“For many years, employers focused primarily on physical health, but in the last 10-15years, people have started paying more attention to the psychological well-being of the employee,” explained Dragan Donkov, Manager at Richmond Foundation, in today’s episode of The Boardroom, which aired earlier on WhosWho.mt’s Facebook page.

Affirming that nowadays, employers are more aware that work might have an impact on employees’ mental well-being, he also reveals that “the COVID experience has made employers more aware and more pro-active when it comes to mental health.” 

Speaking to business-writer and presenter Jo Caruana, Mr Donkov went on to explain how a business leader can identify any potential mental health issues within their team. “It starts with a change in regular behaviour, but it will also depend on how long the changes go on for – having a bad day, for example, is normal,” he asserts, pointing out that mental health issues can also manifest in a physical way, even in the form of physical pain. “When you see a combination of these things, a manager should step in and see whether the employee needs help. It’s up to the sensitivity of the manager when to make the first step,” he advises. 

Unfortunately, he continues, the reality is that more people tend to hide mental health problems than seek help – which means that we often see a problem when it has already become a crisis. Signs of a problem will often manifest before, Mr Donkov notes, so picking up on these is important.

Speaking of the support that Richmond Foundation can offer businesses, he reveals that many companies reach out at the stage when they need assistance with a particular case, but there are also companies who recognise the need of offering such support to employees. “We try to help the company to promote good mental health and normalise the topic. When this becomes a normal topic for discussion, more people come forward to share. A company needs to make a statement that mental health is important, and that they are not going to discriminate,” he shares. 

One service offered by the foundation is mental health coaching, which Mr Donkov explains can be useful for business leaders and employees alike. “A coach can help you set goals that are measurable,” he maintains, adding that “coaching gives you your own space where you can reflect, build awareness and take action, including in your own self-care and well-being.” 

Finally, apart from emphasising that employers and business leaders should ultimately look upon their employees as people with a life, family and their own issues outside of work, Dragan has a few words of advice for anyone who’s faced with a situation, at work or otherwise, in which they suspect someone around them is struggling with their mental well-being. “If you face a situation where you don’t know what to do, it’s better ask for help or advice than to do nothing, let things develop and end up with a crisis,” he advises.