The Dark Side of Mental Health: How Weaponising it in the workplace Harms Employers & Employees

I am well known for chairing difficult, uncomfortable, and challenging conversations around mental health in the workplace. It's far easier to avoid the difficult to have confrontations that exist in the workplace surrounding the abuse of position and power in both employers and employees on the topic of mental health, rather than just pump 100% of positive re-enforcement surrounding support of mental health and importance into the insurance industry about best practices on both sides of the fence.

Let's face it, the industry has made HUGE strides toward support for mental health but there is still so much abuse found among employers and employees, shielding accountability with mental health when it is not present.

It was and will always be my intention to gain and provide personally lived experience as an employee who has been party to colleagues openly and candidly abusing trust on the topic and on the flip side, being wholly supported with mental health issues from a number of my previous employers.

As an employer who is an advocate for mental health in the workplace and a business that is constantly recognised for how we support our Break Free - Insurance Consultants family, every day I still come face to face with genuine mental health issues that require love and support, and disingenuous mental health scenarios and issues that demand courage to expose with an authentic awareness that it is a very precarious subject to discuss.

Peers, colleagues, and friends of mine in business have every right to raise genuine disciplinary action against employees for poor conduct, performance, or accountability because they are decent human beings. To use mental health as a shield because of an awareness of just how much employment law protection it provides you with, is unacceptable when there are no mental health issues present, or if you have been wholly and adequately supported with genuine mental health struggles.

I think it is important that I ensure real, honest, and candid personal opinion on the topic and the reason it is so close to my heart is that I have had my own battles with mental health. So severe that I have been suicidal and I have acted on those intentions on multiple occasions. I truly have lived experience as an employee and as an employer and under no circumstances am I intimidated by the discomfort of some of my opinions shared.

As I have always said, if it forces one employer to re-evaluate the seriousness of an employee's mental health and provide adequate mental well-being and healthcare support rather than discrimination, or prevents just one employee from fabricating mental health issues to maliciously protect themselves against ramifications for poor performance, poor behavior, and malicious actions, then it is worth every word.

Undermining the mental health of employees can have a significant impact on both current and future hiring for employers:

1. Decreased employee retention: Employees who perceive their employer as undermining their mental health are more likely to leave the company, leading to increased costs associated with hiring and training new employees.

2. Negative employer reputation: Employers who undermine their employees' mental health can develop a negative reputation, which can discourage potential hires from applying or lead to negative reviews on job sites.

3. Decreased job satisfaction: When employees feel unsupported in their mental health, it can lead to decreased job satisfaction, which in turn can impact their performance and productivity.

4. Increased legal risks: Employers who undermine mental health may leave themselves vulnerable to legal claims filed by employees who feel they have been mistreated or discriminated against.

5. Difficulty attracting top talent: In a competitive job market, employers who undermine mental health may have difficulty attracting top talent, particularly those who place a high value on work/life balance and mental health support.

Overall, undermining the mental health of employees can have both immediate and long-term effects on an employer's hiring efforts. It is important for employers to prioritise employee mental health and create a supportive environment to attract and retain top talent and prevent legal issues.

Employees falsely blaming mental health for poor performance, absenteeism or other issues can have negative consequences in several ways:

1. Decreased trust and credibility: Falsely blaming mental health can erode the trust and credibility between the employee and the employer. It can also create a culture where mental health issues are not taken seriously or are used as an excuse to avoid responsibilities.

2. Stigmatization of mental health: Falsely blaming mental health can reinforce stigmas and stereotypes attached to mental health issues, which may discourage other employees with genuine mental health struggles from seeking help.

3. Decreased productivity: If an employee is not dealing with genuine mental health issues but is frequently absent or not performing up to expectations, it can lead to decreased productivity and output, as well as put additional strain on co-workers.

4. Misuse of resources: If an employee falsely blames mental health for their performance issues, it can result in the misuse of company resources such as paid time off, disability accommodations, or health insurance benefits.

Overall, falsely blaming mental health for workplace issues can create a negative and unhealthy work environment, perpetuate negative stereotypes about mental health, and ultimately harm the employer's bottom line. It's important for employers to address and distinguish genuine mental health issues from false claims, while also promoting a culture of understanding and support around mental health.

Here are some seriously useful resources that I have made use of over the years:

-Employ-Ability - Helping with a truly inclusive workforce. Diversity & Inclusion beyond compliance and governance.

-Mental Heath at Work - Tools & Resources to make mental health practices and resources at work easy to apply.

-Mind - Fantastic charity but did you know they also offer first-class training and resources for mental health at work?

-Low Cost Mental Health at Work Training for Staff - At such a small cost to your business, or even as an independent individual, there is no reason why you cannot better educate your business to look out for the early signs.

-ACAS - Often perceived to be an enemy of employers, I find they are supportive, resourceful, and offer fantastic tools to support your business. As an individual, they are also fantastic for advice and support if you feel you have been discriminated by your employer.

My email and Linkedin Mail box is always open if you need any support, advice or even if you just need to talk. Sharing problems truly does help.

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#mentalhealth #mentalhealthatwork #mentalhealthawareness