Employee sickness is a huge concern for managers and company owners. Poorly staff will have an obvious impact on productivity and ultimately this will dent company finances – not only do you have to pay for an employee to be sick, but you also have to pay to cover the workload or take a loss on not satisfying client requirements.
This leads on to the question – as a business is it your responsibility to look after the welfare of your staff?
Most employers would agree that ensuring staff are fit and healthy is an important part of workplace human resources. There would never be doubt if a sickness presented physical traits, but what about mental and emotional illness, issues which can’t be seen?
Depression and work-related stress account for almost a third of employee sickness – and with one in four people suffering from a mental health issue, as an employer, this can be a serious concern.
A UK review has revealed that poor mental health costs businesses between £33bn and £42bn per year. Mental health problems – typically stress, anxiety and depression – account for 40% of commercial insurance claims. Despite these high numbers, HR managers still believe we are far from achieving parity of esteem between physical and mental health.
I think we can agree that it is not a company responsibility to resolve an employees personal problems, nor should it be a business issue to normalise everyday life stresses. The reality is, everyone suffers to some degree – simply a bad day at work can bring on stress and anxiety, but employees need to put in place coping strategies which work for them, as it does become a business issue when – potentially – a quarter of staff are not able to do their job satisfactorily because their mental health is not under control and productivity is suffering.
So when does a manager step in to ensure everything is okay with an employee? That’s a really sensitive and difficult question to consider, given that everyone will react differently to being ‘checked on’. Some employees, no doubt, will be relieved that someone at work has noticed – and taken an interest in their emotional well-being, other’s may see it as prying.
The loss of a someone close – a bereavement, or even the break up of a close relationship are situations when intervention may be best, not only for the employee involved, but also for their colleagues. The employee will most certainly require time off – and whilst it may sound harsh, this is probably best for everyone left at work; no one wants to be emotionally distracted or indeed used as a shoulder to cry on – that can be awkward at best. This is where discretion – and a good understanding of the affected employee comes into play. I knew a sound engineer on a large touring West End show, who just before the start of the performance had a call to say his mother had passed away. He switched off his phone, put on his headphones and continued unaffected. It wasn’t until the show had ended and he had time to process that his world fell apart. Sometimes you just have to ride the situation and gauge the emotion before stepping in.
Some mental concerns such as a depression and anxiety may have started without any trauma and the employee may not even know why they are suffering. Personality clashes, difference of opinion, passive bullying or simply worrying about the workload can all contribute to depression and anxiety. Everyone expects to have busier days or stressful situations at work, but when an employee is going home and mentally dissecting the day or is unable to sleep because of worries for the following day, then action needs to be taken.
Arguably, line managers have better things to do than worry themselves about the state of their staff – how ironic, but taking a little time each day to check that everyone is okay and promoting an open-door policy is a good start. Having a mental health first-aider is another positive step providing they don’t get drawn in to being a full-time counsellor – which they will not be trained to be. Also, it is important to remember that giving advice may not be helpful. Phrases such as ‘in my opinion’ or ‘if I were you’ can be taken negatively, particularly if the engagement is between two people who don’t normally get on. Being non-judgemental can be hard, especially if the facts are unclear. As an employer you have a duty of care to the employee and if they feel you are siding up they may feel bullied – and that opens up a totally different pot!
If there has been a serious incident in the workplace, or if the staff are struggling because of external influences, engaging with a counsellor is a positive step forward. This allows staff to off-load in a safe environment to someone who is trained to deal with sensitive or emotional issues. Be mindful, once an employee connects with a counsellor ethical boundaries apply. Whilst a counsellor may de-brief, confidentiality must not be broken as this will undermine the counsellor / client relationship – don’t expect to know what has been said during a counselling session.
Before re-training to become therapists, I spent over 20 years working within the event and broadcast industries, Louise worked 15 years in retail. This experience makes us better counsellors in the workplace – we understand the the needs of employer and employee. Businesses of all sizes use Active Listening Therapies to provide short and medium term counselling support, whether located within the business or off-site at the Newark or Nottingham clinic.
The reality is, as an employer, there are easy routes to accessing mental and emotional support for your staff. Thinking that it is solely the responsibility of the employee is not only narrow-minded, it is potentially dangerous.
Duncan Ellison 