Inheriting disability in the workplace (maybe)
Discussion
There's an employee at work who is exceptional in their field but can be prone to absolute 'meltdowns' on a moment's notice. These usually only last a few minutes and disappear as quick as they came.
Nothing has been disclosed to me, by the employee or previous management. The employee is encyclopedic in the matter of the work (beyond any of their peers).
I'm in my forties and if I was at school again, I'd be more than just the naughty kid. I have no filters and have learned to live with my own 'self destruct' button, so maybe some similarities.
I'd be happy to try and help the employee. I've been taking them to a physio appointment recently (unrelated, they don't drive) and thought I'd use the journey time to have a chat, but found the prospect daunting and it didn't get mentioned. I'm usually a shoot from the hip borderline potty mouth, so this must be a sensitie subject.
Any advice on how (or if) I should be approaching this person would be welcome.
Nothing has been disclosed to me, by the employee or previous management. The employee is encyclopedic in the matter of the work (beyond any of their peers).
I'm in my forties and if I was at school again, I'd be more than just the naughty kid. I have no filters and have learned to live with my own 'self destruct' button, so maybe some similarities.
I'd be happy to try and help the employee. I've been taking them to a physio appointment recently (unrelated, they don't drive) and thought I'd use the journey time to have a chat, but found the prospect daunting and it didn't get mentioned. I'm usually a shoot from the hip borderline potty mouth, so this must be a sensitie subject.
Any advice on how (or if) I should be approaching this person would be welcome.
Thanks all. Small company, under 20 staff and I'm HR! I've actively sought diverse workforces in this and other roles.
Should this person happen to require additional support in their job, the reasons for this have not been shared. Possibly an undiagnosed adult, potentially lifestyle contributions, I don't know.
Meltdowns are frequent and follow a similar pattern. Once they're over the employee will crack jokes and be lighthearted as if it had never happened, despite maybe 30 seconds previously throwing things around and having a meltdown like you'd imagine from a toddler in tesco. It is the switching in and out that makes me think there may be some additional support needed. A change of plans to a day's work = meltdown. A sentence from leftfield (but often innocuous) = meltdown.
Maybe disciplinary is the way to go as it does have an imact on others and the work, but I hope you can see why I might think there's something we can help make easier for the employee; just having a conversation along those lines when it might be unwelcome is proving difficult.
Should this person happen to require additional support in their job, the reasons for this have not been shared. Possibly an undiagnosed adult, potentially lifestyle contributions, I don't know.
Meltdowns are frequent and follow a similar pattern. Once they're over the employee will crack jokes and be lighthearted as if it had never happened, despite maybe 30 seconds previously throwing things around and having a meltdown like you'd imagine from a toddler in tesco. It is the switching in and out that makes me think there may be some additional support needed. A change of plans to a day's work = meltdown. A sentence from leftfield (but often innocuous) = meltdown.
Maybe disciplinary is the way to go as it does have an imact on others and the work, but I hope you can see why I might think there's something we can help make easier for the employee; just having a conversation along those lines when it might be unwelcome is proving difficult.
Edited by 22 on Wednesday 14th March 20:52
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