Why offering mental health support is vital for business

Mental illness comes in many forms and affects a surprising number of people in the workplace. How colleagues and management deal with it can have a dramatic effect on outcomes for both the employee and the company. Sane Australia’s Mindful Employer Manager, Eliza Oakley, explains.

People are an organisation’s most important asset. Looking after them can ensure the best outcomes for everyone. Viva Energy takes the mental health of its employees seriously. It has brought in Sane Australia as part of Energise, an employee wellbeing program designed to help employees optimise their physical and mental wellbeing, which will in turn help them perform better at work and meet their personal aspirations.

Failure to provide support when someone is experiencing a mental health condition in the workplace can make the problem worse for both employee and employer. Apart from the cost to the person’s health, productivity is affected through higher rates of absenteeism, as well as ‘presenteeism’, which is where someone comes to work but is not being as productive as usual.

Stigma around mental illness needs to be addressed in all Australian workplaces, across all industries. A major problem with stigma in the workplace is that people experiencing a mental illness are perceived as not being as capable. However, that’s simply not true.

The human costs of stigma in the workplace are stress, lower morale and sometimes conflict. Stigma can act as a barrier to people working effectively, and lead an employee who is experiencing a mental health condition to feel they won’t be understood or will be judged unfairly if they disclose their condition.

What this means for both employee and employer is that they are not seeking help or being linked into the support they need.

What’s the right approach?

Any time you notice a change in someone, whether it’s their performance, appearance or behaviour, it’s helpful to check out how they’re going. In the first instance, it’s as simple as talking to the person and expressing your concern – one human being to another.

The reticence to speak up is usually driven by a lack of confidence or understanding of what can be done. Many managers say “I’m concerned but don’t want to make things worse”, “I don’t know what to do”, or even “It’s not my business”.

But it is our business to care about our employees. We need to check if the person is okay, simply by saying: “I just want you to know I noticed this – it’s not like you, so I’m just checking how you’re going.”

We’re not looking for disclosure or diagnosis. No-one in the office would diagnose a colleague’s limp – they’d probably just notice it and enquire if the person is okay. If somebody behaves in a certain way or has mood swings, you can’t just assume there is a mental health problem. As employers, it’s important to be careful that we don’t decide this for them.

Never ask “Are you okay?” without following it up, even if it’s over a coffee or just wandering past and saying g’day the next week. The important thing is to build a supportive, open culture and be proactive, not wait until someone is in crisis or doesn’t turn up for work.

Link in to the support network

Once the conversation has been initiated, there are ways to link the person in to the support they need.

• Most organisations have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is a free and confidential counselling service that can help in managing our lives at work and home.
• The SANE Help Centre offers free information, advice and support across a wide range of issues and conditions.
• Ask if they have a GP, who might be able to diagnose underlying stress, help with lack of sleep or physical issues and give a referral to a psychologist if necessary.

Create a supportive workplace

Early intervention, which means talking to an employee when you first notice a change, will help them to find appropriate support early. It is important to help the employee stay at work as much as they can manage, rather than automatically sending them on leave and telling them to return ‘when they’re better’.

There might need to be adjustments, such as working from home one day a week, or job sharing. Flexibility is crucial. The aim is to help the person perform their job to the best of their ability.

Creating a supportive environment where people feel safe to ask for help and remain working requires genuine commitment from leadership. SANE’s Mindful Employer program provides training and consulting services to organisations on making mental health part of the workplace culture, from the Mindful Employer charter through to training on best-practice mental health approaches in the workplace.

Addressing mental health benefits everyone

Understanding how to address mental health concerns within the workplace means that employees can get the best available support early. This also benefits their colleagues, by demonstrating to them that they would be treated similarly if they ever required workplace support.

At the business level, a more engaged workplace means increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and is more likely to be considered a workplace of choice.

Mental illness can affect anyone at any level within an organisation. It also impacts families, friends and work colleagues. But understanding and support makes a world of difference – and the world a different place.

Next week, Driven looks at mental health issues in young people.