Mental illness is no different to injury or sickness, writes Margaret Harris

When Ronald (not his real name) was injured in a car accident and had to spend two weeks recuperating, his boss was understanding and welcomed him back to work when he returned.

This was not the case, though, when another member of the team was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and spent a few weeks in a psychiatric ward. Besides the stigma of being "crazy", she had to deal with her boss waiting to see how long she would last before having another "episode".

Andi Bengis, an occupational therapist, says employers display a range of responses when confronted with employees' mental health problems.

"One of my patients was demoted from machine operator to toilet cleaner after she was admitted to hospital for bipolar disorder.

"Generally there is a stigma that comes with mental illness and people are thought to be difficult, attention seeking or dysfunctional because of their illness.

"When they return to work, there is often a lot of office gossip about the person being crazy. Even if the person is initially accepted, there seems to be a culture of waiting for the person to slip up or do something wrong."

Bengis says that, ideally, a boss should be empathetic to employees returning to work after illnesses related to mental health. "This could mean giving them time to go for regular check-ups, reducing unnecessary pressure on the person or perhaps even letting the person give a talk about mental health on a wellness day."

Anastasia Vatalidis, a director at Werksmans Attorneys, says that according to the Labour Relations Act, mental illness is considered a form of incapacity and an employee cannot be dismissed for mental illness unless the correct procedures have been followed.

"An employer is expected at all times to act reasonably towards employees. An employee suffering from any form of incapacity, physical or mental, should be accommodated as far as reasonably possible."

She adds this includes taking into account a recovery period, as long as "the employee fulfils their side of the bargain". This would include taking any prescribed medication and therapy to treat the mental illness.

But in some cases, when the issue is not well managed, the relationship between employer and employee becomes untenable.

"If the employee is not sufficiently forthcoming about his/her condition - whether it is temporary or permanent and the duration of any recovery and, similarly, if the employee fails to take steps early enough to take into account the employee's incapacity, the damage to the relationship may be irrevocable."

Bengis says she advises her patients to set up a meeting with their direct boss as soon as possible after returning to work and before the "rumours get too hectic".

She adds: "They should be honest about their condition but not make it into an issue. I recommend saying the following: 'I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and spent time in hospital.

'While I was there, I was put on treatment and attended therapy. I am doing very well now and hope to not only continue working as I did but maybe even have a different approach to my job now that I have better coping skills. I appreciate the support that you have given me.'"

When talking to the boss, however, it is best to avoid the problems in your life that may have contributed to your mental illness, says Bengis. "Do not bring up the issues that led to the illness - talk about the illness and not your abusive childhood that caused it. It is nobody's business what your stressors are."

Despite the stress of being back at work and having to cope with the whispers in the office, Bengis says that it is important for the employee to show that he/she can cope at work, especially as people may be on the lookout for a relapse.