Audience guide
Mental health conditions
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions are common and often invisible. People do well at work when they have a supportive manager, some flexibility and can talk openly without fear of losing their job.
Adjustments are about what helps, not about labels. Never ask for a diagnosis, and let each person decide what they share.
What to do
- Make it safe to talk about mental health
- Agree in advance what helps on a bad day
- Offer flexibility in hours and workload
- Know where to point people for professional support
What to avoid
- Asking for a diagnosis
- Treating one bad period as the whole story
- Only talking about mental health when there is a problem
Typical adjustments
- Flexible start times or reduced hours for a period
- Time off for therapy or appointments
- A wellness action plan
- Temporarily adjusted tasks or targets
Extra steps in your plan
Prepare managers for mental health conversations
Managers don't need to be experts. They need to listen, ask what would help, keep things confidential and know where to refer.
Get ready · Recommended · About 1 hour
Agree a wellness action plan
A short, voluntary plan about what keeps the person well, early signs that things are getting harder and what support helps. It belongs to them.
Offer and prepare · Essential · About 1 hour
Allow temporary changes during difficult periods
Reduced hours, adjusted tasks or working from home for a few weeks can often prevent long sick leave.
Retain and grow · Essential · 15 min
Turn this into your own plan
Choose your type of business and who you are hiring, and get one checklist that tracks your progress, plus a tracker for each new hire's first six months.
This toolkit is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules on recruitment, adjustments and support schemes differ between countries, so check with your local employment service or an adviser.