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Some employees will join the ´óÏó´«Ã½ with pre-existing mental health issues, like depression and anxiety, or something less common like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Others may develop difficulties whilst they are here. The most common mental health related issue in the UK is a combination of depression and anxiety (9.7 in 100 people).

Very often employees can manage their mental health issues well through therapy, medication, self-help strategies or other support and don’t require any additional support in the workplace (i.e. they maintain good mental wellbeing and work performance). However, sometimes poor mental health can contribute to difficulties at work, and employees need additional support and input to ensure they can maintain their mental wellbeing and performance.

What can I do if my mental health is affecting my work?

1. Talk to your manager. An open conversation with your manager about the impact / potential impact of your mental health on your work could be a really useful starting point. You could talk through any triggers, warning signs, support needs, adjustments, different ways of working etc, as well as any work related stressors which may be impacting your mental health. It’s a good idea to have regular conversations with your manager that incorporate wellbeing at work.
2. Utilise ´óÏó´«Ã½ Access Services. This service for disabled ´óÏó´«Ã½ employees and their managers can help to identify specific work related barriers as a result of mental health problems and to explore suitable workplace adjustments and accommodations. This service is delivered by experts in disability in the workplace, including workplace mental health support. See Recommended Links.
3. Seek support. This could be from your GP or other health professional, as well as social support from family, friends or support networks / groups. You may find it helpful to talk through your concerns and to help make decisions about next steps. The ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP, see Recommended Links) is also a great source of psychological support as well as practical advice and information on a range of topics that can affect wellbeing. You could also talk to your manager about a referral to Occupational Health if this would be helpful.

What can I do as a manager of someone whose mental health is affecting their work?

1. Talk to the individual to understand how their mental health is affecting / might affect their job. Don’t get too hung up on their specific ‘condition’ as it’s more important to understand what specific difficulties and challenges their mental health and wellbeing presents in the context of their particular job role (this will be unique for each individual). There is a duty of care to consider the individual’s mental health related support needs (which may be short or long term depending on their difficulties), even if there aren’t any contributory work related factors. There’s also a clear business case, as improved mental wellbeing is associated with reduced absence and better productivity. The individual may well already understand and be able to explain what support they require at work and this would need to be explored in the context of operational requirements.
2. Manage the workplace risks – there is a well-researched set of factors that can contribute to poor mental wellbeing at work (work demands, relationships, sense of control, role clarity, support and change) and as a manager it’s important to understand and manage these factors so far as possible to reduce the likelihood of work being a contributory factor in mental wellbeing issues. There are a number of tools to help you do this – such as results from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ staff survey and the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) model for managing stress (see external links section).
3. Look out for changes in those you manage. Periods of poor mental wellbeing are not always immediately obvious, but if you know what is typical behaviour for those you manage, then it’s easier to spot changes early on. For example, you may notice someone become upset, withdrawn or distracted, or start to produce poor quality work or experience difficulties with relationships at work. Typically, changes in mental wellbeing can result in physical, emotional, cognitive (i.e. changes in thinking and decision making) and behavioural signs. Changes that are prolonged or significant should prompt a conversation.
4. Create a culture of mental wellbeing – It’s important to keep health and wellbeing on the agenda and it’s good practice to create opportunities for conversations about wellbeing as this helps to normalise it and means staff are more likely to speak up if they have concerns or need support.
5. Utilise ´óÏó´«Ã½ support services where appropriate, including Access Services, Occupational Health and the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) (see Recommended Links). You may want to consider an Occupational Health referral if you feel that the measures you’ve taken as above have not worked or you are still concerned about the person’s wellbeing and impact on their work.
6. Talk to you HR Business Partner for advice if needed where there are complex issues in relation to work
7. Mental health and well-being training – you may find it helpful to attend this one day ´óÏó´«Ã½ Academy course which raises awareness of mental well-being in the workplace, including common mental health conditions, as well as practical techniques to promote and manage mental well-being in staff (see Recommended Links)
8. Give careful consideration to the return to work process (including the return to work interview) for staff with mental health issues. The ´óÏó´«Ã½ provides general HR guidance for managers on return to work (see Recommended Links) and there are also some external good practice guidelines in the External Links section.