我們都承受著巨大壓力,這一點(diǎn)我們都清楚。新冠疫情發(fā)展到現(xiàn)在這個(gè)階段,我們與以前最大的區(qū)別在于,如今我們更愿意談?wù)撨@個(gè)問(wèn)題。
Calm公司的首席醫(yī)療官奧馬爾?達(dá)烏德說(shuō):“新冠疫情對(duì)全世界所有人而言都是巨大的挑戰(zhàn),但它讓我們?cè)敢獬ㄩ_心扉,去談?wù)摼窠】岛托袨榻】祮?wèn)題。”關(guān)于這一點(diǎn)有一個(gè)明顯的標(biāo)志:越來(lái)越多的企業(yè)將類似于Calm公司的心理健康服務(wù)作為一種員工福利。
疫情讓公司認(rèn)識(shí)到,它們需要為員工提供應(yīng)對(duì)壓力、焦慮和持續(xù)動(dòng)蕩的工具,因?yàn)檫@些現(xiàn)實(shí)問(wèn)題經(jīng)常會(huì)影響人們的工作方式。職場(chǎng)同事尤其適合提早干預(yù),因?yàn)楣ぷ骺?jī)效變化是抑郁、焦慮和過(guò)勞的早期跡象之一。
了解職場(chǎng)抑郁、焦慮和過(guò)勞的表現(xiàn)
華盛頓大學(xué)圣路易斯分校醫(yī)學(xué)院(School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis)的教授杰西?戈?duì)柕箩t(yī)生稱:“治療師告訴我,我有過(guò)勞跡象。在此之前,我一直沒(méi)有意識(shí)到這個(gè)問(wèn)題。實(shí)際上,最困難的是及時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)自身出現(xiàn)問(wèn)題的跡象和癥狀?!?/p>
這些跡象通常包括與他人的關(guān)系看起來(lái)比平時(shí)更疏遠(yuǎn)、總是遲到,或者經(jīng)常缺席會(huì)議等。
戈?duì)柕聦iT研究大學(xué)生的心理健康和醫(yī)生的身心健康問(wèn)題。她回憶自己當(dāng)時(shí)出現(xiàn)了情緒衰竭、偶然性的麻木不仁和易怒等癥狀。這些跡象在其他人眼中更加明顯,尤其是在你深陷其中無(wú)法自拔的時(shí)候。
戈?duì)柕卤硎荆骸安坏饺f(wàn)不得已,人們往往不愿意尋求幫助。這在美國(guó)尤其如此。我們不喜歡用過(guò)勞或者抑郁這些字眼。我們會(huì)撐下去,因?yàn)槲覀冋J(rèn)為我們本應(yīng)如此,但實(shí)際上尋求幫助不是錯(cuò)誤,也不代表軟弱?!?/p>
雇主能夠做些什么
你可能并不是經(jīng)過(guò)專業(yè)訓(xùn)練的心理學(xué)家或者精神科醫(yī)生。所以,絕對(duì)不要試圖利用谷歌(Google)或WebMD對(duì)你的團(tuán)隊(duì)成員進(jìn)行診斷或治療。
但如果你有足夠的理由感到擔(dān)憂,你應(yīng)該為團(tuán)隊(duì)成員提供支持并說(shuō)出你的擔(dān)憂,而且你要知道在什么時(shí)候以及以哪些方式建議你的團(tuán)隊(duì)成員尋求幫助。如果員工出現(xiàn)了可能傷害自己或他人的跡象,就應(yīng)該為他們尋求緊急救助。
按照法律規(guī)定,雇主不可以因?yàn)閱T工的心理健康問(wèn)題將其辭退、取消晉升機(jī)會(huì)、騷擾員工或者強(qiáng)迫其離職等。員工擁有隱私權(quán),不需要將自己的心理健康狀況告訴雇主。
如果員工披露了可能影響其工作的心理健康狀況,管理者要做的第一件事情是考慮需提供哪些工作便利,以確保員工能夠完成自己的本職工作。雇主需要提供合理的便利條件,例如定期休息、遠(yuǎn)程工作安排,或者根據(jù)預(yù)約治療時(shí)間安排工作等。
雇主可以允許員工提出要求,并滿足這些要求,但如果沒(méi)有事先與員工或者公司人力資源部溝通,雇主就不要擅自減少員工的職責(zé)或改變其績(jī)效指標(biāo)。
謹(jǐn)慎選擇措辭和發(fā)送電子郵件的時(shí)間
作為管理者,為了員工的心理健康,你能夠做的最好的一件事情就是幫助員工制定和遵守可以預(yù)測(cè)的作息時(shí)間。不要影響員工的午餐時(shí)間或晚上的睡眠。
