How to Spot a Struggling Employee (Without Playing Therapist)
Managers are often the first to notice when something's wrong - and the most worried about overstepping. The good news: you don't need a clinical eye. You need to notice change, and know what to do with what you see. Spotting isn't diagnosing.
What to watch for: change from baseline
You're not looking for symptoms; you're looking for a shift from how this person usually is:
- A reliable performer's work slipping or deadlines starting to slide
- Withdrawal - quieter in meetings, skipping social contact, camera always off
- Increased absence, lateness, or the opposite: never taking a break
- Visible changes in mood, energy, or irritability
- Comments that hint at hopelessness or being overwhelmed
One of these on one day is a Tuesday. A pattern over weeks is a signal.
Your job is the bridge, not the diagnosis
You're not there to figure out what is wrong. You're there to notice, to check in with care, and to connect the person to real help. "I've noticed you don't seem yourself lately, and I wanted to check in" is the whole job. Then point them to the care that exists.
The line you don't cross
Don't speculate about diagnoses, don't counsel, don't promise confidentiality you can't keep. Notice, care, refer. That's the manager's lane - and it's genuinely powerful.
Give managers a real place to refer to. CorpCARE is the medical care behind "let's get you some help."
Sources
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. "Mental Health — How to Address and Support." OSH Answers. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/mh/mentalhealth_address.html
- Workforce Institute at UKG. "Mental Health at Work: Managers and Money" (summarized by SHRM). https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/employee-relations/report-managers-bigger-impact-employee-mental-health-therapists