A Leader’s Perspective on Managing Employee Mental Health Challenges in the Workplace

Recently, a colleague shared their concerns about an employee who, despite being a high-performing professional, was now struggling with important deadlines and work due to mental health issues. Considering that over one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness, combined with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on our collective health, it’s no surprise workplaces are increasingly seeing employees experience mental health challenges. This situation highlights the need for leaders to manage such challenges with compassion and understanding, while also ensuring the continuity of critical work.

While there are no simple approaches, I’ve relied on these practical strategies to support employees with mental health difficulties and maintain a productive, empathetic workplace.

Make Mental Health a Workplace Priority

Cultivating a culture that prioritizes mental health is essential for promoting overall well-being and productivity. Encourage open conversations about mental health, breaking the stigma surrounding it. Regularly communicate with your team about the importance of self-care and mental well-being. Implement wellness programs and initiatives that promote work-life balance, stress reduction, and emotional support. You can even share aspects of your own experiences with mental health challenges as a means of promoting transparency, trust, and psychological safety among your people. Keep in mind, however, that laws and regulations about confidentiality need also to be considered as part of your approach to discussing mental health issues in the workplace.

Help Connect Employees with Resources

According to a 2022 study by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), even though 78% of employers offer (or planned to offer) workplace mental health resources, employees often don’t know where or how to access these. Therefore, supporting employees by providing access to mental health resources and assistance like an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or the firm’s health insurance provider’s “help line” is crucial. Further, proactively ensuring that employees know how to access these resources, confidentially if possible, will make it easier for them to seek help when needed.

Leverage Technology with Intention and Make Space for Belonging

As we all saw, the pandemic helped “supercharge” the development and adaptation of technologies that enable productive remote work arrangements. However, technology cannot simply fix the common feelings of isolation and disconnection around remote work, especially for employees dealing with mental health challenges. To counter this, organizations must take intentional and meaningful steps to leverage technology in a way that supports employees’ well-being and fosters a sense of belonging.

Taking time to design and plan virtual team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and social gatherings through video conferencing can help bridge the distance and create a more connected remote work environment IF you are focused on the participants’ experience.

Using instant messaging platforms and channels such as Teams and Slack for casual conversations can mimic the informal interactions that often occur in a physical office setting. But building it doesn’t always mean they’ll come. Managers should plan to be present with their remote team members in meaningful ways, seeding conversations not only about work-related matters but also about their overall well-being. Showing curiosity and concern is a simple act. Create a safe space where employees feel comfortable discussing any challenges they may be facing.

Empower Your Team to See and Fill the Gaps

How do you consider the impact of underperforming employees on their colleagues? Leaders must find a balance between supporting a challenged employee and managing team dynamics to ensure the workload is distributed fairly and sustainably.

A powerful way to do this is to facilitate a culture of empowerment and problem-solving within the team. By encouraging team members to take time to collectively review and address productivity gaps, they can take greater ownership of the work and collaborate to find innovative solutions. Regular and open communication channels should be established to ensure that key deliverables and deadlines are clearly communicated throughout the organization. This helps prevent misunderstandings and allows the team to address any potential issues before they escalate into crises.

Be Crystal Clear About Performance Expectations

In these dynamic and unpredictable times, change—whether organization level, team level, or individual level—is difficult. As leaders, we must prepare our teams to be agile and resilient, ready to pivot when necessary, even in the face of challenges like losing the full strength of a team member due to mental health challenges.

To foster readiness for change, one crucial step is setting crystal-clear performance expectations and effectively communicating them to all team members. Transparency and clarity are essential in helping employees understand what is required of them, thereby reducing potential stress and confusion during times of change. By maintaining open channels of communication, team members are better equipped to adapt and respond to shifting circumstances. Keep in mind there may be a legal duty to accommodate an employee with mental illness under state and federal laws, so you may wish to consider consulting an employment law attorney prior to taking any significant reassignment actions.

With nearly 60 million adults facing mental health challenges, it’s crucial for leaders to acknowledge and address this reality in the workplace. Further, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact us, the number of employees dealing with such difficulties is likely to rise. However, leaders can make a difference by embracing compassion, understanding, and proactive strategies.

By prioritizing mental health, providing access to resources, leveraging technology, and balancing empathy with leadership, a supportive work environment can be created where critical work is done effectively. Setting clear performance expectations and fostering a culture of openness and support can break the stigma surrounding mental health and empower teams to thrive, even in challenging times.

Want to learn more about designing intentional spaces of inclusion and belonging or empowering teams to solve problems? Let’s connect.