達(dá)烏德說(shuō):“你能夠使用的最重要的工具是電子郵箱里的草稿文件夾。”將非緊急郵件安排在正常工作時(shí)間發(fā)送,證明你尊重團(tuán)隊(duì)成員的邊界和個(gè)人時(shí)間。
相反,最糟糕的做法是發(fā)一條內(nèi)容不明的信息,類似于“有時(shí)間嗎?”你的出發(fā)點(diǎn)或許是好的,但這種信息可能會(huì)讓收件人產(chǎn)生各種誤解,陷入焦慮的漩渦。
展現(xiàn)自己的脆弱,但不要超出邊界
有時(shí)候,管理者最強(qiáng)大的工具是愿意談?wù)撟陨斫?jīng)歷。達(dá)烏德稱:“如果你作為領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者愿意展現(xiàn)自己的脆弱,公司的其他員工就會(huì)認(rèn)為展現(xiàn)脆弱是正常的?!?/p>
然而,這并不意味著你要在周一例會(huì)或者公司的時(shí)事通訊中把自己的健康記錄全盤托出。你可以簡(jiǎn)單地分享一條生活經(jīng)驗(yàn)或一段親身經(jīng)歷,證明你感同身受。戈?duì)柕轮赋觯骸坝袝r(shí)候,一個(gè)人說(shuō)出真相能夠產(chǎn)生巨大的影響。這樣人們就不會(huì)覺(jué)得孤單?!?/p>
在戈?duì)柕鲁霈F(xiàn)過(guò)勞的那段時(shí)間,有些人與她分享了自己出現(xiàn)心理健康問(wèn)題的經(jīng)歷,這給她帶來(lái)了最大的幫助?!八麄冏屛腋杏X(jué)在我需要幫助的時(shí)候,可以隨時(shí)向他們傾訴?!?/p>
戈?duì)柕抡J(rèn)為最重要的是治療,她從不避諱這個(gè)話題。她表示,雇主能夠使用的一個(gè)強(qiáng)大工具是,讓員工明白抽出時(shí)間接受治療和康復(fù),并不會(huì)影響他們的職業(yè)生涯。
營(yíng)造互幫互助的工作環(huán)境
人們之所以不愿意重視自己的心理健康,常見的原因是擔(dān)心自己的狀況或治療會(huì)影響工作。此外,員工獲取醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)賠償和員工援助項(xiàng)目等面臨諸多挑戰(zhàn),這些問(wèn)題成為員工解決心理健康問(wèn)題的巨大障礙。
作為管理者,拿出時(shí)間休假,為自己制定合理的工作時(shí)間,在中午留出鍛煉或治療的時(shí)間,等于告訴團(tuán)隊(duì)成員他們也可以這樣做。
你不必精通公司的所有福利,但如果你能夠幫助團(tuán)隊(duì)成員確定一些可供選擇的方案,就可以讓他們避免許多不必要的挫折。
有時(shí)候,只是給人們提供一個(gè)說(shuō)話的空間,就有重要的意義。達(dá)烏德建議管理者定期舉行會(huì)議,了解每位員工的狀態(tài)。這些會(huì)議提供了一個(gè)談?wù)撔睦砗托袨榻】祮?wèn)題的場(chǎng)合,讓管理者有機(jī)會(huì)表現(xiàn)出他們對(duì)團(tuán)隊(duì)成員身心健康的關(guān)心。
達(dá)烏德說(shuō):“我們希望員工能夠解決自身面臨的壓力和焦慮。事實(shí)上,我們需要讓員工為此做好準(zhǔn)備?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
翻譯:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
我們都承受著巨大壓力,這一點(diǎn)我們都清楚。新冠疫情發(fā)展到現(xiàn)在這個(gè)階段,我們與以前最大的區(qū)別在于,如今我們更愿意談?wù)撨@個(gè)問(wèn)題。
Calm公司的首席醫(yī)療官奧馬爾?達(dá)烏德說(shuō):“新冠疫情對(duì)全世界所有人而言都是巨大的挑戰(zhàn),但它讓我們?cè)敢獬ㄩ_心扉,去談?wù)摼窠】岛托袨榻】祮?wèn)題?!标P(guān)于這一點(diǎn)有一個(gè)明顯的標(biāo)志:越來(lái)越多的企業(yè)將類似于Calm公司的心理健康服務(wù)作為一種員工福利。
