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Human rights laws require employers to make “reasonable accommodations” for employees with disabilities. Here’s a Checklist of potential accommodations that may be necessary to make for employees who have mental health issues or conditions. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list and while deleting items isn’t advisable you should feel free to add to it if you provide or are open to additional accommodations.
GENERAL AWARENESS & SENSITIVITY
| POTENTIAL ACCOMMODATIONS | YES | NO | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offer employees stress management training to develop relaxation, mindfulness and resiliency skills | |||
| Use of natural light, plants, ventilation, flexible spaces and other elements to provide a mentally healthy physical work environment | |||
| Inform employees of available resources such as free relaxation APPs or company Employee Assistance Program (EAP) | |||
| Implement anti-harassment, anti-bullying and psychological safety policies | |||
| Sponsor awareness-building and anti-stigma campaigns | |||
| Develop, implement and ensure employee awareness of workplace accommodations policies, procedures and protocols | |||
| WORK ACCOMMODATIONS | |||
| Telecommute or work from home arrangements | |||
| Part-time work hours | |||
| Job sharing arrangements | |||
| Adjustments to the start or end of work hours, compensation time and/or “make up” of missed time | |||
| Leave for reasons related to mental health, treatment or recovery | |||
| Work hours off for therapy and other related appointments | |||
| Flexible use of vacation time | |||
| Work breaks based on individual needs rather than a fixed schedule | |||
| More frequent breaks and/or greater flexibility in scheduling breaks | |||
| WORKPLACE MODIFICATIONS & ACCOMMODATIONS | |||
| Reduction or removal of distractions in the work area | |||
| Use of room dividers, partitions or other soundproofing or visual barriers between workspaces to reduce noise or visual distractions | |||
| Location of office/work space away from noisy or distracting machinery, equipment or operations | |||
| Private offices or private space enclosures | |||
| Reduction of workplace noise that can be adjusted, such as telephone volume | |||
| Increased natural lighting or full spectrum | |||
| Allowing use of music (with headset) to block out distractions | |||
| Allowing beverages and food at workstations when necessary to mitigate the side effects of medications or disorders | |||
| Allowing employees to keep a service animal where necessary to accommodate a mental (or physical) disability | |||
| EQUIPMENT MODIFICATIONS & ACCOMMODATIONS | |||
| Tape recorders to record/review meetings and training sessions | |||
| Environmental sound or “white noise” machines | |||
| Handheld electronic organizers, software calendars and organizer programs | |||
| Laptop computers, personal digital assistants and office computer access via remote locations. | |||
| Software that minimizes computerized distractions such as pop-up screens | |||
| Increased natural lighting or full spectrum lighting | |||
| Allowing use of music (with headset) to block out distractions | |||
| JOB MODIFICATIONS & ACCOMMODATIONS | |||
| Modification or removal of non-essential job duties or restructuring of the job to include only the essential functions | |||
| Division of large assignments into smaller tasks and goals | |||
| Additional assistance and/or time for orientation activities, training and learning job tasks and new responsibilities | |||
| Additional training or modified training materials | |||
| ACCOMMODATIONS IN SUPERVISION & MANAGEMENT | |||
| Training of managers and supervisors in mental health awareness, communication skills and emotional intelligence | |||
| Training of managers and supervisors to recognize and respond to warning signs of mental health issues | |||
| Implementation of flexible and supportive supervision style that emphasizes positive reinforcement and feedback | |||
| Written work agreements that include any agreed upon accommodations, long-term and short-term goals, expectations of responsibilities and consequences of not meeting performance standards | |||
| Adjustments in level of supervision or structure, such as more frequent meetings to help prioritize tasks | |||
| Open communication with managers and supervisors regarding performance and work expectations | |||
| Additional forms of communication and/or written and visual tools, including communication of assignments and instructions in employee’s preferred learning style (written, verbal, e-mail, demonstration) | |||
| Use of written tools such as daily “to-do” lists, step-by-step checklists, instructions and typed minutes of meetings | |||
| Regularly scheduled meetings with employees to discuss workplace issues and productivity, including annual discussions as part of performance appraisals to assess abilities and promotional opportunities |
