Managing Employees with a Mental Health Condition

How to Respond When an Employee Discloses a Mental Health Condition

In any given year, 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health condition (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022). When an employee has the courage to talk to you about their mental health, how you respond is critical.

Remember the following strategies:

Thank them for telling you. Acknowledge the effort it took for the employee to tell you and thank them for sharing.
Listen. Try to listen actively and without judgement. Let them lead the conversation in terms of how much they want to tell you.
Tell them you want to support them – but don’t overpromise. In an initial conversation, you don’t have to have all the answers. It is fine to say, “Let me take some time to digest and get back to you on XX”. Be specific about when you will get back to them, so they don’t have to worry.
Don’t make it about you. Don’t assume because you or someone you know has been through something similar that you understand what they are going through. However, sometimes a personal story can normalise what they are experiencing.
Maintain confidentiality. Reassure the employee that you will make every effort to honour confidentiality – but that you may have to tell HR at some point.
Consider what changes you can make. There are a variety of things that your employee may want or need so that they can take care of their mental health. This might be keeping different hours, working in a quite space, taking time off for appointments.
Refer them to appropriate resources.

Make Reasonable Adjustments

Australian employers have legal obligations to take steps to eliminate or reduce the negative impacts of work on the mental health of employees and protect the rights of those with mental health conditions.

This includes making reasonable adjustments to enable employees to perform their duties effectively.

Read more about how to support individuals in the workplace who are experiencing a mental health condition here: https://www.headsup.org.au/docs/default-source/resources/bl1235-managing-someone-with-a-mental-health-condition.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Support Employees Returning to Work

If an employee needs to take time off work due to a mental health condition, research has shown that a supportive manager is the main factor in an employees’ successful return to work, after a period of sickness absence. Make sure to:

Make contact early
Provide reassurance
Continue to keep in regular contact

Read more about how to support someone with a mental health condition to stay at or return to work here: https://www.headsup.org.au/supporting-others-in-the-workplace/if-you-manage-others/help-others-stay-at-work

Remember: Good Work is Good for Wellbeing

For people who may be struggling with their mental health, good work can play an important part in helping their recovery. By good work, we mean work that is free from risks to mental health (e.g., bullying, harassment, work overload, etc).

Why is good work good for wellbeing?

It provides structure and a sense of daily routine
It contributes to a sense of meaning and purpose
It provides opportunity for feelings of achievement and accomplishment
As well as feelings of social inclusion and support
It also provides financial security.

If employees who are struggling with their mental health decide to go off work for an extended period of time, there is a risk that they may become isolated, experience financial strain, get more worried about what people are saying about them at work, or that they will be coming back to an even higher workload. That is why it is very important for managers to maintain contact with employees and reassure them that they will be returning to a healthy workplace.

Legislative Requirements

When it comes to workplace mental health, employers must follow certain legislative requirements. Both employers and employees have formal rights and responsibilities under anti-discrimination, privacy and work health and safety legislation. Learn more below: