Many people lost their jobs amidst Coronavirus, while others continue working and experience salary cuts. Managing family expenses is still a big deal in middle-class families. This uncertain time is the primary cause of depression at the workplace. Employers know that it's a difficult time for every business. Therefore, they are trying to spot signs of depression at the workplace. This identification helps them deal with this biggest challenge and keep productivity at its correct level. 

If they don't care about depression at the workplace, then they will lose a productive employee and have to find its replacement- that involves cost. It also means disrupting business operations due to the high rate of sick days and absenteeism of employees. 

It's essential to spot a depressed employee at work, provide him the much-needed support, and keep business up and running in this stressful condition.Please read about less stressful jobs

5 Common Signs of Depression at Workplace

Here are some common signs you should pay attention to.

1.Increase Rate of Absenteeism/Sick-days

The very first sign that you shouldn't ignore is more sick days than workdays from an employee. Some employers think that an employee has become lazy and unproductive while, in reality, he might be suffering in silence. He isn't saying a word about it as mental health is a stigma. No one likes to open up about it. Know: how to call in sick at work

What to do? 

If your employee was productive at first, but he isn't now and taking too many sick days, it's time to talk about it. Know the root cause and evaluate his mental health.

2.Difficulty in Concentration

The most probable sign of depression at the workplace is losing focus and feeling unable to concentrate. A manager should keep an eye on an employee who keeps forgetting all about the task repeatedly. If he isn't attentive and stays unresponsive during the critical discussion, he clearly has something going on in his mind. 

What to do?

It's time you need to sit alongside him and ask him politely what is the main reason. Why he is not himself and unable to focus on the most critical work matter. Don't be pushy but try to be as supportive as you can. Please talk about this matter over a coffee or lunch. A casual environment might make him open up about his mental disaster.

Know: How to Boost Concentration at work

3.Extreme Mood Swings

One of the most common signs of depression at the workplace is extreme mood swings. Every person has some mood flip. However, extreme moodiness results in conflict. Colleagues can tell clearly when their teammates aren't themselves. 

A depressed person feels sad and doesn't take any interest in the work. Everything feels like an overburden. So, when a professional starts yelling or isolating himself all of a sudden, an underlying cause could be stress and unhappiness. Read about mental wellness
 

What to do?

 Observe the behavior of your employee if that mood swing is becoming a routine. It would be best if you asked an employee to ask for medical help. Extreme levels of sadness and isolation never end up good. 

4.Overproductivity 

Pandemic has changed the way people think about their work life. As lots of people lost their jobs, those who have them become over conscious about them. They know that losing a job in this challenging time would bring multiple problems. 

Depression now has become many people over-productive. Many people don't like to turn off their work. They don't want to stop working. So, if an employee has become over productive and ready to work for long hours, it's a sign of depression.

What to do?

 Give a break to your employee. Ask employees to discuss mental health. Bring Coronavirus and other issues in break discussion. They should learn to survive in this challenging time.

5.Low Energy/Tiredness

If a productive employee becomes unproductive all of a sudden, it could be a sign of depression. Continuous work brings stress and makes people tired. Some jobs are physically demanding, and employees feel fatigued.

Learn 15 Best Ways to Increase Productivity at Workplace

 Some days are very tough for them, and they don't like to stand up or take a shower to get ready for work. It's not just their productivity that gets affected, and you can quickly notice this in their appearance. They won't look like themselves. They become messy and careless about how they look. 

What to do?

As they are keeping it all to themselves, they won't talk about depression at all. So, you need to keep a mental health kit at your workplace. Let everyone be open about their mental health situation. The best thing you can do is to arrange mental health and wellness webinars for your employees.

Conclusion

You have got an idea of spotting signs of depression at the workplace. Your employee well-being and health (physical/mental) should be your top priority. A healthy employee will be productive, so he will be better able to keep your business operation up and running.