In the midst of a work project at a global corporate consulting firm, Katherine Switz suffered an anxiety attack. His body froze, his heart raced, his chest clenched and his mind went blank, which prevented him from concentrating on the computer screen and doing his job.
The anxiety lasted three months, and apparently was related to his bipolar disorder. During that time, he was unable to ask for help from his controls or his coworkers for fear of being despised, or not promoted, because of his poor performance.
“I didn't know how to ask for help. I didn't know what to do, ”said Switz, 48, who works as an associate business consultant in Washington, DC, when he had the episode.
While a diagnosis of cancer can generate sympathy at work and the offer of meals prepared to help the family, admitting a psychotic disorder can cause judgment, fear and evasion among coworkers. But, even if you don't talk much about these diseases, 1 in 5 adults in the country suffers from a mental health disorder, and 1 in 22 adults lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, severe depression or bipolar disorder, depending on the National Institute of Mental Health.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. The law includes certain mental health conditions, and requires that those provided provide the necessary amenities to help their affected employees do their job. Some employees also offer mental health support to employees through assistance programs, known as EAP, that provide short-term counseling services and referrals to addiction treatment, among others.
But even with those federal protections and the programs that some companies have already established, many employees are reluctant to ask for help in their jobs. It is estimated that 8 out of 10 workers with a mental health condition did not receive treatment due to the shame and stigma associated with these conditions, according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness.
As a result, the pressure on progress increases so that it adopts better strategies for dealing with mental health.
California took note and last year had legislation that made it the first state to establish voluntary volunteers for mental health in the workplace.
Under the new law, the state will create guidelines to help companies strengthen access to mental health care for their employees, and reduce stigma.
The measure aims to match the mental health strategy in the workplace to which it is promoted with physical health, so that an employee with severe mental health symptoms feels comfortable, for example, by taking a medical leave, such as a person with cancer would do during treatment and recovery attempts.
The law was inspired by the California non-profit group One Mind at Work. The organization had developed a letter of mental health principles to guide businesses. But because the law has no regulatory angles, some companies may not enter how to invest in mental health will make them more competitive in the market.
One Mind at Work offers a tool: an online calculator to estimate how much money the company is losing by not addressing mental health. The estimated annual loss of earnings linked to mental health conditions is less than $ 190 billion across the country, especially due to absenteeism and lost productivity.
"We want to show tangible economic evidence of improving mental health in the workplace is good for business," said Garen Staglin, co-founder of One Mind at Work, who is also a private equity investor.