#13: Mental Health In The Workplace

 
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Welcome to the Oh Shit Kit Podcast! Today we are talking about mental health in the workplace. Leora’s “oh shit” moment is that her microphone isn’t working. Shocking, we know. Maddie is headed to England in a couple days, so we have been recording like nobody’s business. 

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Maddie has finally cleaned up the laundry monster living in her room. It’s exciting times over here at The Oh Shit Kit HQ.

We have a lot of statistics in this episode, so here we go. According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Depression and anxiety cost the global economy 1 trillion U.S. dollars each year in lost productivity. We don’t know how the hell you would figure that out, but we’ll leave that to the math people.

Unemployment is linked to a higher risk of mental health issues, and working can be protective for your mental health, UNLESS you’re working in a toxic environment, in which case working is damaging for your mental health. Employers can actually improve the productivity and attendance of their employees, and therefore improve their bottom line, by providing mental health support and resources! Imagine that, being nice to people makes them feel better and feeling better makes you work harder.

Maddie read a report called Mindshare Partners Mental Health report. We learned a lot about how mental health affects workers. We learned some shocking statistics, including:

  • 50% of respondents left a job for mental health reasons

  • 61% of respondents said their productivity at work was affected by their mental health

  • 60% of all respondents had never talked to someone at work about their mental health

According to the World Health Organization, employers with “inadequate health and safety policies, poor communication and management practices, limited participation in decision-making or low control over one’s area of work, low levels of support for employees, inflexible working hours, and unclear tasks or organizational objectives”. Obviously, remedying these organizational issues can improve mental health for employees and doing so actually increases workers’ productivity! It’s a win-win!

We talk about how minor frustrations can become really overwhelming and lead to bigger issues when they are happening frequently. We spend a lot of time at work, so it makes sense that it’s easy for the environment we work in to have an effect on our mental health. 

In our personal experience, being treated well by an employer has made us want to work harder for them. Mutual respect is a powerful motivator. 

We talk about being open about your mental health in the workplace. Why is it considered an overshare to say you are having mental health issues, but not to say you’re having physical health issues? Because STIGMA, people. It’s everywhere.

Next, we jump into what to do if you have a disability (this includes mental health diagnosis) that is making it difficult for you to do your job in the way you are expected to do it. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you have a right to ask for accommodations so that you can do your job. This applies if you work for an employer who is required to comply with the ADA. See the Job Accommodations Network page in our citations to find out if your employer is required to comply.

If your employer must comply with the ADA, you can ask for “reasonable accomodations”. This is anything that you may need to help you do your job. “Reasonable” accommodations can include “making existing facilities accessible, job restructuring, part-time or modified work schedules, acquiring or modifying equipment; changing tests, training materials, or policies, providing qualified readers or interpreters, reassignment to a vacant position, medical leave, or working at home” (Job Accommodation Network). This does not include “removing or eliminating an essential function from a job, lowering production standards, providing personal use items such as a prosthetic limb, a wheelchair, eyeglasses, hearing aids, or similar devices if they are also needed off the job” (Job Accommodation Network). The reasonable accommodations that you can receive depend on the demands of your job.

It’s important to note that you do not have to disclose exactly what your disability is, and you don’t have to specify whether it is a physical or a mental health condition. They may ask for additional documentation from your doctor/therapist/etc. You should go to your human resources department to request an accommodation, if your company has one. They determine whether your request is “reasonable”, and tell your boss what accommodations you need. Your boss cannot ask for more information about what your disability is or question the accommodations you’ve been granted. So, if you’re worried about mental health stigma in your workplace, it is possible to request accommodations without your boss knowing that they are due to mental health issues.

We probably don’t need to stress it again, but we will. Your workplace can have a huge impact on your mental health. You deserve to work somewhere that values your mental health, and you have a right to ask for help if you need it.

Next week Maddie will be back on U.S. soil and we will be recording a brand new episode, not recorded two weeks in advance! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts about this one.  Until next time, know your rights, inhale the good shit, and exhale the bullshit.


TOOLS

  1. Be aware that your working environment can have a huge impact on your mental health, and keep this in mind when seeking employment.

  2. Use resources such as the Aging and Disability Resources Center and the Job Accommodations Network if you feel you need an accommodation at work

  3. Go to your HR department (if you have one) to request and accommodation. Remember, you don’t need to specify what type of condition you are requesting the accommodation for.

  4. If you feel you have been treated unfairly due to a mental or physical disability, you can file a complaint here: http://bit.ly/TOSKFileWorkerComplaint



CITATIONS

MindShare Partners Report
https://www.mindsharepartners.org/download-2019report

World Health Organization Report

https://www.who.int/mental_health/in_the_workplace/en/

Job Accommodations Network (JAN)
https://askjan.org/publications/individuals/employee-guide.cfm

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commision (How to File a Complaint)
https://www.eeoc.gov/employees/howtofile.cfm