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 Reducing Depression in the Workplace Problem: A recent study found that more than half (58%) of the Human Resource managers at over 400 U.S. companies said that employees suffering from depression have negatively impacted their organization's productivity during the past three years. And nearly 40% of them said that depression is a moderate or large problem for their companies. Each year nearly 17 million Americans experience severe depression. It is a growing problem in this country and it has a profound, negative effect on American business. Yet only a little more than half of the HR managers surveyed actually recommended counseling or another solution to people they recognized as having this problem. What can you do to make sure that people get the help they need so they can return to doing the productive work they are capable of doing? Solution: First, you will need to train your managers in how to recognize depression when they see it. Symptoms of depression include: • Overall sadness Second, managers need to be taught how to appropriately raise the issue. Use informal feedback on decreased performance and then gently draw out the possible causes. Be non-threatening and supportive. Third, teach your managers to send people who are struggling with depression to your Employee Assistance program where they can get referrals for therapy. Make sure your people understand that this is covered under your health plan. If you do not have an EAP, make sure you can recommend community resources. Emphasize to your managers that they must keep this kind of intervention totally confidential. And make sure that they are clear about that with your employees as well. You might even decide to offer your employees confidential depression screening. (A screen is a checklist of symptoms of depression that you have the person fill out.) Doing so will allow people to get help early on and recover that much faster. Example: An executive from a government agency hired me to work with him. He couldn't seem to get his managers to perform adequately and so the work was not getting done. After speaking with him, I recognized that something deeper was going on and so I screened him for depression. When it became clear that he was depressed, I recommended that he begin working with a psychiatrist so that he could get medication and therapy. Results: Once he was in therapy for a month and taking daily medication, his depression lifted. He was able to successfully discuss with his managers about getting the work done in a more effective manner. The outcome was that everyone's productivity increased - including his own. Summary: Depression is a serious problem in today's workplace. It affects your people's health, well being and their ability to be effective and productive. Teach your managers to identify the signs of depression and encourage them to get help for your depressed employees. Doing so will make a real difference in your organization's productivity and profitability. |
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