How to Handle Mental Health Issues In The Workplace

How to Handle Mental Health Issues In The WorkplaceHow to Handle Mental Health Issues In The Workplace You may have seen the story that recently went viral about an employee who was 100 percent honest about the fact that she needed to take a couple of mental health days. It might seem like a brave thing to admit, but her CEOs response spoke volumes about the companys forward-thinking approach to mental health. I just wanted to personally thank you for sending emails like this, the CEO wrote in an email to the employee. Every time you do, I use it as a reminder of the importance of using sick days for mental health I cant believe this is not standard practice at all organizations. You are an example to us all, and help cut through the stigma so we can all bring ur whole selves to work. Unfortunately, this kind of response isnt exactly standard. Still, this should be an example to leaders everywhere, says Dr. Richard Shuster, psychologist and host of The Daily Hel ping Podcast . Not only is it good for employees to be in touch with their mental health, but it actually makes business sense, too. There is a large body of research that indicates when employees are happy and healthy, they are more productive, says Dr. Shuster. Further, an employee who receives a response like the woman in this story did is likelier to feel a stronger sense of loyalty to the organization. Employee retention is a hot topic these days, and this is a perfect example of how companies can improve their policies to keep their talent happy and at the top of their game.So why dont more companies encourage mental health days, and what can you do to make them more accepted? We spoke to experts to find out. Why We Need to Destigmatize Mental HealthAsk any mental health professional, and theyll tell you that your mental and physical health are directly linked - yet physical ailments are much easier to talk about in the workplace. Our society is comfortable with someone t aking a sick day for being physically ill, but as a culture we totenstill discount and minimize the importance of taking care of our emotional and mental health, explains Jude Miller Burke, Ph.D., psychologist, leadership coach, and author of The Adversity Advantage Turn Your Childhood Hardship Into Career and Life Success . Its not easy to change a work culture thats been around pretty much forever, but it is possible- and dont worry, it doesnt involve spilling your most intimate secrets to your coworkers. To destigmatize, its key to exorcise falsehoods about what strength is, says Dr. Perpetua Neo , a clinical psychologist who works with high achievers. Instead of coping alone, not asking for help, rationalizing mental health issues away, we should emphasize and actively build stronger teams who have each others backs, she says. This is especially so for the Type A, perfectionist high-achievers who inevitably set the tone for the workplace culture given their leadership roles. And while the road to destigmatization starts at the top, theres something to be done at every level of a company to help bring mental health into the conversation.In the leadership world, you hear about company culture all the time. Establishing a forward-thinking policy on openness about mental health is a great example of what having a fantastic company culture is really about. If the workplace culture promotes an acceptance of caring for ones mental health as important, it reduces stigmatization and increases the likelihood that an employee who truly needs help will seek it out, explains Dr. Shuster. It is important for company leadership to normalize mental illness in the same manner that one does other medical conditions. That means encouraging employees to make use of the resources available to them, whether thats highlighting the companys insurance coverage of mental health care, creating an open-door policy with HR to discuss how workplace stress can be lessened, or be efing up an employee assistance program.The key to being a great boss is first and foremost having your own act together. That why you should start with yourself, according to Shaun Wehle, Psy.D. , a psychologist, trainer, speaker and consultant specializing in workplace wellness and work-life balance. A major contributing factor to employee wellness is the relationship with the superior, he says. Basically, if you want to take care of your employees and promote their well-being, you need to put yourself in a position where you are actually equipped to do so. See a psychologist, he recommends. You dont have to be psychoanalyzed if you dont want that. There is a (not so new) trend of positive psychology that doesnt overly pathologize and instead looks at psychological principles as a way of improving the overall quality of life. This can help in both workplace culture and the home life, Dr. Wehle explains.Secondly, its important to acknowledge that mental health issues are incredi bly common. Realizing this can help prepare managers to deal with the inevitable situations that will arise with their direct reports. In a study of 310 high achieving men and women that I just completed, 60 percent of the participants struggled with issues stemming from childhood abuse, witnessing domestic violence, chemically dependent family members, poverty, mentally ill family members, or loss, says Dr. Smerling. Essentially, that means over half of the employees coming into work on any given day, at all levels in an organization, are bringing a negative childhood template that may resurface as stress increases. In other words, many people have dealt with issues in the past- or are dealing with them in the present- that can cause significant mental strain. Knowing this from the get-go can help managers feel less awkward when discussing mental health with their employees.First and foremost, employees often wonder what they should say if they need a mental health day. If you know you have a boss and/or corporate structure that is receptive to the idea that a mental health day may be needed, asking for one and being open about that would be an ideal situation, says Dr. Wehle. I would suggest avoiding being dishonest about why youre taking the day off, he adds. And if your office isnt so open about psychological struggles, often just saying youre taking a sick day or a personal day will not be contested, he says. As for bringing up overall mental health with your coworkers and superiors, youll have to gauge that depending on your individual professional bonds and current work culture. Many of us would like to have an open and honest relationship with our work family, says Dr. Wehle, but that doesnt necessarily mean you will want to (or should) get into the nitty gritty of what youre going through with your colleagues. And if you have trouble wrapping your head around making mental health part of your professional well-being , think of it this way As an emp loyee, its your responsibility to do the best work you can, which means being in the right frame of mind to get the job done. For smaller issues, taking a mental health day may do the trick, but if youre grappling with something bigger- the fallout from a death in your family, depression, divorce, or anxiety, for example- its a good idea to have a brief but honest conversation with your supervisor. If one fails to communicate with their superior that they are having mental health difficulties, it leaves their performance issues to the imagination of their boss, explains Dr. Shuster. Again, no need to tell them all the details, but its smart to let them know about the issue in terms you feel comfortable with. Lastly, it is helpful to express to your supervisor a plan of action such as seeking treatment, he says. This demonstrates that you plan to address it head-on so that you can continue performing at your best on the job.

