You don’t need to put up with a job, supervisor impacting your mental health

DEAR READERS: How should a long-time employee in a hard-to-fill position respond when a problem that’s been discussed several times with a supervisor and HR rep isn’t resolved soon? They like their job and are afraid to give an ultimatum — but the situation is beginning to impact their mental health. Advice?

“It’s imperative to remember that you have options and don’t need to put up with a situation that’s making you feel sick,” stresses Kimberley Tyler-Smith, an executive at the career tech platform Resume Worded.

Taking a few steps can help resolve the situation:

Ask for weekly short checkpoint meetings with HR and your manager. Discuss the progress that’s being made, advises Stan C. Kimer, president of Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer. “Ask them to come up with a tangible plan and timeline and state that you really want to work through the issue in a positive way and resolve it,” he says.

“Ask each of them about their thoughts to solve this problem and for a firm timeline,” echoes Patrick Kellenberger, COO of Betts Recruiting, who says to make sure the situation being discussed is documented in writing. “Keep at it and don’t give up; respectfully remind them of the problem and timeline and any action items you need addressed.”

Tyler-Smith also encourages reaching back out to HR and the supervisor if an on-going problem isn’t being addressed. “You can even reach out directly to the manager or owner of the company if it seems like something more serious is happening,” she adds.

If things continue to impact your mental health, share that fact with HR too. “One great approach may be to ask them for a week or two of paid leave to nurture yourself so that you can return and continue to be productive,” Kimer suggests. “Also suggest that during this short leave, they can spend time resolving the issue. If your HR and management will not even give you this, this may indicate that they do not value your importance as much as you may think, and it would seriously be time to look for another job.”

Speak with your supervisor about other positions that might be a better fit for your skillset. Tyler-Smith suggests doing that if the problem isn’t resolved within a reasonable time frame. “If there aren’t any available options, I would suggest considering looking for another job outside your organization,” she says. “You can do this by reaching out to friends who may know someone at another company who might have an opening in their department.”

Issue the ultimatum. “If nothing is being done, it’s better to give an ultimatum than to just give up and quit or to allow your mental health to be compromised,” Kellenberger concludes.

(Kathleen Furore is a Chicago-based writer and editor who has covered personal finance and other business-related topics for a variety of trade and consumer publications. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com.)