Accommodations

How can I support an employee’s return to work after disability leave for a mental health problem?

• The fundamentals
• Ask your employee what they need
• Set benchmarks
• Lead by example

The fundamentals

Three fundamentals must be in place for an employee’s return to work to be successful:

1. The work itself, and the employee’s presence in the workplace, should not pose a risk to the employee or co-workers.
2. The employee must be able to perform the tasks of his or her job at a level where meaningful work is possible with appropriate accommodations.
3. The workplace must be welcoming and free from harassment and other pressures that might delay recovery.

What kinds of accommodations are people with a mental health problem likely to need?

There is no comprehensive list of accommodations for people who are dealing with mental health issues. Accommodations tend to be based on the individual needs of employees as well as on the resources available to the employer. In some instances a small employer will be unable to provide the same type of accommodation as a larger employer. In most cases accommodations are inexpensive and involve workplace flexibility rather than capital expenditures.

Common accommodations for people with mental health problems include:

• Job coach assistance in hiring, and on the job
  • A job coach may be someone from an outside agency that assists the employee in the workplace. Alternately, someone within the workplace, such as a peer or human resources staff person might perform this role.
  • The job coach can help in a number of ways such as assisting the person to fill out applications, helping them to reduce their anxiety by providing feedback, observing their work and making suggestions about accommodation.