Summary
- Take employees aside and talk to them to find out if anything’s wrong.
- Make it clear that the company wants to help and has services such as an EAP for that purpose.
Hardly any workplace is too big or too small to avoid the impact of mental illness. In fact, managers may find that mental illness is one of the toughest workplace problems to tackle. Unlike most other diseases, it is one that many choose to leave untreated even when treatment is available. For them, the promise of some relief competes with the fear of being stigmatized for seeking help.
Myths about mental illness
There are several enduring myths about employees with mental illness, including that they:
- Can’t handle stress
- Do second-rate work
- Have conditions that are incurable
- Are unpredictable and potentially violent
None of these is true, but if an employee senses that an employer or supervisor believes them, that could be enough to discourage a request for help.
How can a company combat the myths, lift the stigma, and make sure people with mental illness get the treatment they need?
First, a clear message needs to come from the head of a company and be communicated to every employee. The main point to be made is that the organization has a nondiscriminatory attitude—it sees mental illness as no different from physical illness in terms of how people are treated in the workplace.
“A company needs to tell people that, if they ever seek help for mental illness, it won’t be held against them,” says Robert Dinerstein, a law professor at American University in Washington D.C. who focuses on disability issues.
Sue Walther, executive director of the Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania, says a business could have all its employees view a training on mental health stigma. Or, a business can make sure that new employees are told—without having to ask—about insurance coverage for mental health care. Having an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) also sends the right signal, Walther says. She and Dinerstein say it may be helpful for employees who have (or have had) a mental illness and are seen as successful to come forward and talk about their experience. This said, employers should never try to force self-disclosure.
In short, supervisors can’t act on their own to deal with the reluctance of employees to seek help. “The business has to establish the environment first,” Walther says.
How a supervisor can help
Even in the best of environments, though, it will fall to supervisors to deal with individual cases. Often, says Walther, a supervisor will be one of the first to perceive something is wrong. The supervisor may see a decline in performance by an employee who had been a steady and competent worker. At that point, she says, supervisors should take employees aside and talk to them to find out if anything is wrong. They should also make it clear that the company wants to help and has services such as an EAP for that purpose.
Yet, employees may still be reluctant to admit a problem or get help. “At that point, the person hopefully is comfortable enough to hook up with whatever help is available,” Walther says. But, she notes, “The bottom line is that you can’t force them to get help.” Employers have a right to expect that work will be adequately performed. If an employee understands that a performance problem is putting his job in jeopardy and still won’t get the needed help, there may not be much more the supervisor can do.
Consider the cost
As for accommodating employees with mental illness, the question is how much the employer can afford to spend (or adjust normal hours and routines). Mental health advocates and many employers regard the costs as minimal for valued employees who would be hard to replace. But if an employee is aware that the company will not make adjustments, she may be less likely to get treatment. As Walther notes, some of the steps taken to make life easier for people with mental illness—any actions taken to reduce stress, for example—also can make work more pleasant for everyone. The steps that supervisors and companies take to help people seeking a cure can also be good prevention.
Resource
“Mental Illness and the Workplace,” by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/State_Advocacy/About_the_Issue/Workplace.pdf
Summary
- Take employees aside and talk to them to find out if anything’s wrong.
- Make it clear that the company wants to help and has services such as an EAP for that purpose.
Hardly any workplace is too big or too small to avoid the impact of mental illness. In fact, managers may find that mental illness is one of the toughest workplace problems to tackle. Unlike most other diseases, it is one that many choose to leave untreated even when treatment is available. For them, the promise of some relief competes with the fear of being stigmatized for seeking help.
Myths about mental illness
There are several enduring myths about employees with mental illness, including that they:
- Can’t handle stress
- Do second-rate work
- Have conditions that are incurable
- Are unpredictable and potentially violent
None of these is true, but if an employee senses that an employer or supervisor believes them, that could be enough to discourage a request for help.
How can a company combat the myths, lift the stigma, and make sure people with mental illness get the treatment they need?
First, a clear message needs to come from the head of a company and be communicated to every employee. The main point to be made is that the organization has a nondiscriminatory attitude—it sees mental illness as no different from physical illness in terms of how people are treated in the workplace.
“A company needs to tell people that, if they ever seek help for mental illness, it won’t be held against them,” says Robert Dinerstein, a law professor at American University in Washington D.C. who focuses on disability issues.
Sue Walther, executive director of the Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania, says a business could have all its employees view a training on mental health stigma. Or, a business can make sure that new employees are told—without having to ask—about insurance coverage for mental health care. Having an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) also sends the right signal, Walther says. She and Dinerstein say it may be helpful for employees who have (or have had) a mental illness and are seen as successful to come forward and talk about their experience. This said, employers should never try to force self-disclosure.
