Returning to work after mental ill health absence…
Mental health is about our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing - there are 5 important factors of our mental health:
Being able to cope with everyday demands
Making relationships and being part of society
Making sense of the world around us
Experiencing, understanding and expressing our emotions and feelings
Our ability to think clearly and solve problems
Mental ill health is the absence of some or all of these behaviours on a long term basis. Everyone may have bad days occasionally where they feel they cannot cope, but for individuals experiencing mental ill health, most days will be like this.
Mental Health is the forth most common reason for absence from work.
When employee’s return to work after absence caused by mental ill health, managers are the key to a successful return! They are often the first point of contact when someone returns to work and have day to day management responsibility - this means they are able to:
Implement adjustments
Protect the returning employee from stress and hazards
Here are some things to consider to create a sustainable return to work:
Colleague support and strong team relationships
Colleagues who are understanding and sympathetic to mental ill health
Line managers knowledge skills and abilities to manage the return to work and their own attitude towards mental health
Effective HR practices and procedures
Effective job design
Access to support through Occupational Health
If you need support or advice with absence in the work place, including management training or any other people topic get in touch with Stanley & Davis.