![]() ![]() Indeed, if an employee discloses a physical health issue to a manager or HR, it much be clearly understood that it would be inappropriate and potentially dangerous for them to then try to fix it. In the end, if an employee talks openly about their mental health at work, managers must be able to navigate that conversation confidently and psychologically safely and often, the answer lies in common perceptions of mental health. ![]() But it is vital that managers recognise that their role is to facilitate employees to gain appropriate support when they need it, rather than trying to fix mental health issues themselves. Ultimately, organisations that develop a culture of openness win out when it comes to psychological safety and mental health. Often, the result is that employees come away from these conversations feeling unheard, unsupported and regretting they ever spoke up. For example, if a manager or HR professional attempts to give counsel to an employee around their mental health or displays a rescuing or co-dependent behaviour or veers off into sharing their own mental health experiences, it can be difficult for the employee to put a boundary in place with someone more senior to them. A lack of boundaries can also jeopardise power dynamics at work. In fact, research reveals that 38 percent of HR managers state they have conversations with employees about their mental health outside of working hours, a quarter don’t set time limits on conversations with employees about their mental health and a similar number, say they become overly involved in employees’ personal lives and/or mental health issues. ![]() This can lead to giving unqualified advice, engaging in rescuing or fixing behaviours, or even self-disclosing their own mental health issues and this can quickly descend into a psychologically unsafe situation for all parties. Leaders are either wary of conversations around mental health or those that do broach the topic rarely set clear boundaries and can become enmeshed in mental health issues. Unquestionably, mental health is the cause célèbre, but this does not always incorporate the psychological safety of employees. ![]()
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