Top 10 Things That You Should Never Do at Work

Top 10 Things That You Should Never Do at WorkTop 10 Things That You Should Never Do at WorkWhen youre at work, you need to work, of course, but, youre also human. That whole human thing means that you make mistakes from time to time and you take some actions that are not ideal for your career. Everyone does, and its not a huge problem in most cases. But tzu siche are some things that you should never, ever do at work. They are career damaging, reputation damaging, and they will cause you to lose respect from your coworkers, your senior team, but most particularly- the person you fondly call the boss. Here are the top ten things you should never do at work. 1. Use Your Computer for Anything You Wouldnt Want Your Boss to Know About Lots of bosses dont careif you check your personal email, post to your Twitter account, or shop for flowers for Mothers Day on your work computer. That doesnt mean that you have free eigentlich on your computer. You should limit what you do on a work-ow ned computer even if your job doesnt have formal internet and e-mail policies. No porn, of course, at any time. It is never appropriate to view at work. But dont job hunt, tweet anything inappropriate, or do anything that would cause your boss to freak out either. Remember, your company IT department can have access to everything you do on that computer, even when you use it at home. They access work computers when they suspect suspicious behavior by an employee. 2. Whine You can whine at home to your friends and family, but whining at work is a career killer. This doesnt mean that you cant complain about problems. When you complain, however, your complaint should identify a problem that is fixable with an action plan that you and your organization can implement. When you whine, its just whining and whining makes you look immature. 3. Overshare Yes, you want to become friends with your coworkers. But they dont need to know all of your drama whether it is relationship drama, family drama, or medical drama. This doesnt mean that you need to be a closed book, but it does mean keep the sharing of the personal drama under control. Telling your coworkers that youre going through a divorce is alright. Sharing every detail about what your soon-to-be ex is doing- and how you feel about it- is not. Keep business relationships professional. 4. Ignore Your Bosss Warnings When your boss says you need to come into work on time, she means it. When your boss says your attitude needs adjusting, it needs adjusting. When your boss says she wants you to focus on task A before going on to task B, you better make A, your priority. When youdont pay attention to these warnings, you put your career on the line. Some bosss preferences are career breaking to ignore. 5. Always Say Yes Your boss didnt hire you because she needed a robot. She hired you because you had knowledge, skills, and abilities that make you great at what you do. This means you need to speak up and sh are your ideas. After youve expressed your doubts about an idea and your boss says she still wants you to do it her way, do it that way, but use your intellect to present new ideas. 6. Anything Illegal This really shouldnt have to be said, but so many people break so many laws all of the time, they dont think its a big deal. Think about speeding. Everyone does it, right? But dont do it when youre driving on company business. What about working off the clock? You shouldnt do that either. Dont sign documents youre not legally authorized to sign. Dont do drugs. Dont let regulations slide. Be a stickler for legality in all of your actions. 7. Anything Immoral Dont lie. Dont have an affair. Dont set out to undermine your coworker. Sure, all of those activities can seem fun at the moment, but if youre busted, even if its not directly related to your job, it lowers your colleagues opinion of you. You dont want people thinking of you like Jane, who had an affair with her boss, or Pa trick, the guy who tried to make his team look badeanstalt to a senior manager despite his involvement in the failed project. 8. Recommend Your Friends Just Because They Are Your Friends Lots of companies have employee referral programs, and they are great. If you know a person who would work out fabulously in a position in your company, by all means, recommend that person. If someone you recommended gets hired, youll likely get a bit of extra cash- at least positive recognition and a big thank you. Awesome. But, dont recommend a person just because you are friends. That tends to end up as a disaster. Remember, its not just about the referral bonus, and its not just about getting your friend a job, its about your reputation. If you know or even worry about the possibility that your friend is a slacker, dont recommend her. 9. Spread Germs Around the Office Now, its true that many companies dont have sick plans and in some cases, youll get in trouble for taking time off, even if you have a fever of 104 and spend half the day in the bathroom. If thats the case, then put a pox upon your bosss head and hopefully, he catches whatever you have. But if your company has a sick plan or any PTO that you could use when youre contagious, for Petes sake, take it. When youre sick, youre not working up to speed, and youre infecting others. If they catch your disease, their productivity drops as well. One person with the flu can decimate an office. Stay home. If you cant stand notworking, work from home if possible, but pretty please, keep the germs to yourself. 10. Let Anger Take Over Your job can be one of the most stressful components of your life. Dont, however, let your stress turn into anger that turns into bad behavior in the office.Yelling, screaming, punching a wall- or even worse, punching a person- can be career limiting. Punching a coworker also falls under that no illegal things category. Youll probably get fired and might land yourself in prison. Lear n to count to 10 before responding. If you find yourself yelling a lot, use your companys EAP and get some anger management help. It will save your career. You want your coworkers to like and respect you, and your boss to appreciate you and your work professionally. You want to make the time you invest at work happy time, too. So if you avoid these ten actions, what you want will come true, and youll have missed most opportunities for committing career suicide.

