Mental Health Works (MHW) program manager Mark Henick provided some advice to those considering disclosing a mental health issue to a boss in a recent article in Canadian Living.
Henick explained how opening up can be empowering, but informing a workplace superior doesn’t mean someone has to disclose a diagnosis, only potential “functional limitations.”
When ready to tell an employer, Henick said it’s best to come prepared with a reasonable work plan with accommodations indicated. Having a doctor’s note in hand doesn’t hurt, either.
“Bring practical solutions to the table,” he said. “Employers respond better to that kind of approach—you’re doing half their work for them.”
If worried a boss won’t be supportive, Henick’s suggestion is to find an ally in the workplace — someone in the human resource department, a union steward or a colleague – that can offer assistance.
Henick has been program manager of MHW since October 2014. MHW is a national social enterprise of the Canadian Mental Health Association and aims to address issues related to workplace mental health. Its head office is part of the Ontario Division.
Canadian Living magazine has a monthly readership of 1.8 million, according to a TVA Publications’ numbers released in April.