Leading a mentally healthy team

Things you can do

• Adjust deadlines, tasks and schedules
• Check in regularly and really listen
• Keep what people share private
• Know where support is, like your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Notice changes early and ask with care

Leave these to others

• Being their therapist
• Deciding what condition someone has
• Fixing problems outside work for them
• Promising secrecy if someone’s safety is at risk

Mind, a mental health charity, suggests being clear with people about your own skills and the time you can give, so that boundaries are clear from the start.

Gallup found that only 48% of managers strongly agree they have the skills they need to be exceptional at their job. It says organizations must teach managers how to have meaningful conversations, often enough, with their teams.

Most meaningful conversations include

1. Recognition or thanks for recent work
2. Collaboration and relationships
3. Current goals and priorities
4. Enough time (15–30 minutes, often)
5. The person’s strengths and what they do well

Try asking

• “How are you, really?”
• “Is anything getting in your way that I could help with?”
• “What would make next week easier?”
• “What’s going well this week?”
• “What’s on your plate right now?”

Mind suggests giving remote workers notice before a conversation about well-being, so they can find a private space. Someone at home may not feel comfortable talking if they share the room with others.

Ideas

• Keep cameras optional for check-ins
• Notice who goes quiet in chats and calls
• Use a call, not only messages, for anything personal

Regular check-ins tell people they matter. When check-ins keep getting cancelled, people learn that their time isn’t a priority.

HSE lists changes like

• Arriving later or taking more time off
• Losing motivation, commitment or confidence
• Mood swings, or reacting more emotionally
• Seeming nervous or jittery
• Withdrawing from others

HSE lists team signs like

• Lower performance
• More arguments and friction
• More complaints and grievances
• More sickness absence
• People leaving more often

When several people struggle at once, look at the work itself: workload, deadlines, roles or recent changes.

Instead of… try…

• “What’s wrong with you?” → “How are things going for you?”
• “You seem depressed” → “You’ve seemed quieter in meetings lately”
• “You’re not coping” → “I noticed two deadlines slipped this month”

Asking about a diagnosis is only allowed in limited situations in the U.S., so keep the focus on work and support.

People share when they’re ready. Respect their choice and keep the offer open.

You might say

• “Here’s the EAP number, in case it’s useful.”
• “Let’s keep our usual check-in on Thursday.”
• “That’s fine. I’m here if anything changes.”

Helpful responses

• “Thank you for telling me.”
• “This stays between us unless you want it shared, or someone’s safety is at risk.”
• “What would help most at work right now?”

In the U.S., medical information an employee shares must be kept confidential, even from coworkers.

Mind advises that you may need to break confidentiality if someone is at serious risk of harm. It suggests explaining at the start when you might have to share information.

You can talk about the work while offering support. Let them know they can ask for changes at work if a health issue is involved, and speak with HR before any formal action.

Mind says the plan should be written by the person, in their own words, and shared only with their permission. They decide whether HR keeps a copy.

It helps a person think about

• Changes at work that might help
• Support that would help if they start to struggle
• Things at work that can make them unwell
• What keeps them well at work

Mind suggests treating the plan as flexible and reviewing it as part of regular one-on-ones. It can be especially useful when someone returns after time off.

Mind encourages managers to write their own plan with their own manager. It shows the team that looking after your mental health is normal.

How the work is done

• A quieter workspace
• Breaks that fit the person’s needs
• Changed start and finish times
• Time off for appointments
• Working from home on some days

The role itself

• Moving some tasks to others
• Reducing caseloads for a while
• Temporarily changing duties or shifts

Extra support

• A buddy or mentor
• Debriefs after difficult calls or tasks
• Help planning and prioritizing workload
• More regular check-ins with you

Medical information must stay confidential, even from coworkers. If the team notices a change, like a new schedule, you don’t have to explain why.

You might say

• “That’s a private arrangement, and I’d do the same for any of you.”
• “We’ve changed a few things around to make the workload work better.”

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) gives free, confidential advice about job accommodations, for employers and workers. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Mind says it’s best practice to offer adjustments to any staff member who needs them, whether or not they have a formal diagnosis.

Ideas

• Agree how and how often you’ll keep in touch, if at all
• Agree who will cover their work, so they don’t worry about it
• Point them to HR for leave options
• Tell them they’re welcome back

In the U.S., unpaid leave can be a reasonable accommodation when it would help someone get back to their job. They may also qualify for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Keep contact

• About people, not tasks
• At the frequency they chose
• Brief and pressure-free

Talk about

• A phased start, like shorter days at first
• Any adjustments that would help
• What coworkers will be told, if anything
• Which tasks to start with

Mind says a Wellness Action Plan can give structure to these return-to-work conversations.

Ideas

• Build up workload step by step
• Hold short check-ins every week for the first month or two
• Meet on their first morning back
• Review the plan together, and change it if needed

Ideas

• Ask “What can pause, wait or be dropped?”
• Bring in temporary help if you can
• Push back on new work from above when the team is stretched
• Thank people for covering, specifically

Gallup found that people who feel they are often treated unfairly at work are 2.3 times more likely to have a high level of burnout. Make it clear that anyone on the team can ask for changes when they need them.

The WHO recommends mental health awareness for all workers to reduce stigma. Small things help, like mentioning the EAP in team meetings or saying you took time off to rest.

After a frightening incident, a loss, or a colleague’s crisis, people may need space to talk and practical support.

Mind suggests

• Be clear about the time you can give
• Be honest about your skills and limits
• Give one-on-ones a set start and finish time

Gallup recommends that managers get a meaningful weekly conversation with their own manager, too. It also suggests building a community of managers who support and mentor each other.

Ideas

• A mentor or coach
• A peer group of other managers
• Your EAP, which is for you too

If stress or low mood lasts two weeks or more, or gets in the way of daily life, it’s a good time to talk with a professional.