Legal & Ethical Challenges for Employers: An Increase In Burnout, Stress, & Mental Illness

Description:

Examples of the most common psychological disorders include major depression and dysthymia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, and an array of personality disorders. Those individuals with depression have 2.5 times the risk of on-the-job injury. Workplace depression results in 200 million lost days annually. The disease is common, debilitating, and the number one cause of disability worldwide. Employers lose an estimated $52 billion annually in loss of productivity and insurance payments. It is worth your time as an employer to do all you can to support the psychological health and well-being of your employees.

With the increase in claims came an EEOC 2023 newly released Guidance on Mental Health Discrimination which is addressed to employees informing them of their employment rights under the ADA. Workplaces can and should play a significant role in minimizing their employees’ mental health risks. Employee stress levels continue to rise as more and more employees spend more and more hours at work without an increase in pay or benefits. Burnout and depression, particularly to millennials and millennial women, report these conditions more than any other generation.

Learning Objectives:

• To differentiate mental health from mental illness

• To discuss the most frequent mental health conditions with emphasis on depression, anxiety, and personality disorders

• To identify the demographic groups most at risk for mental health issues
• To examine the myths of mental illness
• To list signs of possible mental health issues in the workplace

• To explore the costs of mental illness to U.S. businesses

• To list prevention strategies to enhance employees’ mental health
• To discuss management’s role in both the prevention AND intervention strategies to deal with mental health in your workplace

Who Will Benefit:

• CEO
• COO
• CFO
• Directors
• Managers
• Supervisor
• HR
• Risk Management
• OSHA professionals
• Occupational health nurse

Dr. Susan Strauss
Workplace and Education Harassment and Bullying Consultant, Strauss Consulting

Susan Strauss is a national and international speaker, trainer, consultant and a recognized expert on workplace and school harassment and bullying. She conducts harassment and bullying investigations and functions as an expert witness in harassment and bullying lawsuits. Her clients are from business, education, healthcare, law, and government organizations from both the public and private sector.

Dr. Strauss has conducted research, written over 30 books, book chapters, and journal articles on harassment, bullying, and related topics. She has been featured on 20/20, CBS Evening News and other television and radio programs as well as interviewed for newspaper and journal articles such as Harvard Education Newsletter, Lawyers Weekly, and the Times of London.

She is the recipient of the Excellence in Educational Equity Award from the Minnesota Department of Education for her work in sexual harassment in education. She has spoken about sexual harassment at international conferences in Botswana, Egypt, Thailand, and the U.S. She consulted with the Israeli Ministry of Education, as well as with educators from Israel, England, Australia, St. Martin, Bali, Beirut, and Canada. She traveled to Poland and conducted research on sex discrimination and sexual harassment in Polish workplaces with Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights.

Dr. Strauss has a doctorate in organizational leadership. She is a registered nurse, has a bachelor’s degree in human services and counseling, a master’s degree in community health, and professional certificate in training and development. She has been involved in the harassment and bullying arena since 1985.

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