疫情讓公司認(rèn)識(shí)到,它們需要為員工提供應(yīng)對(duì)壓力、焦慮和持續(xù)動(dòng)蕩的工具,因?yàn)檫@些現(xiàn)實(shí)問(wèn)題經(jīng)常會(huì)影響人們的工作方式。職場(chǎng)同事尤其適合提早干預(yù),因?yàn)楣ぷ骺?jī)效變化是抑郁、焦慮和過(guò)勞的早期跡象之一。
了解職場(chǎng)抑郁、焦慮和過(guò)勞的表現(xiàn)
華盛頓大學(xué)圣路易斯分校醫(yī)學(xué)院(School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis)的教授杰西?戈?duì)柕箩t(yī)生稱:“治療師告訴我,我有過(guò)勞跡象。在此之前,我一直沒(méi)有意識(shí)到這個(gè)問(wèn)題。實(shí)際上,最困難的是及時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)自身出現(xiàn)問(wèn)題的跡象和癥狀?!?/p>
這些跡象通常包括與他人的關(guān)系看起來(lái)比平時(shí)更疏遠(yuǎn)、總是遲到,或者經(jīng)常缺席會(huì)議等。
戈?duì)柕聦iT研究大學(xué)生的心理健康和醫(yī)生的身心健康問(wèn)題。她回憶自己當(dāng)時(shí)出現(xiàn)了情緒衰竭、偶然性的麻木不仁和易怒等癥狀。這些跡象在其他人眼中更加明顯,尤其是在你深陷其中無(wú)法自拔的時(shí)候。
戈?duì)柕卤硎荆骸安坏饺f(wàn)不得已,人們往往不愿意尋求幫助。這在美國(guó)尤其如此。我們不喜歡用過(guò)勞或者抑郁這些字眼。我們會(huì)撐下去,因?yàn)槲覀冋J(rèn)為我們本應(yīng)如此,但實(shí)際上尋求幫助不是錯(cuò)誤,也不代表軟弱?!?/p>
雇主能夠做些什么
你可能并不是經(jīng)過(guò)專業(yè)訓(xùn)練的心理學(xué)家或者精神科醫(yī)生。所以,絕對(duì)不要試圖利用谷歌(Google)或WebMD對(duì)你的團(tuán)隊(duì)成員進(jìn)行診斷或治療。
但如果你有足夠的理由感到擔(dān)憂,你應(yīng)該為團(tuán)隊(duì)成員提供支持并說(shuō)出你的擔(dān)憂,而且你要知道在什么時(shí)候以及以哪些方式建議你的團(tuán)隊(duì)成員尋求幫助。如果員工出現(xiàn)了可能傷害自己或他人的跡象,就應(yīng)該為他們尋求緊急救助。
按照法律規(guī)定,雇主不可以因?yàn)閱T工的心理健康問(wèn)題將其辭退、取消晉升機(jī)會(huì)、騷擾員工或者強(qiáng)迫其離職等。員工擁有隱私權(quán),不需要將自己的心理健康狀況告訴雇主。
如果員工披露了可能影響其工作的心理健康狀況,管理者要做的第一件事情是考慮需提供哪些工作便利,以確保員工能夠完成自己的本職工作。雇主需要提供合理的便利條件,例如定期休息、遠(yuǎn)程工作安排,或者根據(jù)預(yù)約治療時(shí)間安排工作等。
雇主可以允許員工提出要求,并滿足這些要求,但如果沒(méi)有事先與員工或者公司人力資源部溝通,雇主就不要擅自減少員工的職責(zé)或改變其績(jī)效指標(biāo)。
謹(jǐn)慎選擇措辭和發(fā)送電子郵件的時(shí)間
作為管理者,為了員工的心理健康,你能夠做的最好的一件事情就是幫助員工制定和遵守可以預(yù)測(cè)的作息時(shí)間。不要影響員工的午餐時(shí)間或晚上的睡眠。
達(dá)烏德說(shuō):“你能夠使用的最重要的工具是電子郵箱里的草稿文件夾?!睂⒎蔷o急郵件安排在正常工作時(shí)間發(fā)送,證明你尊重團(tuán)隊(duì)成員的邊界和個(gè)人時(shí)間。
相反,最糟糕的做法是發(fā)一條內(nèi)容不明的信息,類似于“有時(shí)間嗎?”你的出發(fā)點(diǎn)或許是好的,但這種信息可能會(huì)讓收件人產(chǎn)生各種誤解,陷入焦慮的漩渦。
