Supporting a Team Member Who Won't Return to Work

When someone in your network is refusing to return to work citing mental health and anxiety, it can feel like walking a tightrope. You want to be respectful and supportive, but you also need to acknowledge the impact on the team and workplace. How do you help them while maintaining professional boundaries?

This question was answered by Amanda Mechanic – Manager for Caraniche at Work and registered psychologist with over a decade of experience helping businesses improve employee wellbeing – and Kimberlee Wells – CEO of TBWA and one of the most powerful women in Australian media. Andy Wright hosted this discussion as part of Never Not Creative's commitment to healthier creative workplaces.

Understanding the Complexity

Amanda acknowledges this is "actually quite common and certainly has been exacerbated in recent times." She emphasises it's "a really difficult conversation and situation to navigate because you want to be respectful of whatever mental health issues are at play but also need to acknowledge that that's impacting you know the team the work the workplace."

The key is recognising there are "legalities around it there's um culture elements around it there's policies and procedures around it too" but "opening the door to the conversation is the first thing to do and showing that you're willing to listen and you're willing to understand the mental health issues and how to work alongside them."

Creating Safe Spaces for Conversation

Amanda suggests managers need to work on "recognizing mental health issues and how to have the conversation in a safe psychologically safe and respectful way." This involves "providing that safe space to allow that level of vulnerability to occur to send the message that you know um mental health issues are how they're going to impact them in the work how they're going to impact them returning to work how it can be explored and mutually worked on together."

The goal is understanding "how those uh mental health and anxiety issues relate to that particular person because someone with anxiety for example is not the same as somebody else with anxiety and what degree does their anxiety impact them what are their triggers and how to sort of buffer against those."

Implementing Practical Support Systems

Kimberlee shares TBWA's approach with their keyword system: "We have um we have a keyword our keyword is surf's up so we have um when whenever anyone um identifies with um you know sort of having a mental health episode or suffering some form of anxiety um just as a result of the waves that come and go um you know with these sorts of conditions um surf's up is the is the word."

When someone uses the keyword, "the one requirement we have for those staff members is that they will take a phone call um from me at the end of the day and that's just to check in to make sure that you know they're doing okay and they've got people around them."

Knowing Your Limits as a Manager

Both experts emphasise the importance of boundaries. Amanda notes that workplaces should refer employees to "eap programs and supports and avenues" while Kimberlee stresses: "What we had to avoid was getting into conversations specifically in relation to their conditions because we're not psychologists we're not trained to be able to give advice in that area."

Kimberlee explains: "There's a limit as to what you can do and workplaces are doing a lot more than they were before... but there's a point at which workplaces can't do more and it's up to the individual person."

Normalising Mental Health Conversations

TBWA brought in "organizational psychologists in to just talk about some of the trends some of the observations that were happening um and you know just make sure people feel supported." Kimberlee notes this helps with "not normalizing not normalizing mental health but normalizing the way that many of us were thinking and feeling."

They also have "a slack channel at our work called heads up and um as soon as people post into it it it's actually it's not just a release view it's like a release for everybody else because suddenly they go oh i've been feeling the same way."

Connect Through NNC Circles

If you're supporting someone with mental health challenges or dealing with similar issues yourself, consider Never Not Creative Circles. These peer support groups connect creatives in safe, confidential spaces where you can share experiences and learn practical skills for navigating mental health challenges. The supportive community understands the unique pressures of creative work and can provide valuable perspective on supporting colleagues while maintaining boundaries.

When to Seek Professional Help

If the situation becomes overwhelming or if you're concerned about someone's immediate safety, don't hesitate to seek professional guidance. Mental health crises require trained professionals. Check out Never Not Creative's comprehensive help resources for crisis support services and mental health professionals in your area who can provide appropriate intervention and ongoing support.

Supporting someone who won't return to work due to mental health issues requires patience, clear boundaries, and professional resources. Remember, you can't fix someone else's mental health challenges, but you can create supportive environments and connect them with appropriate help. Your role is to be understanding while maintaining the needs of your team and workplace.