0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

People ● 221
Coping with Mental Illness at Work
Depression affects one in four American adults, so it is not unlikely
that you will have to deal with a depressed worker. The indirect
cost of dealing with depression and other mental illness is about $79
billion a year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employers from discriminating
against employees with psychiatric problems if they have
the skills to perform the essential functions of the job. If they can do the
job, but still need “reasonable accommodations,” as specified by the
ADA, what can you do?
Some reasonable accommodations include restructuring the job,
modifying schedules, revising training materials, or providing assistance.
If an employee needs to see a counselor during business hours, you
should let them take time off. If you don’t have a formal employee assistance
program, you, as the business owner, will have to figure out what
makes sense.
The good news is that between 70 and 90 percent of people with a
mental illness can function with medication, talk therapy, and other support,
according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
GREAT
IDEA
Be Serious about Your Sexual
Harassment Policy
Sexual harassment is serious business. That’s why even
the smallest company should have a written policy in
place. According to federal regulations, a company is responsible for sexual
harassment in the workplace “where the employer (or its agents or supervisory
employees) knows or should have known of the conduct.”
If you think telling sexual jokes or touching employees is funny, it’s
not. Of all working women, 40 to 60 percent have reported being subjected
to some sort of sexual harassment on the job, according to the American
Psychological Association.
Complaints from employees should never be taken lightly or dismissed.
The last thing you need is an expensive and time-consuming lawsuit.