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Colleagues mental health
Legacy_user
Posts: 0 Newbie
A member of staff in my work place has been sectioned due to a massive breakdown in her mental health. I have just been informed that for a number of weeks she has been searching for every one of her 125 work colleagues on facebook and messaging them and their families. Some have never even had a conversation with her a don't know her. The content is worrying, upsetting and not appropriate for co-workers. I have told everyone who has notified me of this to block her number. I understand that this may not seem "nice" but the last thing i want is gossiping or for these colleagues to be negatively affected themselves. I have a duty of care towards these other colleagues well-being just as i do for hers.
I have been struggling to contact her given where she currently is but I am going to continue trying. I need to have an honest conversation about her messaging as I am certain that when she is more stable she will be upset with what she's currently doing as she's been sectioned before and did not want others to know. She's also been referred to our OH numerous times and will be again however there is very little they can actually do at this moment in time.
I have supported her in a work capacity in the past and this conversation is not an issue for me to have but any advice would be appreciated.
I have been struggling to contact her given where she currently is but I am going to continue trying. I need to have an honest conversation about her messaging as I am certain that when she is more stable she will be upset with what she's currently doing as she's been sectioned before and did not want others to know. She's also been referred to our OH numerous times and will be again however there is very little they can actually do at this moment in time.
I have supported her in a work capacity in the past and this conversation is not an issue for me to have but any advice would be appreciated.
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Comments
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Does she have a care worker, if she does, get in touch and see what support you can give.
It is difficult to now what to say, just be there for her and do the best you can0 -
I don’t think I’d be trying to contact a work colleague if they’d been sectioned, especially not to talk to them about something like this. I’d leave it to the professionals, give her time and space, and wait for her to get in touch.
Conversations about things she’s done that are embarrassing or damaging might not be helpful at the moment.
Edit to add: The only people I’d contact if they were in these circumstances are family or very close friends. Even then I’d think very carefully first.0 -
Are you contacting her as a colleague? Are you her boss? Or just a concerned friend?
If you’re doing it as one of the first two i’d tread carefully. Assuming she’s currently signed off sick it’s best for her work colleagues to give her space and time to recover. The only people contacting her from work should really be HR.
If she’s contacted over 100 of her colleagues with innapropriate messages it may be very difficult for her to come back once she’s better anyway, since the work environment will probably be pretty awkward.0 -
I'm not clear if you are the manager of the girl or a colleague. Either way, I really don't think you should be trying to make contact with her while she is sectioned.
The time to discuss inappropriate contact with other employees is when she is deemed fit for work and arranging a return surely?Saving money right, left and centre0 -
The relationship with her family is nonexistent, she has few friends and her partner is a contributing factor to this recent break. This is not a route I'd be comfortable considering.
I am her HR support in store, when she was sectioned 2yrs ago she was happy to speak with me and was grateful I kept in touch (I was the only person who did) and supported her prior to and during her return to work.
I understand she is being looked after by professionals and this is without doubt what she needs.
Maybe I'm wrong but I just feel like I should be doing something to help from alienating herself any further.......
I will need to contact her when she is back home however to comply with our absence process to discuss further gp certs and workplace support.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
The relationship with her family is nonexistent, she has few friends and her partner is a contributing factor to this recent break. This is not a route I'd be comfortable considering.
I am her HR support in store, when she was sectioned 2yrs ago she was happy to speak with me and was grateful I kept in touch (I was the only person who did) and supported her prior to and during her return to work.
I understand she is being looked after by professionals and this is without doubt what she needs.
Maybe I'm wrong but I just feel like I should be doing something to help from alienating herself any further.......
I will need to contact her when she is back home however to comply with our absence process to discuss further gp certs and workplace support.A member of staff in my work place has been sectioned due to a massive breakdown in her mental health. I have just been informed that for a number of weeks she has been searching for every one of her 125 work colleagues on facebook and messaging them and their families. Some have never even had a conversation with her a don't know her. The content is worrying, upsetting and not appropriate for co-workers. I have told everyone who has notified me of this to block her number. I understand that this may not seem "nice" but the last thing i want is gossiping or for these colleagues to be negatively affected themselves. I have a duty of care towards these other colleagues well-being just as i do for hers.
I have been struggling to contact her given where she currently is but I am going to continue trying. I need to have an honest conversation about her messaging as I am certain that when she is more stable she will be upset with what she's currently doing as she's been sectioned before and did not want others to know. She's also been referred to our OH numerous times and will be again however there is very little they can actually do at this moment in time.
I have supported her in a work capacity in the past and this conversation is not an issue for me to have but any advice would be appreciated.
If you are genuinely her HR support you will be aware of your company’s social media policy and advising colleagues on the basis of that.
You will also be aware of the sickness and caoability polices and who should be making contact at any point -manager, occ health, hr etc to support her and advise her what stage things are out.
You sound like a well intentioned friend but you are seriously in danger of making things worse and opening yourself up to accusations of inappropriate contact. Leave it to the professionals.Originally Posted by shortcrust
"Contact the Ministry of Fairness....If sufficient evidence of unfairness is discovered you’ll get an apology, a permanent contract with backdated benefits, a ‘Let’s Make it Fair!’ tshirt and mug, and those guilty of unfairness will be sent on a Fairness Awareness course."0 -
The relationship with her family is nonexistent, she has few friends and her partner is a contributing factor to this recent break. This is not a route I'd be comfortable considering.
I am her HR support in store, when she was sectioned 2yrs ago she was happy to speak with me and was grateful I kept in touch (I was the only person who did) and supported her prior to and during her return to work.
I understand she is being looked after by professionals and this is without doubt what she needs.
Maybe I'm wrong but I just feel like I should be doing something to help from alienating herself any further.......
I will need to contact her when she is back home however to comply with our absence process to discuss further gp certs and workplace support.
As nicechap says, you sound like a well intentioned friend.:) She's lucky to have you and will benefit from your support further down the road.
One of the advantages of being in an acute mental health setting (and sometimes the main reason for being there) is that you have some time when you can be insulated from the worries and problems of everyday life. The professionals working with her will be thinking very carefully about how and when to bring up and discuss the damaging things that she may have done over the past weeks and months. Talking and thinking about these messages and their implications is exactly the sort of thing she probably doesn't need to be dealing with right now.
If you really feel you need to go ahead and tackle this now then I think you should do it via one her support workers and be guided by their advice.
I understand the urge to do something to help. My mum attempted suicide and was sectioned when I was in my early twenties. I felt that I could, and should, fix everything and probably made a real nuisance of myself. In the end I was sat down by a lovely psychiatric nurse who told me that my mum needed a break from everything for a while, and that everything included me. She was right.0 -
As HR you should also be considering whether she is capable of doing the job employed, and also the greater good of looking after the other members of staff.
On the scant detail given you have been very lenient and helpful but there has to be a line where enough is enoughDon't trust a forum for advice. Get proper paid advice. Any advice given should always be checked0 -
Contact her care co-ordinator who will be best placed to give you an update/advice if needed.0
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