What to do when your employee is having a mental health crisis

The last few years have been a lot to handle. 

Many of us have been fueled by sheer adrenaline and, as that adrenaline starts to dissipate, we’re realizing that our mental health maybe isn’t where we’d like it to be.

Of course, logically knowing that mental health issues are on the rise and that at least some of your people are likely to face periods of struggle is one thing — suddenly realizing that one of your employees is in the bathroom crying or having a panic attack is a whole other thing.

Even if it’s something less dramatic, like an employee who seems really disengaged or distracted, or whose work isn’t hitting their usual standard, it can be incredibly hard to know what to do in the moment to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis. 

Maybe it’s a new experience for you. Maybe you’re feeling a little shaky yourself. Maybe you’ve just never thought about how you’d handle something like this.

So think of what I’m about to share as a mental health form of CPR — you hope you never need to use it, but you’re glad to have it in your toolbox, just in case.

What to do in an emergency.

First up, let’s look at what to do if an employee is in crisis and it seems like a true emergency situation.

If it feels like your employee’s life or physical safety is in imminent danger or the safety of other people is in question, you’re going to want to make that 911 call. Another option is to call 988, the new Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (the updated version of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline), and follow the expert advice provided by the call handler.

What to do in a non-emergency situation.

If your employee is clearly experiencing a mental health crisis (or even if you just suspect they might be) but it doesn’t feel like they’re in imminent danger, you have a few different options.

Primarily, you’ll want to conduct a welfare check with your employee — a meaningful conversation that helps you gauge their well-being.

You wouldn’t want to wade in here with a “hey, you look depressed, what’s up?” This is most definitely a time to tread carefully. 

Think leading with curiosity rather than accusations. 

Try something like, “I’m concerned about you, you don’t seem as engaged in our team meetings. How’s everything going?” You’ll also want to reassure them that you’re there to listen without judgment and that you’ll do whatever you can to help.

Of course, those are not easy conversations to instigate or navigate, so it’s okay if you need a little guidance. That would be a great time to call your Employee Assistance Program for help, talk to your HR director, or even seek the support of an HR consultant.

The most important thing, though, is that you’re willing and able to listen to what your employee has to say. If it turns out that they’re feeling overwhelmed about their workload, if they’re struggling because of an issue in their personal life, or if they’re navigating a physical or mental health issue, you’ll want to be ready to brainstorm possible accommodations that would be reasonable for your workplace that will help them through this difficult period.

For example, maybe they need to leave an hour early every Thursday to attend a therapy appointment. Or you might consider an alternative workload distribution if someone has been taking on more tasks than they should.

Preventing mental health crises.

Naturally, many of the potential drivers of an employee’s mental health crisis will be far beyond your control.

However, for those experiencing ill health or personal problems, working in a nurturing environment can help prevent them from reaching that crisis tipping point. So what can you do to play a part in helping your team members avoid a crisis?

Two words:  choice and connectedness.

Giving your employees choices, versus telling them what to do, gives them more control over their situation. That might look like letting employees choose remote working a few days a week, offering alternative start and finish times, and providing more opportunities for career development and progression. It might even be the best choice you can offer is the choice to leave if someone is very unhappy in their position but doesn’t have the tools or ability to communicate their need to leave. Helping people transition to a new position or even a new company can be a great relief for those employees.

And connectedness…

Employees who feel like they’re just an unappreciated cog in a machine that would happily spit them out is a huge issue in many organizations. But when teams feel a real sense of connection, people feel more valued, more motivated, and happier both in and out of the workplace.

So don’t dismiss the importance of things like regular team meetings, team lunches, and even (non-cringey) team-building sessions. All too often managers claim they don’t have time for these things — but fail to think about how many hours they might lose to employees who are burnt out, stressed, and calling in sick.

Another great tip for building connection within your teams is a specific team check-in, devised by Brené Brown, where you start each meeting by inviting everyone present to name two emotions they’re currently feeling. Not only does this help people feel like you view them as actual humans and not just machine cogs, but it also allows you to assess where your team members are emotionally so you can figure out who is struggling and might need a little extra help.

Admittedly, times are hard for many people right now and as a leader, there’s only so much you can do to shore up your employees’ mental health. That said, work is such as huge part of our lives, that anything you can do to help your people feel valued and connected in the workplace will definitely go a long way to mitigating at least some of the challenges they’re experiencing.

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