The wellness of your employees has a huge impact on the workplace, and this is certainly the case when one of your employee’s mental wellbeing is affected. According to a new study by national mental health charity, SANE Australia, as an employer or manager, you need to be educated and trained to deal with mental illness in the workplace.
The study found that this was a huge gap in corporate wellness across the board, as 95% of respondents said employers and managers needed education on mental illness, and training on how to manage its effects in the workplace. According to SANE Australia’s chief executive Jack Heath, how the issue is currently being tackled is a ‘major problem’ throughout the country, especially as mental illness affects many people and costs the economy over $6.5 billion every year.
The survey found that a majority of the 520 participants had had no support provided to them at work when mentally unwell, and 57% of managers did not have an understanding of mental illness. Heath said, ‘It’s important to promote awareness about mental illness and the factors that contribute to it, such as bullying and work stress. Managers need to take the initiative and raise the topic of mental health in a routine team meeting, to ensure a neutral, open and non-stigmatising forum.’
He went on to explain, ‘it’s not a supervisor’s role to diagnose a mental illness nor should a supervisor be expected to be a counsellor. They should however have the skills to respond to any early signs of mental health problems in the workplace.’ If you are a manager or supervisor, and notice concerning changes in an employee’s work or interactions with other staff, you should discuss such changes with them in a well-planned meeting, explaining your concerns in a non-confronting and clear manner. You should also offer support if need be, says SANE Australia.
Heath concluded by saying you should ‘respect people’s privacy if they do not want to discuss personal issues’ and remember that ‘many people manage their mental illnesses without affecting their work; some may require workplace supports for a short period of time, while others may require on-going workplace strategies.’
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