A mental health crisis? Good - and bad- managers can make a difference

I am often asked to mediate/facilitate return-to-work discussions between managers and team members who have been absent on sick leave due to their mental health. The longer someone is off sick, the harder it is to return to work and mediation provides a safe and calm space for manager and returning team member to explore their options.

One thing that always strikes me during these mediations is that managers usually don't appreciate how their behaviour can have a major impact on their team's feeling of wellbeing; managers can often improve their team's mental health but, equally, a poor manager can trigger a crisis.

There is no doubt that there are real issues in our community where we are seeing such an increase in people who are suffering with their mental health. But employers and, more importantly, managers can make a difference and they need to understand the importance of their role. 

According to UKG's Workforce Institute Survey 2023, "managers impact employees’ mental health (69%) more than doctors (51%) or therapists (41%) — and even the same as a spouse or partner (69%).' 

So, the learning point?  Being promoted to 'manager' isn't just a tick-in-the-box on the way to the top. It is a position of responsibility and employers need to treat it as such - by providing proper workplace training for their managers.

Hilary Griffin