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3. Managing mental illness in the workplaceContentsThis chapter provides practical strategies for identifying reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of a worker with mental illness. The vast majority of workers with mental illness succeed in their chosen career while managing their mental illness. Some workers will choose to disclose their mental illness if they require workplace support. Others may choose not to disclose their illness if they feel they do not require any workplace support or fear an adverse reaction. As a manager, you have a responsibility to assist workers with mental illness by providing changes which will enable them to perform their duties more effectively in the workplace (these are known as ‘reasonable adjustments’). To do this effectively it is important to be informed about mental illness and have an understanding of:
3.1 Effective communication strategiesHow do I talk about mental illness with my worker? As a manager, you may grapple with how to describe and talk about mental illness with your worker. Becoming familiar with the words that best describe mental illness will enable you to effectively:
Further information: Appendix C – How To Talk About Mental Illness. When arranging to meet with a worker to discuss their mental health issues it is important to plan what you would like to talk about and how you want to discuss the issues. It is appropriate to offer the worker the option of bringing a support person to any meeting arranged with the purpose of discussing their mental health issues. Further information: Appendix C – How To Talk About Mental Illness. It is important to be aware of privacy obligations when talking to a worker about mental illness. Personal details will need to be kept strictly confidential unless the worker agrees for you to disclose the information to another person. Further information: Appendix A – Knowing the Law; Appendix C – How To Talk About Mental Illness. If you feel uncomfortable or unsure about how best to communicate with a worker regarding mental health issues there are a number of health professionals (e.g. psychologists, social workers or occupational therapists with a mental health training background) who can help you work out the best approach. Further information: Chapter 5 – Where to Get Assistance. What do I do if a worker is displaying symptoms of mental illness but they have not told me about any issues? There is no legal obligation for a worker to disclose information about their disability. While you may find this frustrating, disclosure is often a difficult choice for a worker to make. Disclosure is a personal decision that depends on the circumstances, the context, how the illness is being managed and how comfortable the worker feels about discussing the issue. Many people with mental illness have weighed up these factors and made a personal decision not to disclose their disability while they are at work. This may be due to the following factors: Performance
Attitudes
Discrimination
What are my responsibilities when a worker has not disclosed their mental illness? A worker may choose not to disclose their mental illness to you, even when it is evident that they are not coping in the workplace. If a worker is having difficulty performing the key requirements of their job, and this might be related to mental illness it would be prudent for you to:
Further information: Chapter 4 – Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace for All (section 4.3.3) Your main role in this situation is to:
“I didn’t need to know whether a staff member had a diagnosed mental illness. My job was to identify issues and come up with solutions to make a more productive team.” Comments made by a manager of an adult learning organisation Further information: Appendix A – Knowing the Law. In some situations, the fact that the worker has not disclosed their mental illness will limit or even prevent you from providing reasonable adjustments or support. In other situations, it will still be possible to proceed with an adjustment in the workplace to assist the worker regardless of their non-disclosure. Broader strategies in the workplace with an emphasis on creating a safe and healthy work environment for all will also benefit workers with an undisclosed mental illness. Further information: Chapter 4 – Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace for All. What is my role if a worker’s mental illness impacts on other work colleagues? There may be some situations where it is obvious that a worker with mental illness is not coping. It is important for you to recognise that in some situations the impact of a worker’s mental illness in the workplace may be stressful for, or result in, concerns by work colleagues. Where a worker with mental illness has significant periods of absence from work or is not performing at their normal work level colleagues may become concerned, angry or resentful about the impact on their workload and the workplace. In addition, where a worker with mental illness behaves in an unusual or disturbing way, colleagues may become stressed, concerned or unsure about what to do. While respecting the privacy of the worker with mental illness, you should:
Where the worker with mental illness has agreed that their disability can be disclosed to the workplace, you could also:
In many cases, having a worker with mental illness will have little or no impact on the workplace. What can I say to other work colleagues about a worker with mental illness? It is important not to breach a worker’s privacy by telling colleagues about their mental illness unless the worker has agreed that you can do so. Even when permission has been given, the purpose for disclosing a worker’s mental illness to colleagues should be carefully considered. In some situations, it is possible to avoid disclosing a worker’s mental illness by only mentioning details relevant to the workplace. For example: ‘Jesse will be on sick leave for six weeks.’‘Brett has been asked to change his work duties for a specific period to focus on the following tasks which he has agreed to do.’In other situations, the nature of the workplace adjustment may inadvertently lead to disclosure. For example, moving a worker’s workstation or allowing flexible work arrangements may result in colleagues questioning, speculating or gossiping about the reasons for the change. You should ensure that the worker has thought about what their colleagues may infer from any adjustments, and discuss what information could be presented to colleagues so that potential issues do not arise. If the worker agrees to disclose their mental illness to work colleagues, a manager can explain the reason for the adjustments in a positive and supportive manner. Helping colleagues learn more about mental illness and its impact can prevent negative reactions or assumptions and result in a more supportive work environment. Discussion between yourself and the worker with mental illness is essential in determining the parameters for disclosing a worker’s mental health status to their colleagues. If the worker does not agree to let you disclose their mental illness, you will need to discuss what adjustments will be possible without such disclosure or making staff aware (or likely to assume) that the worker has mental illness. 3.2 Reasonable adjustmentsResearch has shown that effective, productive, healthy and safe workplaces are ones that:
Further information: section 3.3.1; Chapter 4 – Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace for all. In order to comply with relevant anti-discrimination legislation it is important that you adequately consider reasonable adjustments in the workplace for workers with mental illness. After all, adjustments enable a worker to carry out their job to the best of their ability, making them a productive member of your workplace. What are ‘reasonable adjustments’? Reasonable adjustments are changes to a job, which can be made to enable a worker to perform their duties more effectively in the workplace. They should respond to the particular needs or issues of a worker and can include:
Reasonable adjustments apply to all areas of employment, including:
Suggestions of possible individual reasonable adjustments are outlined below. Broader workplace strategies such as flexible work practices benefit many workers including those with mental illness. Further information: Chapter 4 – Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace for All. How do I identify and make reasonable adjustments? Identifying and implementing reasonable adjustments for workers with mental illness is not a difficult process. There are four main points to keep in mind:
3.3 Examples of reasonable adjustments to address the effects of a worker’s mental illness in the workplaceHere are some options for you to consider if you need to support the workplace needs of a worker with mental illness. As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, many workers with mental illness will not require any workplace support. Others may require only brief or specific support, while some may require support over a longer period of time. Effective actions will vary, depending on the individual needs of the worker, the nature of your workplace and the tasks associated with the job. The choice of actions should be guided by consultation with your worker and with appropriate professional advice. 3.3.1 Flexible working optionsFlexible working options are probably the most effective strategy for meeting the workplace needs of workers with mental illness. There are a wide range of flexible work arrangements that can be introduced, including working hours, tasks, responsibilities or location. Some examples are:
It is important to consult with your worker. Discuss reasonable adjustments that would suit the job requirements and their own circumstances. A worker with mental illness may have already developed good strategies that can be adapted to their work environment. If flexible work arrangements are considered, care should be taken to ensure that this does not lead to isolation from the workplace, colleagues and workplace support. Further information: Chapter 4 – Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace for All. 3.3.2 Strategies to address difficulties with thinking processes (e.g. memory and
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