展現(xiàn)自己的脆弱,但不要超出邊界
有時(shí)候,管理者最強(qiáng)大的工具是愿意談?wù)撟陨斫?jīng)歷。達(dá)烏德稱:“如果你作為領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者愿意展現(xiàn)自己的脆弱,公司的其他員工就會(huì)認(rèn)為展現(xiàn)脆弱是正常的?!?/p>
然而,這并不意味著你要在周一例會(huì)或者公司的時(shí)事通訊中把自己的健康記錄全盤托出。你可以簡(jiǎn)單地分享一條生活經(jīng)驗(yàn)或一段親身經(jīng)歷,證明你感同身受。戈?duì)柕轮赋觯骸坝袝r(shí)候,一個(gè)人說(shuō)出真相能夠產(chǎn)生巨大的影響。這樣人們就不會(huì)覺(jué)得孤單?!?/p>
在戈?duì)柕鲁霈F(xiàn)過(guò)勞的那段時(shí)間,有些人與她分享了自己出現(xiàn)心理健康問(wèn)題的經(jīng)歷,這給她帶來(lái)了最大的幫助?!八麄冏屛腋杏X(jué)在我需要幫助的時(shí)候,可以隨時(shí)向他們傾訴?!?/p>
戈?duì)柕抡J(rèn)為最重要的是治療,她從不避諱這個(gè)話題。她表示,雇主能夠使用的一個(gè)強(qiáng)大工具是,讓員工明白抽出時(shí)間接受治療和康復(fù),并不會(huì)影響他們的職業(yè)生涯。
營(yíng)造互幫互助的工作環(huán)境
人們之所以不愿意重視自己的心理健康,常見的原因是擔(dān)心自己的狀況或治療會(huì)影響工作。此外,員工獲取醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)賠償和員工援助項(xiàng)目等面臨諸多挑戰(zhàn),這些問(wèn)題成為員工解決心理健康問(wèn)題的巨大障礙。
作為管理者,拿出時(shí)間休假,為自己制定合理的工作時(shí)間,在中午留出鍛煉或治療的時(shí)間,等于告訴團(tuán)隊(duì)成員他們也可以這樣做。
你不必精通公司的所有福利,但如果你能夠幫助團(tuán)隊(duì)成員確定一些可供選擇的方案,就可以讓他們避免許多不必要的挫折。
有時(shí)候,只是給人們提供一個(gè)說(shuō)話的空間,就有重要的意義。達(dá)烏德建議管理者定期舉行會(huì)議,了解每位員工的狀態(tài)。這些會(huì)議提供了一個(gè)談?wù)撔睦砗托袨榻】祮?wèn)題的場(chǎng)合,讓管理者有機(jī)會(huì)表現(xiàn)出他們對(duì)團(tuán)隊(duì)成員身心健康的關(guān)心。
達(dá)烏德說(shuō):“我們希望員工能夠解決自身面臨的壓力和焦慮。事實(shí)上,我們需要讓員工為此做好準(zhǔn)備。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
翻譯:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
We’re all stressed out, and we know it. The biggest difference at this stage of the pandemic is that we’re more willing to talk about it.
“The pandemic was a very challenging time for everyone globally, but it allowed us to open up a new dialogue around mental and behavioral health,” said Omar Dawood, chief medical officer at Calm. One clear sign of that: An increasing number of companies are offering access to services like Calm as an employment benefit.
