With changes to the UK's welfare provisions making it harder for people facing mental health challenges to get basic financial assistance without an expectation that they will be pursuing employment, British business can no longer carry on its time-honoured practice of subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) pushing people experiencing mental ill-health out of the workplace, and people trying to manage even complex mental health conditions can no longer assume that they will be allowed to focus on getting to a point of reliable stability before they have to look for work.
The burden on people experiencing mental ill-health is cruel, especially for those whose condition is not "just a normal response to the challenges of life", and is, for example, something like schizophrenia, bipolar, or one of the Cluster B personality disorders, which can be exceptionally disruptive to the individual experiencing the condition, not just those around them.
At The Productive Pessimist Ltd, our team brings lived experience of working through mental ill-health, including managing schizophrenia in a workplace, as well as coping with depression and anxiety, and working through burnout. When we say we've "been there, done that, brought the t-shirt" - we mean it. That's why we're the best choice to support teams and leaders who are trying to figure out how to create an environment that works for everyone - including colleagues who are dealing with mental health challenges.
Yeah, but isn't this "mental health" stuff getting a bit ridiculous? It seems everyone's got "depression" or "anxiety" these days! Surely people just need to toughen up?!
The burden on people experiencing mental ill-health is cruel, especially for those whose condition is not "just a normal response to the challenges of life", and is, for example, something like schizophrenia, bipolar, or one of the Cluster B personality disorders, which can be exceptionally disruptive to the individual experiencing the condition, not just those around them.
At The Productive Pessimist Ltd, our team brings lived experience of working through mental ill-health, including managing schizophrenia in a workplace, as well as coping with depression and anxiety, and working through burnout. When we say we've "been there, done that, brought the t-shirt" - we mean it. That's why we're the best choice to support teams and leaders who are trying to figure out how to create an environment that works for everyone - including colleagues who are dealing with mental health challenges.
Yeah, but isn't this "mental health" stuff getting a bit ridiculous? It seems everyone's got "depression" or "anxiety" these days! Surely people just need to toughen up?!
Some people undoubtedly do need to learn that life isn't always going to flow smoothly, and build some basic resilience; but that's Janice in HR who stalks round the office in high dudgeon when she has "too many" emails. It's Alex in Accounts who gets in peoples' faces and shouts when they haven't filled in their expenses claim properly. It's Mandy who sighs and rolls her eyes multiple times a day. It's not just people with a diagnosed mental health condition, or those who've disclosed that they're "having a bit of a rough time just now."
However, it would benefit people to normalise saying "I'm having a rough time right now", "I'm worried by all the stuff that's going on in the news", "There's a very difficult situation at home, and I'm having a hard time trying to keep everything in perspective", rather than jumping straight to "I'm depressed!" or "I have anxiety!"
Is It Really Depression/Anxiety? A Snapshot Assessment:
1. Do you know what's causing the feelings? - if the answer is Yes, it's a normal reaction to life being a bit much, not depression or anxiety.
2. Can you maintain focus and activity in spite of the feelings (even if you're still feeling them?) - if the answer is Yes, then you're just a bit nervous (if you think the feelings may be anxiety) or feeling a bit down (if you think they may be depression).
3. Are the feelings there the literal moment you wake up? - if the answer is No, they're likely to be a normal reaction to something you've experienced or become (perhaps subconsciously) aware of, rather than depression or anxiety.
4. Are the feelings situation-specific? ie, you only experience them when you're at or going to work? If the answer is No, then you probably do have depression or anxiety.
5. Do the feelings ease or completely go away when you engage in physical activity, or a hobby? If the answer is Yes, you are likely dealing with boredom, not depression or anxiety.
6. Have you tried having a snack (when you're feeling "anxiety") or a nap, if possible (when you're feeling "depressed")? If you have, and the feelings persist, it probably is depression/anxiety.
However, it would benefit people to normalise saying "I'm having a rough time right now", "I'm worried by all the stuff that's going on in the news", "There's a very difficult situation at home, and I'm having a hard time trying to keep everything in perspective", rather than jumping straight to "I'm depressed!" or "I have anxiety!"
Is It Really Depression/Anxiety? A Snapshot Assessment:
1. Do you know what's causing the feelings? - if the answer is Yes, it's a normal reaction to life being a bit much, not depression or anxiety.
2. Can you maintain focus and activity in spite of the feelings (even if you're still feeling them?) - if the answer is Yes, then you're just a bit nervous (if you think the feelings may be anxiety) or feeling a bit down (if you think they may be depression).
3. Are the feelings there the literal moment you wake up? - if the answer is No, they're likely to be a normal reaction to something you've experienced or become (perhaps subconsciously) aware of, rather than depression or anxiety.
4. Are the feelings situation-specific? ie, you only experience them when you're at or going to work? If the answer is No, then you probably do have depression or anxiety.
5. Do the feelings ease or completely go away when you engage in physical activity, or a hobby? If the answer is Yes, you are likely dealing with boredom, not depression or anxiety.
6. Have you tried having a snack (when you're feeling "anxiety") or a nap, if possible (when you're feeling "depressed")? If you have, and the feelings persist, it probably is depression/anxiety.
There are things which have become "commonplace" in work environments which are detrimental to everyone's mental wellbeing, even if individuals don't have a mental health condition. These include:
. Not allowing people to take toilet breaks as and when they need them.
. Not allowing people to drink water or have non-intrusive snacks while they're working.
. Not allowing people to drink water or have non-intrusive snacks while they're working.
