Nearly 56 million people, or 1 in 5 Americans, live with a disability. When addressing disability in the workplace, nearly 54 percent of employees feel uncomfortable mentioning a health condition or accident to their superiors, leading to a decrease in productivity and higher likelihood of a disability leave. This disconnect leaves employers and employees with a missing piece that could expose them to a gap in their disability management strategy.

So, how can employers identify and mend the missing link to support employees with health conditions? It starts with training.

While many employees may feel uncomfortable looking to their direct supervisor for help with a health condition, proper training can help provide a better employee experience. By training managers to identify employees who may benefit from assistance, employers can help provide employees with stay-at-work support, resources and, if applicable, a smoother transition back to work after a disability leave.

Let's take a closer look at why manager training is so important.

The importance of manager training

Your managers probably have a lot on their plate already. But their relationship with employees and unique perspective put them in the best position to identify an employee in need of assistance. Since managers have regular face time with each employee, they are more likely to notice if an employee is struggling at work. The feeling that an employee is "off," or not acting like themselves, can be a key sign that an employee needs help.

When an employee is suffering from a health condition, they may not only seem off, but also struggle to perform everyday tasks. When a health condition becomes too much to handle, an employee may hesitate to tell their manager about what's going on. However, if a manager is trained to notice shifts in behavior pointing toward a health condition, they may be able to be proactive and initiate a conversation to point the employee toward workplace resources that can provide support. In addition to being trained to notice these shifts in behaviors, managers should also be trained on how to carefully handle the delicate nature of the conversation with the employee and avoid saying or asking something that isn't appropriate.

Getting the ball rolling

Once the initial conversation about a potential health condition happens in a safe environment, a manager can then direct an employee to helpful resources. Identifying an employee who needs either stay-at-work or return-to-work assistance is crucial. The earlier the employee is identified and referred to a disability carrier, the earlier he or she can be connected with resources provided by your employee benefits programs or even provided with accommodations.

The most beneficial part of this approach is that identifying an employee in need of assistance early on can help them receive help before even needing to take a disability leave. This approach also can help with overall department morale, since managers are taking a direct and caring interest in their employees. Employees whose managers are invested in them can make them feel valued and connected in the workplace.

Connecting the dots

While identifying an employee who may benefit from stay-at-work services doesn't always prevent a disability leave, communicating with employees while they are on leave can provide them with additional support and ensure that they can hit the ground running when they return to work.

By learning about any job restrictions or limitations an employee might face upon returning, managers can help provide accommodations to avoid a lack of productivity or additional time on leave. It also helps employees feel comfortable talking to their managers about any issues they might have.

To create a better and more productive workforce, employers first must take care of their employees. By training managers, they can notice warning signs and better equip their employees to know the steps to connect with stay-at-work or return-to-work resources.

Jeffery D. Smith is the Workplace Possibilities℠ program practice consultant for The Standard, and has worked in the vocational rehabilitation field for more than 30 years. In his role, Jeff is continually looking at ways to improve the Workplace Possibilities program to provide new and better stay-at-work and return-to-work services for both employers and employees. He shares the benefits of the program with new and existing clients, creates white papers and writes case studies to help make a difference for employers who are looking to be more successful in managing employee absence and disability.

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Manager training: The missing piece of the disability support puzzle

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