Supporting Employee Success - A tool to plan accommodations for workplace mental health

Supporting Employee Success provides a process for the employer, employee and healthcare professional to use when an employee requires accommodation. 

Supporting Employee Success is a tool that provides a step-by-step process to: 

• Assess work-related triggers for emotional or cognitive issues 
• Develop accommodations that may best support employee success 
• Facilitate the employee’s well-being  
• Help maintain a safe and productive workplace

This process focuses on work-related issues rather than medical information and is recommended as: 

• An accommodation plan for an employee who remains at work. 
• An accommodation plan for an employee who is returning to work. 
• An additional process to a plan that focuses on physical function.

This document can be utilized on its own, or as part of an existing approach to support an employee’s accommodation needs and to help explore the psychological, emotional and cognitive Job Expectations and develop strategies that support the employee’s success on the job.

Supporting Employee Success can be initiated by:

• The employer (human resources, occupational health, management) when an employee may require an accommodation  
• The employee who is seeking accommodation  
• A worker or union representative who is supporting an employee in an accommodation 
• A healthcare professional (physician, psychologist, occupational health professional, social worker) supporting a patient or client to stay at or return to work 
• A disability management professional or vocational rehab consultant in conjunction with a disability claim Ideally, the process should be introduced to all employees, and worker representatives (union reps) in advance of the need to use it. For example, at orientation of new employees and/or as general information to all employees. This helps reduce stigma or concern about the process at the time of an accommodation.

The job expectations that Supporting Employee Success includes:

1. Adaptability and flexibility
2. Attention to detail
3. Decision making
4. Degree of self-supervision
5. Degree of supervisor responsibility
6. Exposure to confrontational situations
7. Exposure to distractions
8. Exposure to emotionally stressful situations
9. Overlapping tasks
10.  Problem solving and analysis
11.  Recall
12.  Time pressures
13.  Working relationships
14. Other

Complete document available at the following link. (https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/pdf/Supporting_Employ...)

The resource was created by Dr. Ian Arnold and Suzanne Arnold, PhD, with input from Dr. David Brown and Dr. David Posen. Feedback provided by the Canadian Labour Congress, Human Resources Professionals Association, Donna Hardaker, Stephane Grenier and Judy Kerling.
 
Submitted by: Dianne Williams Chair, Yukon Regional Health & Safety Committee December 2017