How to Train Your Managers to Recognize Mental Health Red Flags in the Workplace

Your managers are your company’s early warning system.

They see the mood shifts, the missed deadlines, the employee who’s suddenly not themselves.

But here’s the problem: most managers have never been trained to recognize mental health red flags in the workplace and that gap is quietly costing your business in productivity, retention, and revenue.

If you want to protect your goals (and your best people), you need managers who can spot trouble early and know how to act before it turns into burnout or resignation.

Why Middle Management Is the First Line of Defense for Mental Health in the Workplace

Managers are the bridge between leadership and employees. They:

• Hear about workload stress before it reaches HR

• Notice changes in behavior before a crisis hits

• Have the trust to check in early if they’re trained to do it
  

Without this skill, mental health challenges can go unnoticed until they’ve already cost you.

Employees experiencing burnout are more likely to take a sick day and 2.6x more likely to be actively seeking another job (Gallup).

The Red Flags Every Manager Should Recognize

Burnout and mental health struggles often start subtly:

• Declining Work Quality or Speed – A top performer starts missing deadlines or making errors.

• Withdrawal from the Team – Avoiding meetings, keeping cameras off, or skipping casual interactions.

• Visible Fatigue or Physical Changes – Consistently looking tired, unwell, or disheveled.

• Mood Shifts or Irritability – Short temper, defensiveness, or uncharacteristic emotional reactions.

• Frequent Absences or Last-Minute Time Off – Especially without clear explanations or with noticeable patterns.

Small changes like these, if left unaddressed, can quietly undermine key performance metrics from client satisfaction to project timelines.

How to Train Managers to Spot and Respond

1. Integrate Mental Health Awareness into Leadership Training

We offer customized workshops to help their Middle Management for Team Improvement/Leadership Improvement (EAP)

2. Roleplay Real-World Scenarios

Teach managers what to do when a once-engaged employee disengages or starts missing work.

3. Give Them a Clear Escalation Path

Managers aren’t therapists but they should know:

• When to involve HR

• How to refer to your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• What language keeps the conversation supportive and stigma-free

4. Make It Continuous, Not One-Off

Quarterly refreshers keep skills sharp and normalize mental health check-ins.

The ROI of Early Intervention

The WHO estimates depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion annually in lost productivity. For your business, that might mean missed quarterly targets, delayed launches, or losing your competitive edge.

A Gentle Next Step

At Find Your Balance, Center for Growth & Change, we help organizations equip managers to:

• Spot early warning signs of burnout and distress

• Have supportive, confidential conversations

• Connect employees to EAP and wellness resources

• Build a culture where asking for help is safe and supported

If you’d like to explore ways to strengthen your managers’ ability to support mental health, I’d be happy to share ideas that have worked for other teams like yours.

📅 Learn more or start the conversation here → findyourbalancecenter.com/book-now

Or call (818) 927-0478

Summary of Linked Sources:

• The Economic Cost of Poor Employee Mental Health

• How to Train Managers to Spot and Respond

• Cost of Depression at Work