The pandemic highlighted a need for companies to provide employees with the tools to deal with stress, anxiety, and constant upheaval—real life things that often affect the way people work. Professional colleagues tend to be particularly well-placed to intervene because changing job performance can be among the earliest signs of depression, anxiety and burnout.
Know how depression, anxiety and burnout surface at work
“I didn’t know I was burnt out until my therapist told me I was burnt out,” said Dr. Jessi Gold, a professor at the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. “One of the hardest things is actually recognizing signs and symptoms that anything is wrong.”
Those signs can include seeming more distanced than usual, being consistently late, or regularly missing meetings.
Gold specializes in the mental health of college students and the wellness of physicians. Looking back, she recognizes the emotional exhaustion, casual callousness, and irritability she was experiencing. Some things are just easier for other people to see, especially when you’re in the depths of it.
“People tend not to seek help until they absolutely need it. This is especially true in America,” Gold said. “We don’t like to use words like burnout or depression. We just keep going because we think that we’re supposed to, but it’s not wrong or weak to ask for what you need.”
Know what you can and cannot do
Chances are you’re not a trained psychologist or psychiatrist. So it’s a safe bet to say you shouldn’t be attempting to Google diagnose or WebMD treat your team members.
But you should be supportive and speak up when your concern warrants it, and know when and how to refer your team for help. If an employee is showing signs they may hurt themselves or others, seek emergency assistance.
Legally, an employer cannot fire someone, pass them over for a promotion, harass them, or force them to take leave because of a mental health condition. Employees have a right to privacy and are not required to tell bosses about mental health conditions.
If an employee discloses a mental health condition that may impact their work, the first thing a manager needs to do is figure what, if any, accommodations need to be made to allow the person to do the job they were hired to do. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations—things like regular breaks, remote work arrangements, or working around therapy appointments.
It’s okay to let employees ask for what they need and to accommodate those requests, but don’t scale back responsibilities or change performance metrics without talking with the employee and your company’s human resources department.
Choose your words —and your email send times—carefully
As a manager, one of the best things you can do for your employees’ mental health is to help them develop and stick to predictable routines. Don’t be the boss that makes it impossible to break for lunch or get a good night’s sleep.
“The biggest tool you have at your disposal is the draft folder in your email,” Dawood said. By scheduling non-urgent emails for regular working hours, you show that you respect your team’s boundaries and personal time.
One of the worst things you can do, on the other hand, is send a cryptic message along the lines of “Do you have a minute?” While your intent may be benign, there are a myriad of ways your recipient could misinterpret the statement and begin down a spiral of anxiety.
Be vulnerable—within your boundaries
Sometimes the most powerful thing a manager can do is be open about their own experiences. “When you’re able to exhibit vulnerability as a leader, you normalize it for every other employee in the company,” Dawood said.
That doesn’t mean you have to spill your entire health history at the Monday meeting or in a company newsletter. This can be as simple as sharing a life experience or the personal journey that shows you get it. “There are times when it can be really powerful for someone to speak the truth,” Gold said. “So people don’t think they’re alone.”
The people who shared their own mental health challenges with her are the ones who were most supportive when Gold was experiencing burnout. “They were the ones who made me feel like I could tell them if I needed help.”
Therapy is a priority for Gold, something she discusses openly. Showing employees that taking the time they may need for treatment and recovery doesn’t have to come at a professional cost can be a powerful tool, she said.
Cultivate a supportive work environment
One common reason people are reluctant to prioritize their mental health is fear over how their condition or treatment could affect their job. Couple that with the challenges of navigating health insurance benefits and employee assistance programs, and you’ve got some formidable obstacles.
As a manager, taking time off, setting reasonable work hours for yourself, and carving out midday exercise or therapy breaks is a way for you to show your team it really is okay to do the same.
You don’t have to become an expert on your company’s benefits, but being able to help your team navigate their options could save them a lot of unnecessary frustration.
Sometimes, there’s value in simply giving people space to talk. Dawood recommends managers hold regular meetings to check-in with individual employees. These meetings can create space for conversations around mental and behavioral health and offer an opportunity for managers to show concern for a person’s well being.
“We expect employees to be able to deal with stress and anxiety,” Dawood said. “The reality is we need to prepare them for it.”