Depression in the Workplace

Depression at the Workplace

Whether you work for a large firm or a small company you will sooner or later run into an employee or coworker that suffers from depression. You start noticing there is something wrong with the employee who was up until recently one of your best workers. If you work with this person you will notice that they have changed. Your coworker may appear to be more moody. They may have been the one who told jokes at coffee time .They seem to have a lot of enthusiasm for their job. Now they may not even show up for coffee break. They night stay in the bathroom or go outside for smoke. You may notice a sadness in their eyes. Where previously they seem to get enormous amounts of things done in a day they now have difficulty just getting through their basic routines. They seem to have really slowed down. The employee may now be calling in sick more often. The employee may see more irritable and start to lose their temper quickly.

These are all signs of an employee or coworker who may suffer from depression. Depression is a disease and employers and coworkers need to be educated about it. There are some illnesses that may percent with the same symptoms. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome may also be playing havoc with this employee. Both of these conditions will seriously slow an employee down. Unfortunately, what often happens is that this employee is either disciplined or fired. The employer may have great reservations about firing them. The employee does not understand the inconsistencies in their workout. At certain times of the year their productivity may be beyond the employers expectations. During certain periods of time the employee's work may not meet the minimum standards of the job. These are the times in which a termination usually occurs. This is a tragedy.

If the employer and coworkers were better educated about the disease of the depression they may have been able to help this worker during the rough times. Often employees who suffer from depression show unusual creativity when they are feeling well. Both the supervisor and the employees coworkers need to recognize the symptoms of depression. They are then in a much better position to help their suffering coworker.

What can I supervisor or coworker do for an employee who is suffering from depression. One thing that they need to do is to gain the trust of the depressed worker. If the depressed worker feels that they are in danger of getting fired their symptoms will only get worse. The depressed employee needs someone who is going to cut them some slack during the times of they do not feel well. The effected employee may require more breaks. They may be they need to be given time extensions on their workloads. These can be adjusted when the worker returns to health. At times the depressed worker may need a friend at work. At other times they may need to spend some time alone. Most of all the depressed employee should not be made to feel that they are a second class citizen on the job.