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CARING FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF WORKERSFrom HR Manager - A New Zealand HandbookBy Richard Rudman

The World Health Organization describes mental health as “a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”.

Increasingly, we are recognising the scale and impact of poor mental health at work. It is a common cause of long-term sickness and stress-related absence. In addition, one in ten employees rate their current mental health as poor or very poor: 26% blame this on problems at work; 50% say it’s a combination of work and non-work problems; 40% say they have taken time off work as a result (Mind, 2016). Stunningly, the WHO predicts that depression will be the main cause of incapacity by 2020.

Psychological and social conditions in the workplace — psychosocial hazards — can be harmful to the mental health of workers, as well as their physical wellbeing.

The new edition of HR Manager – A New Zealand Handbook discusses 24 contemporary issues in health, safety, and employee wellbeing. From Absence Management to Work-Life Balance. There can be no doubt that these issues are firmly on the HR agenda.

Here is an edited extract of the section on Mental Health — increasingly recognised as an important concern for workers, organisations, and HR specialists.

Health, safety and employee well-being

When you have to be right

For example, job characteristics which make high demands of workers but allow them only limited control — high demand and low control job factors — significantly increase the risk of certain illnesses and disorders, including anxiety and depression (Karasek and Theorell, 1990).

Similarly, imbalance between the mental effort put into work and the rewards received (eg recognition, appreciation and respect, as well as financial rewards) is linked to various mental and physical problems (Siegrist, 1996).

Clearly, some workplace factors can have a negative impact on employees’ mental health. They include overwork, role stressors (eg conflict, ambiguity and inter-role conflict), working nights and overtime, poor quality leadership, aggression in the workplace (eg harassment and bullying), and perceived job control. Of course, other aspects of work can positively enhance employees’ mental health (Kelloway and Day, 2005).

WORK-RELATED SYMPTOMS OF COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS

DEPRESSION ANXIETY DISORDERS BURNOUT

Trouble concentrating

Trouble remembering

Trouble making decisions

Impairment of performance at work

Sleep problems

Loss of interest in work

Withdrawal from family, friends, co-workers

Feeling pessimistic, hopeless

Feeling slowed down

Fatigue

Feeling apprehensive and tense

Difficulty managing daily tasks

Difficulty concentrating

Becoming cynical, sarcastic, critical at work

Difficulty coming to work and getting started once at work

More irritable and less patient with co-workers, clients, customers

Lack of energy to be consistently productive at work

Tendency to self- medicate with alcohol or drugs

Source: Burton, 2010.

What should HR people do?First, organisations should be aware of the psychosocial factors which can have negative effects on the mental health and wellbeing of workers. That is a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act. It also makes good business sense, especially for employers who understand the costs of absenteeism, replacement, lower productivity, workplace disruption and so on.

Mental health considerations should inform all HR strategies; it is not a problem that is separate from the mainstream of the organisation. Thus:

CULTURE

The organisation’s environment should make it possible for mental health issues to be discussed openly and honestly. Many employees feel uncomfortable about having these discussions; they keep silent and their problems get worse.

MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT

Top managers should show they are committed to including mental health in health, safety and wellbeing strategies. Initiatives should be seen to come from the top and have top level support.

When you have to be right

Support for individualsIndividuals with the same mental health conditions often experience different symptoms — so workplace support is best when tailored to meet a person’s specific needs. Of course, few managers or HR specialists have the specialist knowledge and skills needed to tailor that support, which makes it a priority to identify and link up with appropriate external agencies and support networks. Yet there are steps which can be taken in most cases:

Talk directly to the employee. Because mental health problems affect each person uniquely, there is no standard script for this conversation. Make sure that the employee knows this is not a disciplinary matter. An employee might be referred to the organisation’s employee assistance programme, if there is one. Other sources of assistance and counselling include the Mental Health Foundation (www.mentalhealth.org.nz).

Avoid assumptions. Do not assume that mental health problems in the workplace are work-related. The workplace can be stressful, but mental health issues may not be work-related. In many cases, issues in an individual’s personal life can be the underlying cause.

Show support for the employee. Offer reassurance that the organisation wants to provide support, either directly or by referring the employee to a third party (eg the employee assistance programme) for help. Be clear that the employee’s rights to privacy and confidentiality will be protected.

Don’t be afraid to act. The fear of doing the wrong thing can discourage a manager or colleague from doing anything. But that is both unhelpful for the individual concerned, and can lead to larger and longer-term problems. If unsure what action to take, ask what would be done if the employee had a physical health problem; treat a mental health problem as a health problem.

Make changes that will help the employee back to wellness and full productivity. This may involve changes to the job itself, to the employee’s workplace relationships (including supervision or management), and to the performance plans or expectations. It may involve referring the employee to outside sources of assistance through, for example, the employee’s own doctor or an employee assistance programme.

ReferencesKarasek, R. and Theorell, T. (1990). Healthy work: Stress, productivity and the reconstruction of working life. Basic Books Inc, New York.Kelloway, E. K. and Day, A. L. (2005). Building healthy workplaces: What we know so far. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 37(4).Mind. (2016). Mind’s workplace wellbeing index 2016/ 17: Key insights. www.mind.org.uk.Siegrist, J. (1996). Adverse health effects of high- effort/ low reward conditions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 1(1).

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ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT

Access to mental health services should be available to all employees, along with access to other health services and employee assistance. It should be clear what mental health support is available from the organisation’s health and wellbeing providers (eg Employee Assistance Programme).

COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION

Providing information about mental health problems promotes awareness and can help reduce the stigma. Information about the organisation’s policies, programmes, support, resources and training should be readily available to all employees.

PROGRAMMES AND BENEFITS

The organisation offers comprehensive support and benefits for employees in areas of mental health. This should go wider than specific mental health issues, and promote better work–life balance and flexible working.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

As with other areas of health and safety, employees should be encouraged to participate in discussions and decisions on mental health policies and programmes.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

External agencies and stakeholders should be involved in the implementation of the organisation’s mental health strategies and programmes.

RESEARCH AND REPORTING

The organisation keeps its mental health programmes under continuing review and makes changes where appropriate.

When you have to be right

HR ManagerA New Zealand Handbook - Edition 2Richard Rudman

HR Manager is a handbook that HR professionals and managers at all levels can delve into for information, examples, up-to-date requirements for legal compliance, and advice on good HR practice.

For more information on the areas covered or to order your copy for only $88.00 (plus GST and delivery), visit the CCH Bookstore today.

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In addition to the section on caring for the mental health of workers, the chapter on Issues in health, safety, and employee wellbeing in the new edition of HR Manager, also provides valuabe information on the following topics:

Absence management Presenteeism

Alcohol and drugs Security in the workplace

Bullying Sexual harassment

Computer work Shift work

Family violence Slips, trips and falls

Fire safety Smoking in the workplace

Infectious diseases Stress at work

Lighting Ventilation and temperature

Manual handling Violence in the workplace

Noise and hearing loss Working from home

Occupational overuse syndrome Work–life balance

Protective clothing and equipment

Fully endorsed by Human Resources New Zealand (HRNZ), HR Manager - A New Zealand Handbook is written by well-known consultant and writer in human resources management and employment relations, Richard Rudman DISTFHRINZ.

In 2019, Richard received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award presented by HRNZ.

About the author

Richard Rudman DISTFHRINZ