November News

Reading or watching the news on any given day can be frightening. With the recent shootings at Ft. Hood and the manufacturing facility in Orlando, Florida the concern of depression and employee reaction remains a primary topic of Human Resources people and business owners. The question is how to balance the need of employees to address safety topics versus the company’s reluctance to further cause concern or create an additional liability concern.

Employees want to know what is being done to protect them. The majority understand that it’s not possible to assure a totally safe work environment. But we need to provide enough measures and understanding to address more than the basics.

Employers should develop safety programs, policies and plans for their specific work environments. These plans and policies will be best received if they address specific workplace safety issues of concern raised by employees. Our observations in companies of employee concerns include building or office access and open reception areas. Solutions can include having all employees wear an identification card, requiring all visitors to wear badges or preventing access to work areas behind a controlled reception area. Additionally insurance companies and other business advisors provide training and recommendations for improving safety in the workplace and limiting employer’s risk. And don’t forget use internal communications such as newsletters and sites to communicate and/or remind employees of pertinent safety information. Let your employee’s know you care about their safety!

Remind supervisors and managers to be aware for signs of depression in employees. Of course these are delicate subjects with the necessity to tread lightly and not overreact. Assistance can be as simple as providing information on available help such as an Employee Assistance Program or hotline. In the absence of such resources, an inquiry to the employee as to “how things are going” is usually well received and perceived as non-intrusive. Information on depression can be found at www.depression.com. According to the experts there are some signs that may signal clinical depression in the workplace which include:

• Decreased ability to make decisions or concentrate
• Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt
• Discussions of suicide or death
• Decreased interest in activities that used to be pleasurable
• Loss of energy or fatigue
• Restlessness or feeling bogged down