Many of us experience times when we feel overwhelmed by life, but for some people, mental illness can create challenges that make it difficult to function effectively in the workplace. The good news is that workplace accommodations can help by offering simple assistance to make it easier for someone managing mental health concerns to continue working safely and effectively.
So, what accommodations are available for mental health conditions? In this article, we'll explore how mental illness can impact work, how creating a more accommodating workspace can mitigate these impacts, and what is legally available to a person managing a mental health condition.
A mental health condition is a collection of all diagnosable mental disorders causing severe disturbances in thinking, feeling, relating, and functional behaviors. One in five people are affected by a mental illness over their lifetime, and certain mental health conditions can impact an individual’s ability to achieve maximum productivity in the workplace.
A mental health condition can result in a substantially diminished capacity to cope with the demands of daily life, depending on the type and severity of symptoms. Symptoms of certain mental health conditions may interfere with an individual’s educational goals and create a psychiatric disability.
The ADA defines a disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” The ADA requires any employer with 15 or more employees to provide “reasonable accommodations” to qualified employees with disabilities, including mental health conditions.
Reasonable accommodations are adjustments to a work environment, making it possible for qualified employees with disabilities to do their job. This can include physical tools and schedule changes that help the employee in their job tasks and essential functions.
Employers should start with the request made by a employee with a mental health disability and consider the type of work environment, the position the employee holds, and how the person’s disability affects their ability to perform their job. Larger companies can work with their HR department to figure out how to provide reasonable accommodations to people with psychiatric disabilities. Private offices without an HR department can consult with an outside firm that specializes in these topics.
Here are a few important aspects of accommodating employees that an employer should be aware of:
Disclosing a mental health disability: an employer can only accommodate a disability they are aware of, so an employee must disclose their disability to start the accommodations’ process.
Securing preliminary documentation: an employer may request medical documentation from a treating healthcare provider to confirm the need for an accommodation.
Establishing an open dialogue: communication between employers and employees is important in developing reasonable accommodations.
A mental health condition can impact an individual’s ability to perform essential functions of their job. Some of these conditions include:
Employers can contribute to their employees’ success with reasonable accommodations for those who need them. Job duties vary, as do the accommodations themselves. Some possible accommodations include things like disability or medical leave, office computer access, regularly scheduled meetings, or remote job coaching and training sessions.
Flexible scheduling/telework are common accommodations, allowing flexibility in work schedules and remote work options. Working in the office, you may offer more frequent breaks, and have backup coverage during those breaks. Workplace noise may be monitored if it affects an employee's job performance. Private space enclosures, environmental sound machines, and a supportive supervision style are other effective accommodations for many employees with psychiatric diagnoses.
Certain written and visual tools can be to support an employee’s preferred learning style. This can include personal digital assistants, modified training materials for learning work tasks and job duties, written work agreements, and more.
It can be essential in the workplace to train managers and supervisors on mental health disorders, disability employment policy, and the importance of providing reasonable accommodation, as well as educating managers and supervisors on how to communicate effectively with employees with mental health conditions.
It is a common myth that individuals with mental illnesses do not recover. The fact is that the vast majority of people with psychiatric disabilities do get better with improved treatments and services.
Another myth is that individuals with mental health conditions cannot work in stressful or demanding jobs. The truth is that many individuals with psychiatric disabilities can and do work effectively, with varying impacts on work life. With the right accommodations, laid out by the Americans with Disabilities Act, employees with mental health challenges can take on any job task.
Those who experience psychiatric disabilities as part of a mental disorder are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you have difficulty learning job tasks or are overwhelmed by certain aspects of your office environment, and suspect it may be due to a mental illness found in the diagnostic and statistical manual, working with a professional can help.
At Williamsburg Therapy Group, our team of doctoral-level psychotherapists offers both online and in-person sessions to accommodate a busy life, and allow you to work with a provider that can help get you diagnosed as well as meet your individual therapy needs.
Call today to speak with a service coordinator who can find the right therapist for you. As well as being able to help determine what accommodations may be helpful, your therapist can help you learn positive coping skills to improve both your professional and personal lives.