Mental health is not a comfortable subject to talk about, and it can be especially hard to talk about in the workplace. Despite the push for greater awareness and acceptance of mental health issues, many employees still feel uncomfortable bringing it up in the office, and it’s often seen as a taboo topic.
This can be due to fear of judgment or feeling like they’ll be seen as weak or unable to handle the job. The stigma surrounding mental health can also make it difficult for people to open up about their struggles and ask for help.
Let’s explore why mental health isn’t talked about more in the office.
The stigma around mental health
For starters, discussions on mental health in the office are often avoided because of the stigma of mental health issues. Conditions like depression or anxiety can be seen as signs of weakness or personal failure, which is why many people don’t feel comfortable talking about it.
This stigma makes it difficult for individuals to seek help and support in the office, as they may worry that colleagues will judge them or that their careers could suffer if they let their mental health issues be known.
Job security
A common fear is if your employer knows about your mental health struggles, you could be on the chopping block if there are layoffs. While employers can generally not discriminate against you for having mental health issues, many don’t like managing employees with chronic mental health issues. These types of employers will work around the law and still fire you if they can find enough reason to.
Smaller companies best employ this type of strategy. While they might be okay with you having a mental health issue, if you miss enough days at work, they could fire you under the guise they’re losing business by not having you pull your weight.
Fear of being treated differently
Another issue with mental health is how your other coworkers will treat you. For example, if everyone in the office knows you’re bipolar, they might be okay with it, but at the same time, they might not want to associate with you. They might be concerned your mood could change at a moment’s notice.
Additionally, there’s the concern you might be looked at as inferior due to your mental health issues. For instance, if you’re in recovery from alcohol addiction and your boss gives you a deadline, your coworkers might think you won’t be able to meet it due to your ongoing recovery.
There is no point
There’s also the feeling some people have in that there’s no point in having this discussion in no one cares, or nothing will change. Sure, your company might talk about mental health’s importance, but it could all be for show. You could have seen the same thing happen in the past when someone brought up mental health, but nothing happened.
Additionally, many people feel like it’s pointless to talk about mental health because of how much of a personal issue it is. Mental health is often seen as something that should be kept private, so many don’t see the point in talking about it publicly, let alone at work.
It’s not a relevant discussion
Mental health is an important topic, but you may find that it isn’t appropriate to bring it up in the office. Our work environment can be a place of structure, influence, or pressure, and discussing mental health could potentially disrupt that balance if not handled with care.
It can be especially hard to find time to discuss mental health if you work in a fast-paced industry like the food industry. There’s no easy way to bring up the topic if everyone is constantly busy.
Mental health is still important
Regardless of the stigmas and taboos around mental health, it is still a very important issue to address in the workplace. It should not be ignored because it’s better to have employees who are in good health and can deliver good results without their mental health holding them back.
Employers should provide a safe and supportive work environment where employees feel comfortable discussing mental health concerns. Managers should be trained to recognize warning signs of mental health issues in their staff and respond appropriately. They should also create avenues for employees to access resources or seek help if needed.
