In yesterday’s Advisor, BLR® Legal Editor Jasmin Rojas, JD, shared some tips on how to prevent psychiatric injuries in the workplace; today, the rest of Rojas’s guidance for employers to help promote employee mental health.
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Here are two more steps that an employer may take (regardless of its state laws) to reduce or avoid psychological injuries.
Avoiding psychiatric harm after physical injuries. Employers can also attempt to avoid mental harm that arises from job-related physical injuries. As a general matter, employers should invest in learning how to legally manage employees who have pre-existing mental problems or stress issues that may be exacerbated by any physical injury.
Employers should also remember that physical injuries can cause a great deal of stress for employees. In addition to the pain and discomfort that employees may experience, they may also face financial or personal difficulties as a result of not being able to work.
Remember, most workers’ compensation laws only provide a fraction of the worker’s actual wages. Therefore, employers should explore how they can assist in resolving problems or personal issues that directly relate to the injury and that can impact employee readiness to return to work.
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Encouraging positive mental health generally. It is no secret that employers should invest in their employees’ psychiatric well-being. Indeed, the returns on this type of investment increase morale and worker productivity. For instance, employers should ensure that they implement EAPs that acknowledge the interrelationship of work and family problems and should encourage stressed employees to seek help.
Employers should keep in mind that there are methods of managing employees that can, and do, give rise to psychological injury. Therefore, it is also important to ensure that managers are well trained in basic supervisory skills. Unfortunately, many supervisors may set goals that are not necessarily realistic for their subordinates, who often make a lot less money. This is apt to cause resentment in the workforce. Supervisors should also avoid unnecessary frustrations by ensuring that their workers have the resources to meet their assigned responsibilities.
It is also critical that supervisors monitor and document their workers’ performance on an ongoing basis. They should provide continuous feedback, including expectations for improvement. Companies should also seek opportunities for reinforcing good performance. Oftentimes, supervisors are so focused on dealing with “problem” employees that they forget to recognize those that are doing a great job. These are the employees that are highly recruited and more apt to leave if they do not feel appreciated.
Supervisors should also be trained on how to constructively address potentially problematic situations at work. This includes identifying behavior that may indicate problems that require professional assistance. Employers should further understand that harassment and bullying are great risks to an employee’s psychological well-being and have a plan in place to deal with these risks.
Bottom Line
Although mental workers’ compensation claims represent a fraction of all claims, the reality of the current workplace should encourage employers to be alert to their existence. Employers should recognize that they are not alone and that this does not have to be a daunting task. They can enlist support from their EAPs, local mental health agencies and support groups, and union representatives.
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