Going for that new role is stressful enough, but for people suffering from mental health challenges starting a new role can be infinitely more difficult.
Along with the challenges their condition places upon their daily life, they have to deal with the stigma around hiring a person with a mental illness. This stigma can often lead them to hide their illness rather be open about what they did need to thrive in the workplace.
#Ruokday may just be one day on the calendar but caring for the mental health of your staff should be a yearlong commitment.
It shouldn’t be on the candidate to try and implement the mental health initiatives which they require for a healthy working environment.
Organisations need to take a proactive approach to mental health at work. There is no way of telling which candidate may or may not be suffering from a mental illness if they don’t feel they are in a comfortable environment to share.
That is why this RUOKDAY, think about what your organisation does for the mental health of its employees.
Here are some areas to consider.
Does your business have mental health policies in place?
Mental health issues can be invisible. It’s unlikely that a candidate will feel comfortable enough to disclose information surrounding their mental health during the interview process.
That is why it is so important for your organisation be proactive when it comes to mental health support. With over 4.8 million Australians suffering from mental health conditions it’s likely that you already have employees that may require mental health support within your organisation.
Creating a business which supports mental health could mean;
Ensuring that members of your organisation have undertaken a mental health first aid course.
Implementing work place policies which address the causes of mental health problems in the workplace.
View workplace mental health policy templates.
Give employees the freedom to solve their own problems.
As previously mentioned, employees are unlikely to reveal their mental health conditions for a variety of reasons and it’s important to support their rights to maintain their privacy.
Rather than providing direct mental health support, employers can give employees the tools they need to create their own workspace that meets their mental health needs.
This can be done by offering a degree of flexibility with regards to workload and hours. Allowing employees suffering from mental health conditions to receive support at work while also maintaining their privacy.
Grow a culture of support and independence.
Nothing does more to support mental health at work than creating a work culture which fosters support and independence.
This can be achieved by giving employees autonomy and independence. Employees will feel more comfortable in a working environment where they feel their management trusts them to do their job. Nothing is more stressful than feeling like you have someone overseeing your every move.
Happy employees will reduce staff turnover and absenteeism, saving your business money and allowing it to thrive.
You may never know who will benefit from it the most, but that’s the whole point.
If you or someone you know requires mental health support please reach out to one of the following resources.
If you want learn more ways managers can improve candidate experience read our blog post here.
Crisis Lines
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1300 22 4636
1300 659 467
1300 78 99 78
1800 737 732
