Mental health is an important part of your employees’ health, but while we know how to hand out ibuprofen for a headache or a bandage for a paper cut, we’re often at a loss when it comes to mental health issues. Depression is a common problem. At any point, 3 percent to 7 percent of adults deal with depression, and we all have a 17-percent lifetime chance of being diagnosed with depression, noted the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. This means there’s a strong possibility that someone at your office is either suffering today or will be in the near future. How can your business best help employees with depression?
To keep reading, click here: Handle Mental Health Issues the Right Way
Diagnosed mental illness is one thing and there are very effective ways to deal with mental health that has been diagnosed. That being said, I am going to put to the Evil HR Lady, a problem that I perceive in today’s workers.
Yes working at some jobs is stressful and it the stress is effecting your health, one should do whatever they can to elevate the problem even if it means changing jobs.
I don’t know if you have seen the latest news program but todays on my daily news program, they made a big up-to-do on taking a mental health day or more off from work. Doesn’t taking a day off from work fall under personal time off? If someone wants to take off, they should like any “sudden” need for time off, call in to work and bring if needed the verification of why the time was needed off.
I am making a big deal of this, because I have seen how easy using the excuse for time off, as needing a way to resolve mental issues without having to really prove need. A real mental issue, doesn’t pop up out of the blue. A person suffering depression can function in normal situations for a long time without saying anything. I just don’t want with all the publicity being given in the media, that someone abuse using the need for mental health relief as a way to get extra time off.
If abuse occurs, those who would really need the help won’t get the time off.
How does HR deal with distinguishing real need of “fake ” need.
How does HR deal with distinguishing real need of “fake ” need.
They shouldn’t try. Either people have time off or they don’t. We are not children. We should not have to prove that we deserve the benefits our employer is offering. If you don’t want people to take sick days, then don’t offer them.
As to your question at the end, I say that as long as the employee has sick/PTO time and their supervisor approves the absence, HR shouldn’t have to worry if someone is “faking” it or not.
Now, if they start doing it repeatedly or every time there is a convenient day to want off (like July 3rd this month), then a doctor’s note regarding their sick days could help prove/disprove an employee’s sick claims.
It’s been my experience that you can usually tell who is faking and who genuinely needs time off.