an employer becomes aware of a mental health problem or illness being experienced by a staff member, the most important step to take is to proactively consult with the impacted person in a sensitive and confidential manner, according to top hr consulting firms. Employees within an organization should not feel that a mental health issue is kept secret and should be encouraged to raise the issue if it is starting to have a detrimental impact on their work without fear of reprisal. Employees should have the confidence to raise these sorts of issues in order that they may be managed to the mutual satisfaction of both parties. Also, if they find their peers with a similar issue they must communicate with the person or to the HR depending on the comfort level.

Consultation:

According to top hr consultant firms, consultation with an impacted employee is vital to ensure that the right management plan is put in place to allow him to take necessary actions and to continue to be a productive contributor at work.  The key is for the Employer to listen and understand exactly what difficulties the impacted person is experiencing before any plan is developed.  Importantly, a ‘one size fits all’ approach to the issue needs to be avoided and the initial conversations should be ‘two-way’ in nature so the employer has all the information that is required to develop an effective management plan.  Importantly, if at any point the employer has concerns for the immediate safety and wellbeing of the impacted person, steps should be taken straight away to protect the safety of the impacted person or any other individuals.

Management:

Once there is a full understanding of the mental health issue, we encourage the development of a management plan in order that the impacted employee can be as productive as possible whilst also having the ability to seek treatment/support to deal with their mental disorders.  Once again this does not mean that an impacted person cannot work, it may just mean that clever changes are put in place to balance the needs of both parties.  Once developed the employer should then engage in consultation with the impacted person in order that the plan can be adjusted and implemented as appropriate.

Review:

As stated by top hr consultants in Delhi, mental disorders can be quite temporary in nature and do not necessarily mean that permanent changes need to be made at work.  As such, any plan that is implemented must be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis.  The plan can then be tweaked over time or even finalized dependent on the circumstances.

Management of mental health and well-being is rapidly emerging as a subset in the practice of Human Resources, in many ways similar to Diversity and Equal Opportunity programs and initiatives that now feature as a core Human Resource function in many progressive workplaces.