For World Mental Health Day 2025 we’ve put together five tips for employers and managers who are unsure about how to respond when one of their team might be struggling with their mental wellbeing.
From a legal perspective, businesses are obliged to make reasonable adjustments when an employee has a disability, which can include many types of mental health issues. Those adjustments are intended to mitigate the impact of the disability in a way which balances the needs of the individual with those of the employer and facilitates their continued contribution to the business, such that everyone wins.
Exactly what that means in practice can be confusing and that’s completely understandable because the answer could be different in each case. Even if is there no disability in play, we find that most employers will want to do what they can to support anyone going through a difficult time.
Has someone’s mood changed? Is a usually punctual person frequently late for work? Are they acting out of character?
In our experience, employers are often reluctant or fearful about asking personal questions at work, but it’s appropriate if it’s done in the right way. Asking if someone is OK is fine, provided it’s done sensitively and confidentially, with calmness and patience. Offer to listen but only if they want to open up.
At worst, and even if nothing is wrong, they should appreciate that you care and that you are concerned for their wellbeing. If you can help them in anyway then this is the first step towards doing so.
As events like World Mental Health Day reduce stigma in this area, more and more are willing to open up to their employers, but it’s by no means the norm. Unfortunately, in many cases, someone who is suffering with poor mental health will be signed off from work by their doctor and become detached from the workplace and colleagues, which in turn can make supporting them more difficult.
The duty to make reasonable adjustments leaves many asking: where do I start? The answer is to check with the person who needs the support. They may well have the best idea of what they need – or have been advised of it by their doctors. Again, sensitivity and confidentiality are important.
The legal obligation to make adjustments is on the employer and the individual does not have to come up with the answers. Some of it will be common sense. If depression or anxiety means getting up in the morning is difficult then how about a later start and end to the working day? If a particular project or team is the problem, could redeployment work? What about flexible breaks?
A particularly common adjustment is to take the usual policies and flex them. For example, if you would typically expect an underperforming salesperson to hit expectations over a quarter, it might be fair to allow them more time if mental health issues are holding them back.
You and the individual don’t have to come up with the answers. Many employers refer to occupational health specialists as an independent third party who can assess the situation and make recommendations.
It reflects well on the business; you are taking it seriously and engaging specialist assistance.
There are also numerous other resources available from the likes of the NHS and dedicated charities. Many employers have their own employee assistance program too.
A common concern we hear about reasonable adjustments is that they might set a precedent or mean that others want to make similar changes to how they work.
First, only those with disabilities require their employer to make reasonable adjustment, it is not the right of everyone. Second, if you’re not completely sure if something will work, then try it on a temporary basis.
You could agree to an adjustment for, say, three months. At the end of that time you should know if it both works for the business and helps the employee. If it doesn’t work for the business, you should be in a much better position to discontinue it as not being reasonable if you can point to it not working – rather than speculating that it won’t before even trying it.
We hope you have found these pointers useful. If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised or how else you can approach mental health issues in the workplace, please contact one of our employment team.
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