10 tips for managing employees struggling with mental health
Create a mental health policy
HR needs to have a policy, communicate the policy to employees and stick to the policy when situations arise, according to Brett Farmiloe, founder and CEO of Scottsdale, AZ-based Terkel.
“The policy should clearly communicate that taking time off to address depression, anxiety or other mental health illnesses is okay and define the necessary steps to take to get the time off,” Farmiloe says. “Leaders need to show that they’re supportive of the policy, so employees feel confident in taking time off. When employees do follow the policy, employers need to stick to what they’ve said both on and off the record. There are a lot more questions than answers when it comes to mental illness during the pandemic, but creating a clearly defined policy helps provide clarity for both employees and employers.”
Offer anonymous support
“It’s becoming a must for companies to provide employees with mental health support,” says Ewelina Melon, chief people and culture officer at global tech firm Tidio. “We included anonymous mental health assistance in our benefits during the pandemic and it proved to be the right decision. We offered our employees free access to a platform with certified psychologists and psychotherapists, so everyone could sign up and have a suitable therapist assigned to them. It proved to be a very popular benefit – the anonymity reduces the stigma, meaning more employees are likely to sign up.”
