Depression in the Workplace – How Can We do better?
When you treat depression at work, you get a big return on investment thanks to the quality and efficiency and productivity of
employees who work for you. When we talk about depression at work, it can be discussed from the point of view of the depressed worker or the
manager / employee.
A.) The employee
When an employee is depressed and chooses to talk about it, there can be two possibilities:
(i) The admission of their mental struggle will be used against them and there is a greater chance of dismissal or job termination.
(ii) The issue is clearly heard and understood and important actions, such as referral to a medical professional, will be presented.
In order to avoid the first behavior, employees often pretend everything is normal when that is not the case. This can exacerbate mental health problems and make them worse. Often a depressed employee will not seek treatment because they fear it will affect their work and they care about their privacy. So if employers put in preemptive measures, a lot can be done to help valuable employees recover from depression and anxiety. If you take the second option, there is nothing better you can do for the employee. It’s a clear indication that you appreciate them and know their potential, that if they treat their issue they can make a big difference for your organization.
B.) Manager / Employer
A good manager will always be interested in the lives and wellbeing of their employees. They consider the needs and interests of people in a way that will allow them to combine their goals with the goals of the organization, and the only way is through compassionate inquiring with the employee. But, when it comes to depression, this is not always what happens. The reason is simple – there is a huge stigma surrounding depression resulting in it being associated with laziness and lowered productivity.
And that’s when the question arises – how does this person cope with their work? Does he/she still work well? Does depression or mood of the employee affect business growth?
The answer to all of the above is different in different situations. These questions should be answered by the same employee dealing with the issue, only handled with the utmost care and understanding. You know the true value of your employees and dismissing them based on mental health issues is not only morally wrong, it is bad for employee retention and company growth.
Employers should refer a depressed employee for help if they see the signs and take the steps to see they get help and that the help is of the right kind.
Depression is very common and should be treated with care, patience, and understanding. The truth is that employers cannot afford to keep firing good people employees because they get into personal problems and have a temporary, and often times treatable, issue. It makes more sense to be proactive in helping employees and making sure they are mentally well, no matter the severity of the issue. They must work hard on managing the mental health of all their employees, no matter how difficult or dire the situation.
How can HR help you?
HR has an important role to play in supporting an employee with mental health issues – whether they are at work, taking a break, or going back to work.
- There should be an open dialogue leading to a collaborative process and understanding between employers and employees.
- There should be specific and personal action plans for the employee.
- Confidentiality must be respected and the information treated as sensitive – this should not be transmitted unnecessarily, as this would have a significant impact on the person’s mental health.
- No assumptions should be made pertaining to the cause of the depression or the mental health problems.
- Employee assistance programs, including private mental health services should be encouraged as help in such situations.
In conclusion, there needs to be more openness and understanding of the real lives of people who struggle with heightened feelings of depression and anxiety. The more discourse that we have around this subject, the less people feel alone. This is how cultural change happens.
