Grief at work can lead to lack of production but it cannot be ignored. It is important that it is addressed to not only benefit the business but to also help the employee. Employers need to be understanding, flexible and know what to expect from their employee. This requires leadership and sometimes a listening ear. It requires a temporary adjustment potentially. While large factories are less equipped to notice the needs of an individual, unions and friends should be aware. Smaller businesses have the luxory and ability to better address the needs of the individual.
It is critical to not only help the employee emotionally but also to help them adjust for the benefit of the business itself. While one does not wish to put money over emotion, there comes a time when the employee must learn to cope and play his or her part in the process, but without the understanding and leadership from good managers, this can be quite a hard thing.
The article, “How to Manage an Employee with Depression” by Kristen Bell DeTienne, Jill M. Hooley, Cristian Larrocha and Annsheri Reay look at the problems of depression and how a manager can help an employee at work who is suffering from depression. They state,
“Yet despite this enormous and growing toll, many employers take an ad hoc approach to handling depression among employees. Many managers become aware of mental health issues only when they investigate why a team member is performing poorly. A better scenario would be if employees felt empowered to report a mental health problem and ask for a reasonable accommodation so that their manager can intervene to minimize the damage to the organization and help the employees return as quickly as possible to full health.”
To read the entire article, please click here
Employers who are more considerate to depression and the mental health of their employees are not only showing compassion but also good business sense. Employees are a company’s top resource and making sure they are happy and productive is critical to success. Please also review our Grief Counseling Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.