Imagine you’re a manager and you’re concerned about someone on your team. You’ve noticed a change in their behaviour; you think they might be suffering from stress or some sort of mental health problem. They might be coming in late, not completing work or showing other signs that they’re just not coping. A good start is to meet up with your team member. Explain to them what’s worrying you. You need to make it clear that this isn’t about reprimanding them, it’s about helping and supporting them. Often people find it difficult to talk about personal issues. There’s a stigma around mental health. People worry about what others will think, that they’ll lose their job. You might want to say that you would like to discuss the issue with HR. HR should be there to support you to support your team members.
After a week or so, when you’ve both had time to reflect, you can then meet with your team member again to try and come up with a range of options. It might be them seeing their GP, seeking some counselling, working flexible hours, having some time away from work. It’s up to you both to find out what works together. The HR manager should be able to give you guidance on how to manage a situation in the best way possible, but remember, every single person is an individual and there is no one solution.