Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 2, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 19 By Kacy Cerasoli Maitland Kacy Cerasoli Maitland is chief clinical officer at Samaritans, Inc., a suicide prevention organization based in Framingham. 10) Suicide is preventable: Employers can play a significant role in this prevention through awareness and action. In 2022, nearly 50,000 Americans died by suicide. 9) Mental health affects job performance: Mental health issues can impact an employee's productivity and performance. By prioritizing mental health, employers enhance their organization's effectiveness. Suicides and suicide attempts cost $70+ billion each year in lifetime medical and work-loss costs. 8) Stigma is a major barrier: Employers can combat this by fostering an open, supportive environment where mental health discussions are normalized. This is especially important given middle- aged adults (35-64) account for half of all suicides in the U.S. 7) Training is essential: People can feel ill-equipped to help someone experiencing suicidal thoughts. Employers should provide mental health awareness and suicide prevention training to all staff. Employees are in a good position to notice changes in behavior in their coworkers. 6) Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are underutilized: Employers should actively promote their EAP services and ensure employees know how to access them. 5) Work-related stress can contribute to suicidal thoughts: High-pressure work environments, long hours, and job insecurity exacerbate mental health issues. Employers should strive to create a balanced, supportive work culture. 4) Warning signs aren't always obvious: Employers should educate their workforce about subtle indicators. Samaritans offers workplace prevention workshops. 3) Crisis response plans are crucial: Every workplace should have a clear, well-communicated plan for responding to mental health crises. 2) Return-to-work support is vital: For employees returning to work after a suicide attempt, a supportive reintegration process is crucial. 1) Suicide prevention is an ongoing process: Suicide prevention isn't a one- time initiative. Employers should regularly review and update their policies and support systems. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach 24/7 support. e perils of ignoring your business reputation BY SLOANE M. PERRON Special to WBJ W orking full-time in an office means many life milestones are oen shared with cowork- ers. When it comes to wedding plan- ning, which can be a full-time job in and of itself, brides-to-be and future spouses must navigate how to keep a divide between personal and professional time. Being transparent, determining rea- sonable time off, and keeping work and planning separate are ways a manager can support an employee while promot- ing a professional work environment. Be transparent in communications. Once an employee becomes engaged, it is respectful for the employee to inform a boss of the new situation and be upfront about the planning timeline. A manager may ask questions to deter- mine work coverage. Summer Krecke, a Forbes interviewee, suggests answering the questions without going overboard with the details. Clear communication upfront is key. Determine reasonable time off. Wedding planning oentimes includes pre-wedding events in addition to the ceremony and honeymoon. Coordinat- ing time off needs to be fair to cowork- ers, who will be picking up the slack. Alison Green from New York Magazine cautions requesting an unreasonable amount of PTO, since this can impact your team's productivity. "A lot of places frown on people taking off more than two weeks at a time, but managers are oen willing to make exceptions for weddings," Green writes. Create a boundary between work and wedding prep. It can be hard to connect with vendors and answer family ques- tions while working a 9-to-5 job. While it may be tempting to wedding plan during the workday, Emily Cassidy of MSNBC says wedding planning should not bleed over into your professional life. Using your lunch break for wedding planning and creating a separate email instead of using your work account are ways you can create boundaries during work hours. "Managing your time and energy is a good way to show your em- ployers that you understand the respon- sibilities of your job," Cassidy writes. WEDDING PLANNING ETIQUETTE IN THE WORKPLACE BY JULIA BECKER COLLINS Special to WBJ D o you know what people say about your business online? Information on your company online is being created, reviewed, and commented on constantly, regard- less of whether you know about them or not. If you're not keeping up, you'll be caught unaware of blows to your reputation. It's time to find, manage, and respond to the criticisms leveled at your company. Do you know where people talk about your business online? If people wanted to say something good or bad about your company, where would they go? ere are many places on the internet to do so, but some speak louder than others: • Google listing: When people type your business into search, your business listing will be one of the first things to show up. is includes a review section with a star rating. • Yelp & Better Business Bureau: ese are the two premier review sites for businesses, and they're the next step for people digging into your company's reputation. • Social media: Facebook has a star- based review system built right into the interface, but platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., can all still have negative messages, comments, and mentions of your business. Depending on the industry, other list- ings include Trip Advisor or Glassdoor. Are you managing your online reputation? One thing that's true for almost all the above websites is entries for your business are created without your input, automatically or by users. is means people are already talking about your company, even if you're not aware. You need to be proactive and claim these accounts, set notifications when new reviews or comments come in, and learn the gentle art of responding to negative feedback. Similarly, it's a good idea to set up notifications from Google whenever your business is mentioned, especially in news articles. How do you respond to reviews and complaints? Two instinctive ways to respond to a negative review or comment aimed at your business are to ignore it or respond to it confrontationally. Both are the wrong reactions. While you should respond, as these comments are both public statements on your business and customers engaging with your brand, you need to: • Gather information about the situ- ation. Were they a customer, and were the statements they made true? is will help you formulate a response. • Respond diplomatically. It's okay to apologize and be conciliatory. Your first goal is to make them feel heard. Your second goal is to solve the problem. • Take the conversation private. It's a good idea to switch to phone, messen- ger, or email to get more information or discuss compensation. • Know when to stop. Sometimes, the reviewer will act in bad faith or want to hurt your brand's image. You may need to leave a statement to set the facts straight and walk away. Be polite and professional, but have a plan to respond to any criticisms. Know- ing these listings exist and leveraging tools and time to respond can make a huge difference to initial reactions when people find your business online. 10 Things employers should know about … ... Suicide prevention Julia Becker Collins is the chief operating officer of Northborough-based Vision Advertising, a full-service marketing agency celebrating 25 years in business. W W W

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