Stigma and delayed disclosure: Applicants and employees may hesitate to disclose their mental health struggles before or at the start of employment due to fear of stigma, discrimination, appointment, or unemployment. This could delay employee disclosure of mental health concerns. Employees are frequently raised by employees when they fail to meet performance standards and are placed under performance management. This, in turn, allows employers to place additional obligations that they may not be operationally prepared. For example, in the context of a performance management plan, employers may already be spending coaching, training, and other forms of support. In reality, what employees needed was mental health support and accommodation. This means additional resources.
Lack of resources: The reality is that many South African businesses, particularly small and medium sized businesses (small and medium sized businesses), may not have the appropriate resources to provide extensive mental health support and workplace accommodation, including the size and nature of the workplace. Therefore, employers in these situations are often placed in a stressful position when employees raise mental health concerns due to limited viable accommodation measures available to employees.
Productivity and Performance: Employers, especially small businesses, may struggle to maintain operational efficiency and comply with legal obligations to reasonably house employees that cannot perform optimally due to mental health concerns. For example, if employees are not frequently present due to mental health issues or if responsibility decreases to address concerns, this could create important resource gaps that impact business operations and workplace morale, as it could put additional pressure on other staff members.
Employees on probation: It can be particularly difficult to navigate mental health concerns raised by employees as reasons for poor performance during probation. In such cases, employers cannot simply manage their employees on a regular course and should consider sick accommodation, but to what extent? This can be complicated because there are a variety of factors that employers need to consider, including extended probation periods, reduced workloads, reduced additional time, and overall impact on their operations and other staff members.
Fear of litigation and reputational damage: Some employers seem to have a common misconception that employers need to deal with employee illness in all respects, so it appears that there is a common misconception that employers need to deal with employee illness in all respects, regardless of their operational needs, regardless of their workforce's exemptions, regardless of their operational needs. Without compromising the severity of mental unhealth (or any form of health) in the workplace, this misconception can help abuse by employees who falsely assert mental health issues in the face of allegations of misconduct or performance, and employers are concerned about taking further action. Therefore, it is important to conduct appropriate investigations to determine the true cause of poor employee behaviour in the workplace, and that each case is addressed with its own merits.
Legislative Compliance: South Africa's Labour Law provides a variety of protections to employees facing illness concerns, including the Employment Equity Act, Labor Relations Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Employers need to ensure compliance with these laws in ensuring commercial equity and efficiency, as well as mental health.
