While many of us know that our mental wellbeing is just as important as our physical health, reaching out for support when we’re struggling can be tough. This is especially true at work, where some of us feel pressure to appear ‘strong’ and overly ‘capable’.
But whatever the reason for your mental health struggles, reaching out to your employer for support can be an important step in looking after yourself. By law, employers must treat mental health just as seriously as physical health – and there are various things they can do to help.
Here, we look at some mental health support you can access at work – plus, offer tips for broaching the subject with your employer.
When should I consider speaking to my employer about my mental health?
Whether you have a diagnosed mental health condition or your struggles are related to a specific life event, it’s worth reaching out to your employer for support. Since the average person spends one-third of their life at work, making this space as mental-health-friendly as possible can have a big impact on our overall wellbeing.
Remember that you don’t have to share any mental health difficulties with your employer if you don’t want to. It’s a big step, so try to take your time with the decision. However, it’s important to consider sharing if…
- Your work is contributing to your poor mental health
- Your mental health is causing difficulties at work – for example, it’s affecting your performance or causing absences
- You work in a job where your mental health difficulties may jeopardise your safety or the safety of others – for example, if you’re struggling to sleep and work with heavy machinery
Even if none of the points above apply to you, it can still be helpful to reach out to someone at work about your mental health struggles. While this may feel daunting, try to remember that your employer won’t be able to take steps to support you if they don’t know if you’re struggling.
What kind of support is available to me at work?
Whatever your mental health struggles, your employer should explore and offer ways to support you at work.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition, you may be considered disabled by the Equality Act 2010 (even if you don’t consider yourself to be disabled). In this case, you’re legally entitled to support in the form of reasonable adjustments.
Reasonable adjustments are changes employers have to make to prevent you from being put at a disadvantage, compared to those without a disability. This could involve…
- Changes to your role and responsibilities – such as reviewing tasks and deadlines to make your workload more manageable.
- Changes to your work hours and schedule – for example, your employer may offer flexible hours, shorter but more frequent breaks, or even the chance to go part-time or job share.
- Changes to your work environment – such as allowing you to work from home or providing a quieter workspace.
- Changes to communication requirements – this can be particularly helpful for those who have anxiety around specific methods of communication, such as unexpected phone calls.
- Flexibility with existing policies – for example, your employer may offer to reevaluate absence review points or offer you paid leave for health appointments.
There are plenty of other reasonable adjustments and ways for your employer to support you and your mental health at work. For example, if you have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), you could consider asking for a lightbox or to work beside a window. Or, it could be as simple as requesting permission to take a few minutes to yourself when you feel anxious or overwhelmed.
If you need more assistance than reasonable adjustments can provide, you might be able to get support through the government’s Access to Work scheme. This could include one-to-one sessions with a mental health professional or a bespoke plan to help you remain at work.
To find out more about reasonable adjustments for mental health, check out our article: How to get support at home and work if you have a disability. Alternatively, you can head over to the Acas website.
It’s worth reiterating that even if you’re not considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010, your employer should still offer support and explore whether reasonable adjustments can help your mental health.
8 tips for speaking to your employer about your mental health
There’s no one right way to speak to your manager about getting mental health support at work, as everyone’s situation and communication preferences are unique. However, we’ve pulled together some tips below to offer somewhere to start.
1. Choose someone you trust to reach out to
The first step to getting mental health support at work is choosing someone you trust to speak with.
Ideally, this would be your manager, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead, you could speak to someone in HR or another senior member of staff who can help you access the support you need.
2. Schedule a time to speak with your chosen person privately
Arranging a time to speak with your manager (or whoever you’ve chosen) privately is a good way to reduce any stress and anxiety you may be feeling about broaching the subject of your mental health. This could be during a regularly scheduled catch-up, or you could request a separate one-to-one meeting.
It’s a good idea to allocate more time than you think you’ll need. This way, you won’t be worried about running out of time or feeling rushed to explain yourself and discuss your needs.
It’s also worth remembering that you don’t need to inform your chosen colleague about the subject of the discussion ahead of time if you don’t want to. However, doing so could allow them to prepare for the meeting and make it more productive – for example, by thinking about ways they can support you in advance or helping to choose an appropriate space for your discussion.
3. Check if your company has policies about mental health
Before speaking to your chosen colleague about your mental health, it can be useful to see if your company has policies about mental health and other aspects of employee wellbeing.
These will often have clear instructions about the best ways for workers to raise concerns about their mental health and how the organisation should support you, which can make preparing for your meeting easier.
If you don’t know where to find these policies, try looking in your employee handbook, if you have one. If you still can’t find them, someone in your HR department should be able to point you in the right direction.
It’s also worth checking if your company has an Employee Assitance Programme (EAP), which can support workers with accessing free confidential support and professional advice – including counselling sessions. Your HR department should be able to give you details on your company’s EAP if they offer one.