What Authors Need to Know About Copyright

What Authors Need to Know About CopyrightWhat Authors Need to Know About CopyrightCopyright legally protects an authors works and as a result, it is vitally important in book publishing. According to the U.S. government, Copyright is a gestalt of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. In other words, you cant copyright things like skywriting. Copyright provides protection against literary piracy, which is especially critical in todays world of easy digital reproduction and distribution. Here are some frequently asked questions specific to authors and book publishing that reflect the laws of the U.S. government. Why Is Copyright Important to Authors? Copyright is extremely important to authors because it constitutes the ownership of ones original work. Having ownership means you can protect your work as intellectual property and control who makes money off of it- which is you and th ose to whom you assign rights. What Does Copyright Protect? Copyright is a form of intellectual property law and as such protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works. These works include poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. In other words, your story (or piece of music or building plans) must be fully developed, fleshed out, and exist in some visible manner in order for it to be considered copyrighted. This is a compelling reason for authors to alwayswrite down their plots, instead of just talking about them. At What Point Is My Book Protected by Copyright? Your book is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly (e.g., on paper) or with the aid of a machine or device (e.g., an e-reader such as a Nook or a Kindle). Therefore, copyright covers both published and unpublished works. Do I Have to Register With the Copyright Office to Be Protected? In general, registration is voluntary because copyright exists from the moment the work is created- therefore, the short answer is no but theres a caveat. It is highly recommended that authors register their work for a number of reasons. Many authors want to register their works because they want a public record of the facts of their copyright which comes with a certificate of registration. Also, authors have to register if they want to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work and to be eligible for statutory damages, as well as attorneys fees. Finally, if registration occurs within five years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law- meaning, its enough to establish that you are the owner of the work. Traditional publishersregister the books they publish but if you are publishing the book yourself, you should check with your indie publishing service to make koranvers you understand who is responsible for registering your work with the copyright office. Is It True That Titles Cant Be Copyrighted? Yes, that is true. You cannot copyright a title. What Is a Poor Mans Copyright? The practice of sending a copy of your work to yourself is sometimes called a poor mans copyright. Because the U.S. Postal Service is a federal agency, there has been a common but erroneous presumption that your stamp somehow validates your copyright. However, there is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection. Mailing your work to yourself is not a substitute for the additional legal proofs that a registration provides. Is My Copyright Good In Other Countries? The United States has copyright relations with most countries throughout the world. UNESCOs World Book and Copyright Day highlights the global value of copyright. However, the United States do es not have such copyright relationships with every country.