Cutting: Should We Ask About It?

By Angela Adams, CEBS, SPHR, Director, Human Resource Services
Published May 21, 2019

Question: A coworker approached HR and told us that another employee showed the coworker marks on her arms where she was cutting herself because she was depressed. Should we ask the employee if she is okay?  The coworker who approached us thinks we should.

Answer:  We would recommend you talk to the employee’s supervisor and ask if he or she has noticed anything out of the ordinary with the employee; is her work getting done? Does she seem “herself”?  

If her performance is fine, her supervisor, who most likely has a closer relationship with her than HR does, may want to ask her if everything is okay and whether there is anything she wants to discuss, work-related or personal. If she opens up to the supervisor about her issues, the supervisor will want to remind her of your employee assistance program and any leave possibilities, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and then let HR know about the conversation.  

If she says that she is okay, then the supervisor should accept that and continue to monitor the situation, telling the employee that the door is always open for more discussion. The employee may wonder why she is being asked these questions. The supervisor can tell her that a coworker thought that perhaps she needed some assistance and leave it at that. The supervisor should not get into detail about who approached management or what was said. 

If she is not performing well, or if her behavior is disrupting the workplace, then the supervisor should talk to her about that in a documented performance discussion. During that conversation, the supervisor can outline expectations and ask whether there is anything going on that the organization needs to know about. If the employee indicates she’s having trouble, provide the employee with assistance program and leave information. The supervisor should also let HR know what happened.  

If the supervisor is inexperienced or HR feels they might not handle the above tasks well, HR can always sit in on the conversation. Involving HR in meetings sometimes unnecessarily upsets employees, though, so think carefully if it’s necessary in this case or whether HR can provide some preliminary coaching instead.   

HR Source members can always contact the HR Hotline at 800-448-4584 or hotline@hrsource.org to discuss any difficult situation.