Most of us spend on average a third of our adult life at work – unsurprisingly, our relationships at work and our work environment are crucial to our overall wellbeing. A supportive workplace can play a vital role in recovery, and provide security, structure, social connection, and a sense of purpose for an employee.
In fact, having a supportive manager or supervisor is the most crucial factor in remaining or returning to work with a mental health condition. Supporting someone in your workplace can be tricky. It can be hard to know what to say or do if a colleague or an employee discloses a mental health condition to you.
And it can be daunting for employees thinking about whether or not to disclose a mental health condition to a manager or employer. However, by working on creating supportive relationships with your employees, you can help create a safe environment to hold open conversations about mental health at work.
