Share the Journey - a message from Sally Kirkright, CEO, AccessEAP
This year, Share the Journey is one of the themes for Mental Health Month, with the focus around keeping connected. Reflecting on this here at AccessEAP, I see people having a laugh together in the office, stopping to listen to someone who needs a hand, or sharing stories enthusiastically over lunch. What I am observing is a team of people that truly value each other, and show a genuine interest in getting to know one other. This is an important part of our culture and one that provides a sense of community and wellbeing.
As a manager, don’t underestimate the importance of the relationships that are formed amongst your teams and the sense of wellbeing which can be derived from strong and healthy connections at work. Research tells us that a primary factor which buffers the effects of stress and mental health symptoms, and indeed promotes longevity, is a sense of belonging and being part of a community.
You might suggest that social connection is not a workplace issue and is something which can be left to after-work activities and weekends. However, our workplace relationships are one of the primary factors influencing our wellbeing. After all many of us spend a lot of time at work and may spend more time with colleagues than anyone else in our life. Poor working relationships, conflict, job isolation, and perceived lack of support, are all factors which lead to stress, absenteeism, and high turnover.
The need to maintain a well-connected team is essential when it comes to managing an employee who is experiencing mental health symptoms. Given the prevalence of mental health issues in Australia, it is likely that at any given time someone in your team will either be experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, or vulnerable to developing symptoms. Get to know your team so that you notice early on if someone doesn’t quite appear to be themselves. Do what you can to keep a conversation going with them. Offer support and let them know they are an important and valued part of your team.
It can be a common misconception that, when a person is going through mental health issues, they will be better off taking leave and returning to work once they have recovered. However, for some, work can be a reason for people to get up in the morning. As well as creating a sense of purpose and being a source of meaningful activity, work is a way to maintain connection and to feel that you still belong. Rather than taking time off work, it may be that a few simple adjustments to their working conditions would help your employee to remain at work, and more importantly stay connected to the team and aid their recovery. This is likely to have added benefits for the rest of the team rather than having a colleague take leave when they may in fact still be capable of doing the majority of their job.
Nominating an AccessEAP Ambassador is one more way of making ensuring a sense of connection and community. Ambassadors are people who help their colleagues by making it easier and more acceptable to access support. They champion mental health awareness and work to engage others in learning about the importance of mental and physical workplace wellbeing. Through our Manager Support Hotline, our senior clinicians can also give you more guidance on how to support an employee who has mental health symptoms, whether they are still at work or about to return to work.
