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The day after my grandmother passed away, I went straight back to school. Although we lived in the same household for a few years, we didn’t have a strong bond. I thought to myself, “I feel alright. I look alright. Focusing on my studies is better than having to deal with the drama with my relatives.” I didn’t make it two hours into the day before I couldn’t focus anymore. Later that day, I had an emotional breakdown. I took the next day off to process the emotions and gather my thoughts.

Mental health refers to

“a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.”

There will be days where the stresses in life become overbearing and impose a crippling effect on a person’s ability to function normally. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.”

Managers should care about an employee’s mental health because it has a direct impact on performance. The World Health Organization created a Health and Work Performance Questionnaire measuring the effects of health on work related outcomes such as productivity. Researchers found that employees with depression reported 18 days of lost productivity.

There’s been a positive shift in focus on mental health in recent years. However, there’s still significant recognition in physical health over mental well-being. In this post, we’ll discuss:

What signs to look for to determine if a report could benefit from a mental health day
How managers can ask employees if they need a mental health break

The benefits of helping employees maintain their mental well-being include:

Increase in employee engagement because it demonstrates care for the individual
Increase in productivity
Less turnover

Signs to look for

Managers need to be mindful of individuals’ behaviors and actions. Physical illnesses are much easier to identify due to noticeable symptoms such as coughing or sneezing. Mental illnesses on the other hand have “invisible” symptoms. Signs of mental illness are linked to behaviors and thoughts, which can be difficult to notice unless you’re actively paying attention. Furthermore, in a study conducted by the Mind Share Partners, 60% of employees who experienced a mental health problem within the past year did not discuss the matter at work. Therefore, keep an eye out for these signs:

General changes in behavior*
Irritability and short temper
Poor focus
Lack of interest or low motivation
Worrying more
Difficulty making hard decisions and increased self-doubt
Exhaustion, sluggishness, lack of energy
Avoidance of social activities
Aggression
Anxiety
Sweating
Trembling

*For example, Janet has always been so chipper and optimistic. Lately she’s been fairly pessimistic about anything we discuss.

How to ask

If you start to notice a significant drop in work performance from a report and you suspect it could be due to emotional or mental distress, it’s time to initiate a conversation. However, tread carefully. The last thing you want to deal with is mental health discrimination at work.

Before you start the conversation, ensure you understand the company’s benefits and policies around paid time off. Be prepared with how to proceed in case a report agrees with the need for a mental health day off. Some questions to consider:

Does the company offer any services or other benefits regarding health and well-ness?
Are sick days and vacation days pooled together as general Paid Time Off?
How will time off for mental health be classified?

Also, learn about the company’s policies, and well as state laws in regards to discussions surrounding mental health in the workplace.

After you’re well informed of the company’s policies, start a conversation with the report using the same guidelines for bringing up personal issues in a one-on-one meeting.

Follow laws and HR guidelines

As mentioned above, be well-versed in regulations around mental health discussions at work, as well as appropriate actions to take.

Approach the subject tactfully

It’s disadvantageous to dive into the topic at full speed. This is a sensitive topic and you most likely don’t know the details to understand what’s affecting their mental health. Therefore, you want to create an environment where the report will be comfortable opening up to you to share the information you need.

Start casual. Dive deeper by asking open-ended, probing questions. For example, lead with “what have you been working on?”. Move to “what challenges have you had to deal with?” Then, “how has that affected your thoughts?”

Show empathy

This is the time for human connection and compassion. This is also the time for you to actively listen and let them talk.

Offer accommodations, be flexible

There will be times where you’re not sure whether a mental health day is what the report needs. Other times, you’ll know for a fact a mental day off is what they need even though they disagree. Either way, give them their options and provide other potential accommodations such as work from home or flexible work hours.

Be supportive and helpful

Tom Oxley, workplace director of Bamboo Mental Health, instructs the audience in his TEDx talk about workplace mental health to “be the manager you’d like to have if you were experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression.” Put yourself in the report’s shoes. If the roles were reversed, how would you like your manager to support you?

If I had allowed myself time to process earlier by taking the day after my grandmother’s passing off, I wouldn’t have had a breakdown at school. I could’ve prevented the uncomfortable experience of having my classmates and professor see me cry. I would’ve been in a better state of mind sooner.

Remember, everyone’s mental health (yours, a report’s) is extremely important because it does ultimately affect the workplace. A day off to gain mental wellness is just as important as time off for physical illnesses. Employees are highly unlikely to bring up this issue. As a manager, be aware and have these conversations.

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What Managers Should Know: How to Ask if Employees Need a Mental Health Break