Reviewing processes for providing employee support for wellness including communication practices, COVID-19 precautions, resources for mental health and well being, policies on hours of work and overtime, employee assistance programs, and employee engagement initiatives.
FAQs
What do I do when an employee says they have anxiety about using public transportation to come into work?
Anxiety is real and normal. There are varying degrees of anxiety and it is realistic for individuals to want to protect themselves from a serious health risk. The best way to work with this type of anxiety, is to by dealing with the issue in small steps. Some methods include wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, and practicing breathing exercises while taking short trips on public transit. Taking some of these actions in small stages can be helpful in overcoming the anxiety.
How do I accommodate someone who states they have a mental illness?
The process of accommodation performed by employer is both procedural and substantive. An employer must accommodate to the point of undue hardship. The threshold is extremely high because it is based on grounds of discrimination, mental illness. Not every anxiety or depression is reason for accommodation but asking questions and obtaining information will help you to determine best course of action. With substance abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental illness - if there is inappropriate behaviour with a causal connection between the behaviour and the result – you must accommodate. If there is no causal link between a mental illness, the behaviour would be deemed as culpable conduct.
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