In short, supervisors can’t act on their own to deal with the reluctance of employees to seek help. “The business has to establish the environment first,” Walther says.
How a supervisor can help
Even in the best of environments, though, it will fall to supervisors to deal with individual cases. Often, says Walther, a supervisor will be one of the first to perceive something is wrong. The supervisor may see a decline in performance by an employee who had been a steady and competent worker. At that point, she says, supervisors should take employees aside and talk to them to find out if anything is wrong. They should also make it clear that the company wants to help and has services such as an EAP for that purpose.
Yet, employees may still be reluctant to admit a problem or get help. “At that point, the person hopefully is comfortable enough to hook up with whatever help is available,” Walther says. But, she notes, “The bottom line is that you can’t force them to get help.” Employers have a right to expect that work will be adequately performed. If an employee understands that a performance problem is putting his job in jeopardy and still won’t get the needed help, there may not be much more the supervisor can do.
Consider the cost
As for accommodating employees with mental illness, the question is how much the employer can afford to spend (or adjust normal hours and routines). Mental health advocates and many employers regard the costs as minimal for valued employees who would be hard to replace. But if an employee is aware that the company will not make adjustments, she may be less likely to get treatment. As Walther notes, some of the steps taken to make life easier for people with mental illness—any actions taken to reduce stress, for example—also can make work more pleasant for everyone. The steps that supervisors and companies take to help people seeking a cure can also be good prevention.
Resource
“Mental Illness and the Workplace,” by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/State_Advocacy/About_the_Issue/Workplace.pdf
Summary
- Take employees aside and talk to them to find out if anything’s wrong.
- Make it clear that the company wants to help and has services such as an EAP for that purpose.
Hardly any workplace is too big or too small to avoid the impact of mental illness. In fact, managers may find that mental illness is one of the toughest workplace problems to tackle. Unlike most other diseases, it is one that many choose to leave untreated even when treatment is available. For them, the promise of some relief competes with the fear of being stigmatized for seeking help.
Myths about mental illness
There are several enduring myths about employees with mental illness, including that they:
- Can’t handle stress
- Do second-rate work
- Have conditions that are incurable
- Are unpredictable and potentially violent
None of these is true, but if an employee senses that an employer or supervisor believes them, that could be enough to discourage a request for help.
How can a company combat the myths, lift the stigma, and make sure people with mental illness get the treatment they need?
First, a clear message needs to come from the head of a company and be communicated to every employee. The main point to be made is that the organization has a nondiscriminatory attitude—it sees mental illness as no different from physical illness in terms of how people are treated in the workplace.
“A company needs to tell people that, if they ever seek help for mental illness, it won’t be held against them,” says Robert Dinerstein, a law professor at American University in Washington D.C. who focuses on disability issues.
Sue Walther, executive director of the Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania, says a business could have all its employees view a training on mental health stigma. Or, a business can make sure that new employees are told—without having to ask—about insurance coverage for mental health care. Having an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) also sends the right signal, Walther says. She and Dinerstein say it may be helpful for employees who have (or have had) a mental illness and are seen as successful to come forward and talk about their experience. This said, employers should never try to force self-disclosure.
In short, supervisors can’t act on their own to deal with the reluctance of employees to seek help. “The business has to establish the environment first,” Walther says.
How a supervisor can help
Even in the best of environments, though, it will fall to supervisors to deal with individual cases. Often, says Walther, a supervisor will be one of the first to perceive something is wrong. The supervisor may see a decline in performance by an employee who had been a steady and competent worker. At that point, she says, supervisors should take employees aside and talk to them to find out if anything is wrong. They should also make it clear that the company wants to help and has services such as an EAP for that purpose.
Yet, employees may still be reluctant to admit a problem or get help. “At that point, the person hopefully is comfortable enough to hook up with whatever help is available,” Walther says. But, she notes, “The bottom line is that you can’t force them to get help.” Employers have a right to expect that work will be adequately performed. If an employee understands that a performance problem is putting his job in jeopardy and still won’t get the needed help, there may not be much more the supervisor can do.
Consider the cost
As for accommodating employees with mental illness, the question is how much the employer can afford to spend (or adjust normal hours and routines). Mental health advocates and many employers regard the costs as minimal for valued employees who would be hard to replace. But if an employee is aware that the company will not make adjustments, she may be less likely to get treatment. As Walther notes, some of the steps taken to make life easier for people with mental illness—any actions taken to reduce stress, for example—also can make work more pleasant for everyone. The steps that supervisors and companies take to help people seeking a cure can also be good prevention.
Resource
“Mental Illness and the Workplace,” by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/State_Advocacy/About_the_Issue/Workplace.pdf