We know that only a third of psychological claimants in Australia feel supported by their employer. We also know that positive perceptions of employer support are associated with higher rates of RTW, including durable RTW. With clear benefits on offer, what can employers do to demonstrate much-needed support?

Drawing on guidelines about mental illness and return to work that were developed by a panel of experts for BeyondBlue, the University of Melbourne and Orygen Youth Health Research, and a practical guide for managers developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission, we’ve developed our own 'in a nutshell' how-to guide. 

Make contact.

Don’t fall back on stereotypes.

You might be privy to someone’s diagnosis but this doesn’t mean that you know what they can and can’t do. Stereotypical assumptions about the capacities of people with a mental illness are likely to impose unnecessary limitations. As with physical injury, remaining at work while recovering is often the best bet.

If work has contributed to the injury, understand how.

The known risk factors for work-related psychological injury include:

• Workplace trauma, e.g. a paramedic who attends a fatal car accident;
• Bullying and harassment; and
• Stress, which may be caused by:
  • high demand (work overload);
  • low support from co-workers and supervisors;
  • lack of control;
  • poorly defined roles;
  • poorly managed relationships and conflict;
  • poor change participation;
  • lack of recognition and reward; and
  • organisational injustice.

Someone who knows the worker’s job requirements (probably a supervisor) needs to analyse them with these risk factors in mind. And of course the worker themselves may have insight into what has gone wrong.

Make reasonable adjustments.

With suitably modified duties and hours, workers with a mental illness can often continue to work. Once work-related contributing factors have been identified, supervisors should collaborate with the worker to make reasonable adjustments to the job requirements, also taking into account any effects of ongoing treatment (e.g. medication). These adjustments should be regularly reviewed, and as the situation changes so should they.

Time = support

It’s no good simply talking the talk of support: sometimes you have to let workers walk the walk. Injured workers may need time off to attend appointments, for example a weekly session with a psychologist. Flexibility around treatment requirements is one of the key ways that employers can assist with recovery. Employees should also be informed if there are any support services available through the workplace, such as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Be generous with information

Psychological claimants need clear information about their rights and responsibilities. Since some mental illnesses can interfere with memory and concentration, this information should be provided in written form as well as verbally, and questions should be answered as they arise.

Also ensure that the information given is accurate. It can be tempting to promise more than you can deliver, but this can backfire in the long run.

Be fair.

No one enjoys being treated unfairly, and study after study has shown that perceptions of unjust treatment hamper recovery. There are two kinds of justice that matter: procedural justice (are the processes in the workplace fair?) and distributive justice (is the outcome fair?). Even if the outcome of a claims deliberation is not what the worker hoped, a sense that the process was fair can go a long way. You can read more about both kinds of justice here.