In New York, many employers and employees only consider physical injuries when they think about workers’ compensation claims and disregard any mental health impacts the employees might suffer. However, it is a good idea for both employers and employees to consider the mental health effects that work-related injuries can cause and take steps to address and prevent them. Knowing the myths about mental health can help employers better address any psychological impacts employees might suffer as a result of work-related accidents.
Myths about mental health and workers’ compensation
Many employers have several misconceptions about mental health as it relates to workers’ compensation. They might believe that an employee’s mental health issues are personal problems unrelated to their jobs. However, hostile and stressful work environments can cause employees to develop mental health symptoms. If they are injured, anxiety about whether or not they will be able to return to work can also cause problems. Some companies also think that employees who do not have pre-existing mental health problems will not have psychological components to their injuries. However, many people experience depression or anxiety as a result of being injured and facing financial pressures.
Employers also wrongly believe that when an employee’s physical injuries have healed, their mental health issues will also go away. However, employers should instead focus on ensuring their workers’ mental health issues are also addressed so that they can fully recover and return to work sooner after being out on workers’ compensation leave for work-related injuries.
Having good preventative programs in place to provide help for employees experiencing mental health issues is a good idea. Offering mental health benefits to employees through employee assistance programs might allow people to address any emotional or psychological issues before they cause enough problems to impact their jobs.