Guidelines for the Workplace
Most suicide survivor programs focus mainly on the friends and family of the person who completed suicide. But suicide can also affect the workplace. For co-workers, a suicide can have devastating effects. For supervisors and human resource managers, a suicide poses new problems and consequences that they may not have dealt with before.
After a suicide, employees may struggle with guilt about what they could have done to help. Some may experience depression or even suicidal thoughts. A lot of businesses offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which can help in these situations. If you need help, contact your human resources representative, EAP or learn more about support services for survivors.
Resources are also available on the following web sites:
This National Mental Health Association website offers information to help employers promote mental health in the workplace. www.nmha.org/workplace/index.cfm
The web site of the National Partnership for Workplace Mental Health from the American Psychiatric Foundation and the American Psychiatric Association, also has information on how to maintain a healthy workplace. The web site includes resources on workplace stress management programs, depression, dealing with anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. www.workplacementalhealth.org/
Visit our prevention section to learn more about training programs that inform employers on how to identify a suicidal person, how to effectively implement suicide prevention programs in the workplace and the impact that suicide has on co-workers.
