Part 1 – How to support absence related to mental health.
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Maintaining contact with an absent employee
Keeping in contact with any employee who is off work on long-term absence is important, but is particularly vital in the case of an individual who is absent due to a mental health condition. Maintaining contact can help to prevent the individual feeling isolated.
1) Policy and procedures should clearly state what to do in an absence
2 ) Employees should understand that, if they reject reasonable efforts by the employer to contact them, the organisation cannot be expected to be aware of a health condition, or to make adjustments on their return to work.
3) There should be flexibility in the policy around the frequency of contact, as what is appropriate where an employee is absent due to a mental health problem may differ from what is appropriate where an employee is absent with a physical illness.
4) Discuss how often you will be contact while the employee is absent. The organisation and employee should agree a method of communication; an employee who is absent due to a mental health problem may prefer to communicate via email rather than over the telephone or face to face. Home visits can be used, for example where occupational health need to assess the employee or the employee requests a visit, but a risk assessment should be carried out beforehand.
5) Emphasize that staying in contact with people who are off sick due to mental ill health can be a starting point for their eventual rehabilitation and to not feel isolated.
6) Employees should have the opportunity to be contacted by the HR department or another nominated individual rather than by their line manager where appropriate, for example in cases where the employee perceives that the line manager is a contributing factor to their ill health.
7) The line manager (or nominated individual) should open a dialogue with the absent employee as soon as possible following their absence from work. Contact should then be maintained throughout the employee’s absence. The line manager should not view this as an opportunity to tell the employee about work issues and to reassure the employee that the organisation will support them during the absence and return to work.
8) The line manager should let the employee know about any support that is available, for example via an employee assistance programme or occupational health service, and gain the employee’s permission for individuals involved in these services to get in contact.
9) Employees should not be contacted by other colleagues about work-related issues during their absence, nor be expected to check work emails or voicemail. A record should be kept of all contact with the absent employee.
10) Employers may need to adopt a slightly different approach to maintaining contact with an employee who is experiencing a serious mental health problem. Electing to maintain contact with the employee through a representative may be the most effective approach.
11) Colleagues are often unsure if it is acceptable to ask how someone absent due to mental ill health is doing – however, just as with a physical health problem, most people in these circumstances appreciate enquiries about their wellbeing. The manager should take on board what the absent employee wishes the employer to convey about their sickness absence to colleagues.
12) Remind them of the Automotive Charity, Ben. Here is the link to their website : https://ben.org.uk/
Action plans
It is vital that an employee’s return to work is managed well. A lack of support from the line manager, and poor communication between the manager and employee, are the most frequently cited barriers to an effective return to work.
The organisation should be guided by the employee on when they wish to return to work, and put in place any reasonable adjustments to support this. An early return to work can help in the rehabilitation of employees who are not yet 100% fit, and employers should seek to facilitate this through practices such as phased returns to work. This does not mean that you should push the employee to return to work before they are ready.
The action plan should address the employee’s health needs both on their return to work and on an ongoing basis. It should include agreed steps for the employee and manager to take, for example return-to-work adjustments and ongoing support, and should be reviewed regularly. If you have an Employee Handbook from HR Vitals, then you will already be equip with everything that you need. A clear action plan helps prevent misunderstandings by setting out expectations, for example a realistic timetable for a return to normal duties.
It is important that the action plan is flexible – mental health conditions can fluctuate, and recovery does not always follow a steady path. The line manager needs to be patient and, if necessary, adjust the employee’s workload to help ease them back into work, for example by allocating fewer tasks or allowing longer deadlines. The manager should continue to support the employee well beyond the first couple of weeks after their return to work. HR and the occupational health service may need to provide advice and guidance to managers to support them in monitoring the health and wellbeing of returning employees.
Adjustments at work
The action plan should cover any adjustments that the employer is prepared to make to facilitate the employee’s return to work. This should be underpinned by an honest dialogue between the parties involved in building the action plan about what the organisation can and cannot change in terms of the employee’s job and tasks.
-You do not need to work this out by yourself, Jen at HR Vitals is a qualified mental health specialist and is here to help.
Mental health problems can fluctuate, or be episodic, so it is important for the employer to be guided by the individual experiencing the problem. It should explore the employee’s specific needs with them and be as creative as possible when thinking about how to address those needs. The employer should make clear to the employee if certain adjustments are being made to facilitate a return to work and will not be in place permanently.
Adjustments for employees with mental health problems are often simple, practical and cost effective. Adjustments to work organisation include:
- flexible hours or different start/finish times (for a shift worker, not working nights or splitting up days off to break up the working week);
- changes to break times;
- a phased return;
- relaxing absence rules and limits around disability-related sickness absence; and
- agreement to give the employee leave at short notice and time off for appointments related to their mental health, such as therapy and counselling.
Changes to the role itself include:
- the reallocation of some tasks;
- changes to the employee’s job description and duties;
- changes to targets or objectives; and
- changes to aspects of work that may trigger a mental health problem, such as reducing the amount of time spent on public-facing activities.
If it does not prove possible to return the employee to their original role, it is vital to involve the employee in a discussion about practical alternatives, which may include a transfer to a different role. Managers must use the organisation’s agreed procedures to manage these more complex cases, drawing on HR and occupational health advice.
Practices to support employees returning to work include:
- increased supervision or support from the manager, for example monitoring of workload to prevent overworking;
- if you have attended our Problem Prevention training, you will know the 1-1’s are the solution for so many problems – when done right. But they can be the cause of problems when they are done incorrectly, click here to go on the contact list for the next problem Prevention training for more help
- extra training, coaching or mentoring;
- extra help with managing and negotiating workload;
- more feedback;
- debriefing sessions after handling difficult calls, customers or tasks;
- a mentor or “buddy” system (formal or informal);
- mediation, for example where there are difficulties between colleagues;
- access to a mental health support group or disability network group;
- information on internal support available for self-referral;
- identifying a “safe space” in the workplace where they can have some time out, contact their buddy or other sources of support, and access self-help;
- provision of self-help information and the sharing of approaches and adjustments that have been effective at supporting others;
- encouragement to build up resilience and follow practices that support good mental health, such as taking exercise, meditating and eating healthily;
- encouragement to be more aware of their mental state and reflect on the factors in the workplace that affect it;
- resilience support with Jen at HR Vitals; and
- providing regular opportunities to discuss, review and reflect on their positive achievements to help build self-esteem.
Final thoughts :
Returning to work after mental health absence can be very difficult for employees; HR and managers should ensure that people in this situation feel comfortable and, in particular, do not face unrealistic demands or a huge backlog of work on their return. Managers need to ensure that there is plenty of time for informal conversations about progress; an “open door” approach should help employees to feel comfortable discussing their situation.
Mental health is such a huge and continuously developing subject. You will never feel like you have learnt everything there is to know, and neither should you. However, spending time on the subject is vital.
For those of you that have had your C-me reports, remember that there are different ways to help someone which depends on their colours.
For more ideas, information, and help on mental health –
To speak to Jennifer at HR Vitals :
Call : 01726 247347
Whatsapp : 07494 596 409
Email : jennifer@hrvitals.co.uk
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Go straight to Jen’s calendar for a call , click here
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