Preventing Issues At Home from Affecting The Workplace
By: BHernandez
Most businesses have employees who bring their own talents, attitude and knowledge to the job. They also bring their personal lives. Even though work life is generally supposed to be separate from home life, we know it isn’t 100% possible. If an employee is up half the night with a sick child, he or she isn’t going to be 100% focused when they come to work the next day. If an employee’s spouse is laid off from a job, the employee is going to be experiencing extra stressors which may affect their work.
Ms. Aoifa O’Donnell, CEO of National EAP Inc in Ronkonoma, NY has written an excellent article about how to prevent personal issues from affecting performance. She states, “Managing overall behavioral and mental health performance disruptors effectively is key to health care cost containment, long-term retention of valuable employees and ultimately, the organization’s overall success.”
I agree with her suggestions:
• Promote a work environment, which effectively manages work/life demands.
• Reduce the social stigma associated with seeking help for behavioral or mental health issues.
• Promote mental health education and substance abuse awareness programs.
• Train managers about early recognition of behavioral health issues and referral for work performance issues.
Employees are the biggest assets and expense of any business. Do what you can to help your employees be better workers and the entire business will benefit in the long run.
