Are You OK?

By Michalle Faulkner – Managing Director
EastCoast Human Resource Group

What is really fantastic to see, is how we are progressing with bringing mental illness and the importance of good mental health into the spotlight and recognising how incredibly important it is to ask the question – Are you OK?

The next and most critical part as a Manager or Business Owner is what you do if they say no…? How do you start a conversation about mental illness with that employee?

For most people with mental health issues they manage them just fine however they may experience relatively short periods of mental ill health whereby they need some support during that time.
Becoming familiar with the words that best describe mental illness will enable you to effectively:-

• talk with your employee about any mental health issues;
• negotiate reasonable adjustments in the workplace;
• obtain advice and assistance from external support services (without disclosing personal information);
• talk with allied professionals, such as GPs and other treating practitioners (with the approval of the employee).

If you are unsure about what language to use when talking to an employee about their mental health status, simply ask them what language they use that best describes their condition.

First and foremost people with mental illness are just like you and me (human), therefore it is important to use ‘people first’ language when referring to a person with a mental illness.

Rather than describe the employee as having  a disease, describe the person as experiencing/having mental illness just as you would someone with any other form of illness/injury (e.g. ‘Doug has cancer’).

If someone has a broken arm people would automatically make adjustments therefore a mental illness should be no different – make adjustments so the employee can work safely and productively in the workplace.

Having these types of conversations can be emotive and have the employee feeling extremely vulnerable and exposed to judgement.  Approach the discussions with empathy and authenticity.

Once you have been entrusted with this information, it is important not to breach an employee’s privacy by telling colleagues about their mental illness unless the employee has agreed that you can do so.   Even when permission has been given, the purpose for disclosing an employee’s mental illness to colleagues should be carefully considered.

In some situations, it is possible to avoid disclosing an employee’s mental illness by only mentioning details relevant to the workplace. For example:
‘Jesse will be on sick leave for six weeks.’
‘Brett has been asked to change his work duties for a specific period to focus on the following tasks which he has agreed to do.’

In other situations, the nature of the workplace adjustment may inadvertently lead to disclosure. For example, moving an employee’s workstation or allowing flexible work arrangements may result in colleagues questioning, speculating or gossiping about the reasons for the change.

You should ensure that the employee has thought about what their colleagues may infer from any adjustments, and discuss what information could be presented to colleagues so that potential issues do not arise.

If the employee agrees to disclose their mental illness to work colleagues, this gives you an opportunity to explain the reason for the adjustments in a positive and supportive manner. Helping colleagues learn more about mental illness and its impact can prevent negative reactions or assumptions and result in a more supportive work environment.

Discussion between yourself and the employee with mental illness is essential in determining the parameters for disclosing an employee’s mental health status to their colleagues.

If the employee does not agree to let you disclose their mental illness, you will need to discuss what adjustments will be possible without such disclosure or making staff aware (or likely to assume) that the employee has mental illness.

Where the employee with mental illness has agreed that their disability can be disclosed to the workplace, you could also:

• provide information to work colleagues about the nature of the mental illness and encourage them to be supportive;
• arrange for a mental health service to provide information and training.

In many cases, having an employee with mental illness will have little or no impact on the workplace.

Where adjustments are necessary, record the agreed support plan on an employee health management plan or similar document and ensure that there is also regular check in mechanisms written into the plan with the employees support network.