How do small businesses deal with mental illness?
If an employee in a small company falls mentally ill, this can have a major impact on the entire company.
Researchers at the University of Bern were commissioned by the Artisane association to investigate how small companies with fewer than 50 employees react when employees develop mental health problems.
Around 300 companies with an average of 17 employees were surveyed.
The conclusion: Due to the proximity to the employees, the company manager quickly recognizes signs of problems such as a change in performance or social behaviour. However, these signs are often not associated with psychological stress. The proximity to the affected employee can even be a disadvantage, as it is often more difficult for the manager to address difficult issues or maintain sufficient emotional distance.
The authors recommend addressing anomalies and changes in employees in a personal meeting and seeking solutions to support them. The study provides guidelines for this. Measures can include adapting the work situation to reduce stress or involving external specialists.
The entire study can be here can be downloaded.
