Two years have passed since “John Brown” got the letter that advised him his job no longer exists and that he has to part company with the organisation he spent a decade serving. He was so bitter that he did not even show up at the send-off function planned for him. John celebrated his 50th birthday last month and he feels as if he is a failure as “nutten nah gwan fi him”. His wife, although she understands the dilemma the family is facing, is growing increasingly frustrated.

A receptionist, she has been the sole provider for the family of five over the period. She has been in the position for the last 10 years and received only marginal increases over that time. She has been awarded employee of the year award on six occasions and is always pleasant. But in the last year, she has become quite grumpy and unco-operative. Customers have even complained about her curt and ill-mannered behaviour. It got to the point where she was outwardly rude to her supervisor and was referred to the human resources manager to effect the appropriate discipline. The supervisor strongly recommended dismissal or at least a two-week suspension.

THE above scenario is one that some human resource managers have to deal with in some organisations. A well-trained and experienced human resource professional would handle the situation in a fair, but firm manner.

It is true that “Mrs Brown” was disrespectful and ought to be punished for her improper behaviour, but the punishment must fit the crime.

A good human resource manager would want to find out what may have triggered the behaviour. She/he would have learned that the home situation accounted for the change in behaviour. The human resource manager would want to refer the worker to counselling to help her deal with the issues of frustration due to the home situation. Sending her home permanently would not do her or her family any good.

Some managers are insensitive to the needs of their staff and are always ready to discard them at the bat of an eyelid. They claim that the workplace is not a nursery and workers ought not to be treated like babies. They seem to forget that the employee has an emotional/psychological side that must be catered to.

Especially in these times where scores of families have been affected by redundancies, sympathy must be extended to the working partner who has to carry the burden of the financial obligations of the family. I would urge all managers, supervisors and co-workers to be sensitive to a colleague who might be engaged in this balancing act. You will notice a change in behaviour which might be symptomatic of depression.

Signs of depression

. Decreased interest or pleasure. The individual may have been actively involved in the social/sport club and is no longer interested. He/she does not have the desire to socialise any more.

. Weight loss or weight gain. Due to the psychological stress, the individual may lose appetite and skip the major meals of the day. The reverse is also possible where the individual overindulges and puts on excess weight.

. Sleep disturbance. The person may report that he/she is sleeping too much or

too little.

. Low energy or fatigue. The individual can become lethargic. It is not unusual for such workers to complain of a worrying loss of energy.

. Low self-esteem. A feeling of worthlessness and self-blame overshadows the individual and he/she takes responsibility for occurrences that he/she has no control over.

. Poor concentration and difficulty making decisions. The individual experiences a “brain fog” where the ability to think, concentrate and make decisions is greatly impaired.

. Feelings of hopelessness. The individual may be so depressed that he/she may entertain thoughts of suicide.

It is important therefore that every member of staff be aware of the signs and symptoms of depression and seek to offer help. Managers and supervisors should be mindful of this and not be too hasty to suspend or dismiss a worker. Take some time to find out how well he/she is coping and offer some psychological assistance. Most times, just a listening ear is all that is required.

And remember, be proactive rather than reactive.

Wayne Powell is a human resource professional of more than 10 years. He may be contacted at crisscounsellor@yahoo.com