4. Reflect on your experiences and needs
To prepare for your discussion with your manager, it’s a good idea to spend some time reflecting on the impact your mental health is having on you (including on your work performance), and what reasonable adjustments you think might help. Then, you can start planning exactly what to say in your meeting.
It can also be helpful to reflect on whether your mental health struggles are a result of a mental health challenge or a condition.
Mental health challenges are often triggered by a specific event – such as a bereavement or an instance of discrimination – and may or may not be temporary. On the other hand, mental health conditions are usually persistent and formally diagnosed by a medical professional – for example, depression and anxiety disorder.
Both mental health challenges and mental health conditions can have a significant impact on your work and wellbeing, and your employer should take each seriously. However, understanding this distinction can help you frame your discussion with your manager and get the right support.
5. Write down what you plan to say
One concern that many people have about speaking to their employer about their mental health is that they won’t get their message across properly or forget to mention certain things.
To help with this, try writing down everything that’s affecting you and any ideas for support measures ahead of time. If you’ve spoken to a medical professional, you might want to jot down their views on your situation, too.
6. Only share what you feel comfortable with
While preparing for your meeting, it can help to remember that you don’t need to share anything about your situation that you aren’t comfortable with.
For example, you don’t need to go into any detail about what’s causing your mental health struggles. What’s important is expressing how your mental health is affecting, or being affected by, your job.
Sharing your mental health struggles with your employer is a big step in itself, so try to take your time and remember that you can always share more further down the line if you choose to.
7. Create a Wellness Action Plan WAP
To help you get the support you need, mental health charity Mind recommends creating a Wellness Action Plan (WAP).
According to Mind, WAPs are, “a personalised, practical tool […] to help us identify what keeps us well at work, what causes us to become unwell, and how to address a mental health problem at work.”
Your WAP will cover steps that you and your manager can take to support your mental health, as well as early warning signs of poor mental health your manager can look out for and any workplace triggers. It also includes an agreed time to review your WAP and reevaluate any support measures to see if they’ve been effective.
You can begin work on your WAP ahead of your discussion with your manager to help open a dialogue and best communicate your experiences and needs. Or, you can ask your manager for time to work on it afterwards.
To find out more about WAPs and how to create yours, take a look at this guide from Mind.
8. Consider making an appointment with your GP
While the right support at work can be beneficial if you’re struggling with your mental health, it’s also important to consider whether you need to seek professional support outside of the workplace, too.
Mind suggests thinking about seeking professional help if you’re…
- worrying more than usual
- finding it hard to enjoy your life
- having thoughts and feelings that are difficult to cope with, which have an impact on your day-to-day life
- interested to find more support or treatment.
Making an appointment with your GP is a great place to start. They can make an official diagnosis if you have a mental health condition, offer treatments like medication and talking therapies, and direct you to other forms of support.
Final thoughts…
Due to things like shame or worry about negative reactions, you may feel hesitant to tell someone at work about your mental health. While this is completely understandable, it’s important to remember that everyone has their struggles, and you should never feel ashamed of yours. The odds are whoever you tell will be glad that you told them and happy to help.
As well as helping you access formal support, the simple act of confiding in someone you trust about your mental health difficulties can help lift any burdens you’re feeling. Your willingness to speak up may even encourage others to do so, too – making your work environment a more open and supportive place.
If you’re unsure about whether or not to reach out to someone at work about your mental health, you might find this article from writer and speaker Deborah Grayson Riegel helpful. Deborah was initially unsure about telling her boss about her obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But once she found the courage, she was pleasantly surprised by the results.
And if you’re ever struggling and aren’t sure where to turn, you can get in touch with the Samaritans for free by calling 116 123 or The Silver Line by calling 0800 470 8090. Both of these channels can offer a listening ear and some friendly words of advice 24/7.
If you don’t feel up to speaking on the phone, Samaritans also have an email address that you can write to: jo@samaritans.org. You should receive a response within several days.
You can also find plenty more articles about maintaining your mental health in our health mind section. We cover everything from burnout and finding a better work/life balance to tips on personal development and stepping outside of your comfort zone.
Additional helpful resources
- Mental Health Foundation – information and support for anyone living with mental health issues or learning disabilities.
- Mind – a charity that promotes better mental health and offers information and support.
- Men’s Health Forum – a 24/7 text, email, and chat service for men.
- No Panic – a charity offering support to people who experience panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Samaritans – confidential support for people experiencing feelings of stress, anxiety, or despair.
- The Silver Line – a charity providing information, friendship, and advice to older people.
- Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) – which provides free and impartial advice to employers and employees about employment rights and best practices (including mental health).
Have you spoken to your employer about your mental health? Do you have any additional tips? We’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below.