Are you wondering how to talk to an employee about their mental health? If you need support dealing with an employee’s disclosure we’ve set out some tips for you to follow below.
Having a mental health problem does not stop someone with the relevant experience, skills and training being the right person for the job. The value added by people in the UK working with mental health problems is £226 billion of GDP per year. If you’re a manager, effectively supporting employees with mental health problems means you can retain them and support them work to their best.
If an employee reaches out about a particular difficulty, it’s important to sit down and talk to them to help you to understand the situation.
Confidentiality
Your employee may be concerned that information will be passed on to other members of staff. Reassure them that unless you have their permission that it will be dealt with confidentially. Tell them who you would make aware of the disclosure and why.
But you may have to break confidentiality if any of your employees are experiencing a crisis and at serious risk of harm.
Concerns about an employee
If you have concerns about an employee, talking to them about mental health in the workplace during one-to-one sessions is a good place to start a conversation. This does need to be in a private space so that the employee feels at ease. Something as simple as ‘How are you?’ is a good place to begin.
- switch off your phone
- make sure you won’t be interrupted
- turn towards your employee, maintain good eye contact and keep your body language relaxed and open
- don’t cross your arms or look distracted
If you’re planning how to talk to an employee about their mental health ask simple open questions. By doing this you’ll allow them to explain the situation in their own words
- give them time to answer
- don’t interrupt or force your opinion on them
- don’t judge
- don’t make assumptions about what they’re experiencing.
Remember that many people are still able to work effectively, despite managing a mental health problem. Talk together about how to approach any work-related difficulties and offer some suggestions and options. If your employee is upset, they might prefer to continue the discussion another time. Check what they need and whether they feel able to return to work.
Next steps
- check your employee feels comfortable
- ask them what they would like to happen next
- schedule another catch-up in the calendar but let them know they can come to you in the meantime if they need to.
Contact Us
Metis HR have developed a Mental Health Support Service for employers to get quick access to professional support for employees. We provide workshops for managers to learn how to talk to an employee about their mental health Check out our training calendar page for details of upcoming courses.
If you have any employees that you are concerned about contact us now for a confidential free initial consultation on 01706 565332 or send us a message
Metis HR is a professional HR Consultancy based in the North West of England supporting clients across the country. We specialise in providing outsourced HR services to small and medium-sized businesses.
