Why do Employers need Mental Health Assessments ?
Even organisations that have good strategies to promote mental health at work will find that some people will experience mental health issues. An employer with concerns over an employee’s mental health can arrange for a mental health assessment as a way of supporting staff with conditions such as anxiety, depression and stress.
What does a Mental Health Assessment involve?
The assessment will evaluate the nature of the mental health problem and the diagnosis to determine how it affects the individual, whether the employee’s behaviours at work are related to their mental health problems, and whether the individual is able to work effectively with their current health condition. They will weigh up if there is a possibility of causing other problems in the workplace such as frequent sickness absence, and whether work is likely to harm the individual’s health. To do this they will estimate the individual’s
- ability to make decisions
- inattention and loss of concentration,
- effects of drugs and medication
- degree of insight into their condition
They will also consider whether there are abnormal behaviours such as a loss of control, risk of violence or deliberate acts that may pose a risk to others in the workplace. Finally, the assessment will evaluate if the condition is amenable to treatment, and if there are other or better treatments available?
What information does a Mental Health Report provide?
Having collected all the relevant information from the individual, the workplace, and if necessary the treating GP and specialist, the Mental Health assessment report will provide guidance to an employer on the individual’s role at work and deal with concerns such as
- Whether the individual has a health condition
- Will the illness interfere with this individual’s ability to do this specific job
- Does anything in this job pose a risk to the candidate’s mental health
- Is there any risk to the welfare of others
- What modifications or adaptations are needed to accommodate the candidate’s health
How expensive are Mental Health adjustments?
Most adjustments cost nothing and are often fairly simple such as a change to the employee’s workload. The average cost of adjustments at work is £75 *, which is significantly less than the cost of recruitment and training another member of staff, not to mention the added benefits of improved morale, staff retention and productivity.
*According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission