what to do if an employee threatens to kill themselves

Employees may spend more face-to-face fourth dimension with coworkers and managers than their ain family and friends. The workplace may correspond a place of belonging. These reasons may contribute to an employee showing suicidal signs in the workplace. An employee may share thoughts with a coworker or make comments that are overheard. Coworkers or a manager might detect changes in beliefs that are concerning.

Warning signs of suicide run a risk

• Making directly statements near ending ane's life.
• Making indirect comments like, "What's the point of living?" "Life is meaningless." "No one would miss me if I were gone."
• Talking or writing nigh decease or dying (ane's ain or the topic in general), including social media posts.
• Mentioning having ways and/or a program for self-harm such as admission to pills, guns, or other weapons.
• Giving away possessions.
• Asking about life insurance policy details, especially as it relates to cause of decease.
• Showing interest in end-of-life diplomacy, such as making a will, discussing funeral preferences, etc.
• Noticeable changes in beliefs or mood. The person might appear uncharacteristically sad, tranquility, depressed, or withdrawn.
• You might see neglect of work, advent, or hygiene.
• Voicing hopelessness or helplessness.

Increased risk

Seeing one or more than alert signs in a person who has suffered a significant loss may bespeak increased gamble. Examples could be a death, divorce, a relationship breakup, loss of kid custody, home foreclosure, bankruptcy, or job loss. Other significant adventure factors are severe financial stressors, legal problems, an upshot causing disgrace or shame, substance abuse, and impulsivity.

What to do if an employee shows alert signs of suicide

It'southward important as a manager to act speedily and gather information. You lot are not expected to practise a suicide risk assessment, simply asking questions can aid determine appropriate next steps. Accept all responses seriously.

Ask the employee about any suicidal thoughts

• Cheque your company policy regarding contacting the employee by telephone if the employee works offsite or is not at work.
• As soon as you become aware of alert signs in the workplace, find the employee and don't exit them lonely.
• Take them to a serenity, private place to have a chat to determine side by side steps.
• Be direct and let them know what you've learned. You lot might commencement with, "It'due south come up to my attention that you lot said, 'My life is not worth living.'"
• Enquire the employee if they have had thoughts of ending their life. You might be concerned that this will requite them the thought if they didn't have it already, but research shows that, on the contrary, when asked this question, most people experience relief, not distress.ⁱ
• You are giving them a sense of promise by making information technology OK to talk about information technology.
• Give the employee a gamble to explicate. Listening is the most important thing yous tin can practise at this time.
• Prove your concern and back up. Let the person know you care and yous value them. Show agreement of their pain. Exist compassionate, even if you feel angry or upset about what the person is considering.
• Don't challenge their values or minimize their hurting. For case, avoid saying things like, "Y'all don't really desire to do that," or "Recall about what it would practise to your family unit."
• You tin can offer hope that, with the correct help, solutions can be institute for the bug that are leading the person to feel suicidal. But avoid the urge to question the employee about their problems. Don't requite advice or suggest solutions. Stay in the present.

If the employee is telling you lot that they intend to harm themselves:

• Telephone call 911. Safety is your priority.
• Check your company policy regarding calling the employee's emergency contact person to alert them of concerns.
• Y'all can say to the employee "Given what y'all've told me, I take concerns about your safety. I have a responsibility to brand sure you become firsthand help. Your safety is the most important matter right at present."
• When calling 911, give all the details that the employee has shared with y'all and whatever statements the employee reportedly made to others.
• When the emergency responders make it, they will talk to the employee to assess farther and decide next steps.
• 911 may also need to be called in situations where the employee works offsite or has non reported to work in a reasonable amount of time and is not reachable. If the information you lot have presents an urgent concern, information technology's better to call 911 to exercise a welfare/safety check than look another day to see if the employee reports to work.
• Once the immediate safety business organization is addressed, consult with the advisable resources inside your visitor.

Managing the employee going frontward

• If your visitor has an employee help programme (EAP) in place, at that place are boosted resources in place. For example, sometimes a formal management referral to the EAP is appropriate to brand certain the employee is following through with the help they need.

Take care of yourself

Information technology can be very stressful when an employee displays warning signs of suicide. In addition to supporting your employee, don't hesitate to get support for yourself.

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Source: https://www.cigna.com/individuals-families/health-wellness/topic-suicide-prevention/responding-to-suicide-warning-signs-in-the-workplace

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