. Thinking it's acceptable to "just drop a meeting" in peoples' online calendars, without speaking with them first, and with no context for the meeting.
. Normalising meetings "overrunning", so that you don't see how insulting it actually is to say, when the meeting finishes at 9.58am, rather than 10am, "I'll give you some time back in your day!"
. Overscheduling people - back to back meetings, only informing them they'll "need to work late tonight" when they arrive that morning, etc. (Obviously, some sectors, such as the restaurant business, will have a normal expectation of split shifts, which is acceptable, because people understand and agree to that.)
. Not making it possible for people to create secluded space within an open office - movable screens are a simple, straightforward way to enable those who struggle in open plan environments to be more comfortable at work, in a world which increasingly doesn't provide that choice.
. Ignoring the domestic workload of individuals in your team, or only recognising it "for our female staff members." Men are kinship carers too. Men live alone, & have to do their own housework, laundry, etc. Men are single fathers to young children. Men sometimes end up doing most of the domestic labour even when they are married, for a variety of reasons. People are not simply "going home and relaxing!" Likewise, the inane "Sooo, how was everyone's weekend?!" is actually exclusionary, even though it's not intended to be - many people's weekends are just more work - including, increasingly, a second job their contract literally makes it impossible for them to even hint at. For those whose weekends are either domestic work, or another paid job, it can be very alienating to hear colleagues babbling away about their day shopping, their visit to an amaaaazzzing! restaurant, etc. This will be especially true for colleagues who are experiencing financial pressures.
. Having a "minimum notice period" for annual leave - people can't predict 2 months ahead (the notice period in my most recent PAYE job) when they're going to need to take a couple of days to recalibrate.
. Responding to someone being off, especially on a longer-term basis (eg, maternity or long-term sick) by simply splitting their workload between the rest of the team, rather than getting temporary support in. Even just for one day's absence, this creates resentment towards the person who is off, and a pressure to not be absent for everyone else. Likewise, this same pressure is exerted on people who need to take time off when their workload just isn't dealt with in their absence - they return to an overwhelming workload, and feel that they can't be absent, because being out of the workplace, even for a single day, will cause anxiety about the amount of work they'll have to deal with when they come back - this can actually be a reason that people quit without notice from a position of being off longer term; the anxiety about their workload when they return creates such an unmanageable state of genuine fear that their only option is to cut and run.
Not everyone lives the same life.
Not everyone's experience of the world is the same.
You can't have a "process" that insists people be flawlessly mentally well, or otherwise not be at work - certainly not in the face of the latest round of government welfare reforms.
You're going to have to recognise that work is part of peoples' wider, chaotic, challenging, distressing lives - not some separate entity that they should be responsible for "balancing" with those lives.
You're going to have to start talking to people.
You're going to have to start listening to them.
The Productive Pessimist Ltd can help with that.
Drop us an email at theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com
. Normalising meetings "overrunning", so that you don't see how insulting it actually is to say, when the meeting finishes at 9.58am, rather than 10am, "I'll give you some time back in your day!"
. Overscheduling people - back to back meetings, only informing them they'll "need to work late tonight" when they arrive that morning, etc. (Obviously, some sectors, such as the restaurant business, will have a normal expectation of split shifts, which is acceptable, because people understand and agree to that.)
. Not making it possible for people to create secluded space within an open office - movable screens are a simple, straightforward way to enable those who struggle in open plan environments to be more comfortable at work, in a world which increasingly doesn't provide that choice.
. Ignoring the domestic workload of individuals in your team, or only recognising it "for our female staff members." Men are kinship carers too. Men live alone, & have to do their own housework, laundry, etc. Men are single fathers to young children. Men sometimes end up doing most of the domestic labour even when they are married, for a variety of reasons. People are not simply "going home and relaxing!" Likewise, the inane "Sooo, how was everyone's weekend?!" is actually exclusionary, even though it's not intended to be - many people's weekends are just more work - including, increasingly, a second job their contract literally makes it impossible for them to even hint at. For those whose weekends are either domestic work, or another paid job, it can be very alienating to hear colleagues babbling away about their day shopping, their visit to an amaaaazzzing! restaurant, etc. This will be especially true for colleagues who are experiencing financial pressures.
. Having a "minimum notice period" for annual leave - people can't predict 2 months ahead (the notice period in my most recent PAYE job) when they're going to need to take a couple of days to recalibrate.
. Responding to someone being off, especially on a longer-term basis (eg, maternity or long-term sick) by simply splitting their workload between the rest of the team, rather than getting temporary support in. Even just for one day's absence, this creates resentment towards the person who is off, and a pressure to not be absent for everyone else. Likewise, this same pressure is exerted on people who need to take time off when their workload just isn't dealt with in their absence - they return to an overwhelming workload, and feel that they can't be absent, because being out of the workplace, even for a single day, will cause anxiety about the amount of work they'll have to deal with when they come back - this can actually be a reason that people quit without notice from a position of being off longer term; the anxiety about their workload when they return creates such an unmanageable state of genuine fear that their only option is to cut and run.
Not everyone lives the same life.
Not everyone's experience of the world is the same.
You can't have a "process" that insists people be flawlessly mentally well, or otherwise not be at work - certainly not in the face of the latest round of government welfare reforms.
You're going to have to recognise that work is part of peoples' wider, chaotic, challenging, distressing lives - not some separate entity that they should be responsible for "balancing" with those lives.
You're going to have to start talking to people.
You're going to have to start listening to them.
The Productive Pessimist Ltd can help with that.
Drop us an email at theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com
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