Justin McGuire, co-founder of international recruitment firm DMCG Global
Whether it’s making employees feel valued or supporting them in the weaker areas of their roles, effective management rarely goes unnoticed. It should follow that managers and leaders are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to deal with the personal wellbeing of their employees, but this isn’t always the case.
When it comes to mental health specifically, it can be difficult to know where to start. As the stigma surrounding mental illness recedes and public awareness increases, it’s becoming an important topic and issue – and one that managers may be required to face if their employees are affected.
But, not every manager is well-versed in the methods and approaches to deal with mental illness in the workplace.
From the outset, an effective and empathetic management style is the right kind of approach to take in general. Adopting this style means you’ll be better placed to help employees who may be in need later down the line.
Nevertheless, the onus is on management to ensure employee wellbeing is kept in check; their proximity to employees means that they’re in a place to spot behavioural changes. Like a physical ailment, mental illness should be treated with the same severity and importance.
If a member of staff was in physical pain, you’d ask how they were and whether you could help – and the same should go for someone’s mental health.
Some good soft skills that managers should have under their belts to effectively manage employee concerns include:
How to recognise a mental health problem
The difficult thing about mental health problems is that they aren’t always readily apparent, and a lot of different signs and symptoms can manifest before it’s clear that someone is suffering.
If you have some concerns about a member of staff, look for the following signs:
Looking tired and lacking motivation
Making uncharacteristic mistakes
Changes in their work output
Outbursts of emotion
Poor timekeeping
Absences from work
Isolating themselves from others
Appearing distracted and procrastinating more
Not taking care of their appearance
Outbursts of emotion
Absences from work
Even in positive working environments, employees may struggle with opening up to their managers when they’re feeling low. This can cause them to become increasingly insular and perceive that there will be a misunderstanding from the manager’s perspective.
Regularly asking your staff how they’re doing allows them to build their confidence, so they can approach you sooner rather than later. However, if you believe a member of your team might be experiencing a mental health problem, then you may have to take the lead and raise it with them.
Rather than escalating it to HR, it’s a good idea to talk with them yourself. They’re in a vulnerable position, so starting the conversation in a positive and supportive way will put them at ease.
Tactful, genuine questions will be much appreciated; open communication, as with most things in the workplace, is important, especially if an employee takes time off for their illness.
Consider doing the following when having a chat with someone about their mental health:
Choose an appropriate place where they feel comfortable talking
Ask simple, non-judgmental questions
Allow them to explain how their mental health problems manifest, the triggers that cause them and how it impacts their duties
Don’t make assumptions about their symptoms
Reassure them of the conversation’s confidentiality
Develop an action plan
Let them know that you’re always available to talk
Making the right workplace adjustments
Once an employee has disclosed their struggles, the next priority is developing the right steps to address them. There must be clear policies to help them recover from and cope with mental health-related issues.
Typically, these changes are simple and cost-effective, though the right steps tend to be based entirely on the individual.
Though these agreed-upon adjustments are valuable, as a manager it’s important not to treat struggling employees differently. If things devolve into micro-managing, e.g. keeping detailed timesheets, then the results can often be even more damaging to a person’s self-esteem, not to mention discriminatory.
Changes to how they perform their role
Flexible hours or changes to their start and finish time
Change to a quieter, less busy workspace
Working from home
More leeway on your company’s absence rules and limits
Allowing short-notice leave so employees can attend therapy and/or counselling
Changes to the role itself
Reallocation of certain tasks or changes to a person’s duties
Redeployment to a more suitable role
Training and support for secondments in other departments
Extra support
Reducing workload and working hours
Mentor or buddy systems
Debriefing sessions after completion of difficult calls, customers or tasks
Identifying a “safe space” within the workplace for time out
Provide opportunities to discuss, review and reflect on people’s positive achievements
Encourage people to do things that support good mental health such as exercise, meditation and healthy eating
Justin McGuire, co-founder of international recruitment firm DMCG Global.
Follow us on
For all the latest business news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.
by Staff Writer
More of this topic
How to support your team’s mental health
A great manager knows how to look after their team, writes Justin McGuire, co-founder of international recruitment firm DMCG Global
Justin McGuire, co-founder of international recruitment firm DMCG Global
Whether it’s making employees feel valued or supporting them in the weaker areas of their roles, effective management rarely goes unnoticed. It should follow that managers and leaders are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to deal with the personal wellbeing of their employees, but this isn’t always the case.
When it comes to mental health specifically, it can be difficult to know where to start. As the stigma surrounding mental illness recedes and public awareness increases, it’s becoming an important topic and issue – and one that managers may be required to face if their employees are affected.
But, not every manager is well-versed in the methods and approaches to deal with mental illness in the workplace.
From the outset, an effective and empathetic management style is the right kind of approach to take in general. Adopting this style means you’ll be better placed to help employees who may be in need later down the line.
Nevertheless, the onus is on management to ensure employee wellbeing is kept in check; their proximity to employees means that they’re in a place to spot behavioural changes. Like a physical ailment, mental illness should be treated with the same severity and importance.
If a member of staff was in physical pain, you’d ask how they were and whether you could help – and the same should go for someone’s mental health.
Some good soft skills that managers should have under their belts to effectively manage employee concerns include:
How to recognise a mental health problem
The difficult thing about mental health problems is that they aren’t always readily apparent, and a lot of different signs and symptoms can manifest before it’s clear that someone is suffering.
If you have some concerns about a member of staff, look for the following signs:
Even in positive working environments, employees may struggle with opening up to their managers when they’re feeling low. This can cause them to become increasingly insular and perceive that there will be a misunderstanding from the manager’s perspective.
Regularly asking your staff how they’re doing allows them to build their confidence, so they can approach you sooner rather than later. However, if you believe a member of your team might be experiencing a mental health problem, then you may have to take the lead and raise it with them.
Rather than escalating it to HR, it’s a good idea to talk with them yourself. They’re in a vulnerable position, so starting the conversation in a positive and supportive way will put them at ease.
Tactful, genuine questions will be much appreciated; open communication, as with most things in the workplace, is important, especially if an employee takes time off for their illness.
Consider doing the following when having a chat with someone about their mental health:
Making the right workplace adjustments
Once an employee has disclosed their struggles, the next priority is developing the right steps to address them. There must be clear policies to help them recover from and cope with mental health-related issues.
Typically, these changes are simple and cost-effective, though the right steps tend to be based entirely on the individual.
Though these agreed-upon adjustments are valuable, as a manager it’s important not to treat struggling employees differently. If things devolve into micro-managing, e.g. keeping detailed timesheets, then the results can often be even more damaging to a person’s self-esteem, not to mention discriminatory.
Changes to how they perform their role
Changes to the role itself
Extra support
Justin McGuire, co-founder of international recruitment firm DMCG Global.
Follow us on
Latest News