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Tackling depression in the workplace
17/03/2006
With the business cost of depression set to rise steeply in the next decade, a new initiative to rehabilitate and retain staff is now available in the UK from ICAS. Pioneered in Australia, the highly effective Vocational Rehabilitation programme is achieving an 86% success rate of getting people back to work.
With heightened awareness of the issue being raised by campaigns such as National Depression Week (17 – 23 April), the good news for employees and businesses is that this ground-breaking programme is getting people back to work in an average of just four weeks. Designed to reduce absenteeism and the costs that go with it, the package supports staff who are experiencing depression, using work as a crucial part of rehabilitation.
Leonie Nowland, Head of Return to Work Services at ICAS, commented: “Companies are facing up to the fact that up to a quarter of their workforce will experience depression at some point in their working lives. They can no longer afford to ignore mental health issues. The good news is that businesses can now access a package of support designed to get staff back to work quickly and avoid long term sick leave or staff losses.”
So, how does vocational rehabilitation work? The key steps are: · Contact is made with ICAS identifying that there is a problem. · An ICAS consultant meets with the individual to comprehensively assess the issues involved. · The consultant then works with both the individual and their line manager to devise a step-by-step plan. · This usually also involves: · Liaising with the GP and making sure the staff member has access to the correct medical help and · Organising appropriate counselling or therapy. · The final – and unique – step is assessing the individual’s capacity for work, identifying specific barriers and planning a return to work programme ensuring the right support is in place to make this possible.
An estimated 25% of the adult population suffers from depression at any one time. Leonie explains the implications for industry: “There are three very good reasons why businesses need to be proactive in their approach to the problems caused by depression.
“Firstly, getting people back to work quickly with the right support helps to prevent losing skilled staff. Secondly, under the Disability Discrimination Act, companies now have a duty of care to accommodate staff members with mental health problems. Finally, in an increasingly competitive recruitment market, a business must stand out as a good employer to win and retain the right staff – providing employee assistance marks you out as a forward-thinking and supportive employer.”
For further information please contact:
Will Cairns, PR Consultant to ICAS, Tel: 01865 882988 Email: will@bottlepr.co.uk
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