How managers can support worker mental health
Even in times of change and uncertainty, your role as a manager remains the same - to provide a healthy and safe workplace where the mental health and wellbeing of your team members is supported.
Most people with mild to moderate mental illness are able to stay at work but may require some adjustments. When you understand and support your workers’ needs early, you help improve recovery time and reduce the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health.
Under work health and safety laws, employers have duties and obligations to provide physically and psychologically safe work.
Organisations also have obligations to consult with workers and their representatives about health and safety, identify risks to mental health, assess these risks, eliminate or minimise the risks, and review to ensure strategies are effective.
Identifying and addressing mental health issues is a key responsibility of managers.
It is not your role as a manager to diagnose a mental health condition or to be a counsellor. But you can guide workers to supports if they are acting out of character or you are concerned about their mental health and wellbeing.
If you’re just starting out as a manager, you have to do more than set business goals. Here are some specific strategies you can adopt to empower yourself and advocate for your team’s mental health at work.
1) Understand your company’s policies.
To start, take some time to research your organization’s policy on mental health. Most companies have a resource page or handbook with this information, including whether you offer “wellness” days or any kind of internal counseling for your workers. You can also look at your health insurance provider’s site to learn more about the specific services they will cover.
2) Don’t pressure anyone to discuss their mental health.
As a manager, you should never ask an employee for their health status or any other medical information. Avoid saying things like, “You look depressed. Is everything okay?” or “You seem to be taking a lot of sick days.”
3) Check in with your team.
While you should never press an employee about their personal mental health situation, you should create a psychologically safe work environment that welcomes openness, acceptance, and transparency. This may help your team feel comfortable initiating discussions around their mental health on their own accord or confiding in you when they wish to. Ideally, no team member should feel unsafe approaching you with a mental health issue.
5) Lead by example.
When you’re having a difficult time, acknowledge it. When people in positions of relative power talk about their own discomfort, it normalizes these conversations for everybody around them. When you show vulnerability, it shows your team that you’re human, reduces the stigma around mental health conversations, and nudges them to speak up.
When you look out for your employees, you not only build your reputation as a caring manager but also as a leader who is emotionally intelligent. Being intentional about building a safe, trusting, and secure culture can go a long way. We are all human — and when leaders see their team as individuals beyond a role or title, it helps everyone become better at their job.
References:
https://hbr.org/2021/11/what-new-managers-can-do-to-support-employee-mental-health