7 ways to support an employee experiencing thoughts of suicide

In observance of Suicide Prevention Month, our September EAP article for employees focuses on general guidance for helping someone experiencing thoughts of suicide. In this article, you’ll find additional considerations for helping your employees if you are a supervisor, manager, or HR professional.

1. Recognize the warning signs

According to the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, someone might be at risk of suicide if they are:

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves.
• Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun.
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
• Talking about being a burden to others.
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
• Sleeping too little or too much.
• Withdrawing or isolating themselves.
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
• Extreme mood swings.

Pay attention to these warning signs especially when they are combined with problems at work such, as performance or disciplinary concerns, or access to deadly means (such as a firearm) through work.

2. Open a dialogue

Let the employee know that you care about them and want to get them help. Do not promise to keep risk of suicide a secret. Contact your HR department and share your concerns. You can also contact the EAP for consultation on how to proceed.

Tell them why you are concerned, and ask directly about suicide: “Are you thinking of killing yourself?” or “Are you thinking about ending your life?”

3. Provide support and get help

If they share information that their life is at imminent risk, treat this as a medical emergency — call 911 and report information about the employee’s address and location. If someone is at immediate risk of self-harm at work or when they leave work, call 911 (or ask another person to call 911).

If it does not put you at risk, stay with the person, preferably in a quiet place so they can have some privacy, until help arrives. Contact the EAP and HR to discuss next steps.

4. Help employees who are not at work

If you have concerns about the safety of an employee who is not present at work, attempt to contact them to check on their well-being. If you can’t reach the employee and you think they might be considering suicide, contact your HR department to discuss calling the employee’s emergency contact.

If you cannot reach a close family member to check on the employee and verify their safety, you can contact local law enforcement, request a welfare check on the employee, and explain the reason for your concerns.

5. Take coworker concerns seriously

If an employee comes to you with concerns for a coworker, take them seriously. Listen to the concerns and any details they share. Thank the employee for being concerned. Let them know you will follow up, but you may not be able to report back to them due to confidentiality.

Encourage the reporting employee to stay connected and supportive of their coworker. Ask them not to gossip, and to share any other concerns with you in the future. Recognize that the reporting employee may be distressed by the information. Encourage them to seek out their own support by contacting the EAP or calling the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

6. Identify options for continued support

The employee may have a behavioral health disability. Discuss options for reasonable accommodation with your HR department. Accommodations could include flexible work schedules, emotional support animals, or shifts in assignments or workload.

7. Get training for yourself and your teams

Suicide prevention training can help you be more confident and effective when supporting employees experiencing thoughts of suicide. Options include:

• Forefront Suicide Prevention
• QPR
• Mental Health First Aid
• LivingWorks ASIST and safeTALK
• Talk Saves Lives by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Online courses and webinars from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center

We know this is difficult. When you reach out to help someone who is struggling, they might initially be reactive or even angry with you. But it’s better to act than to ignore your concerns.

Each situation is unique. We recommend that you always seek professional consultation by calling the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or the Washington State Employee Assistance Program at 1–877–313–4455.

For additional information on supporting employees in crisis, visit the EAP’s suicide prevention webpage.

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The Washington State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free, confidential program created to promote the health, safety and well-being of public service employees and their household adult family members. The EAP is available to provide confidential and expert consultation in a variety of areas. Reach out to EAP online or by calling 877–313–4455. To find out if the Washington State EAP serves your agency or organization, contact your supervisor or human resources department.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience. The Employee Assistance Program and the Department of Enterprise Services do not endorse the content, services, or viewpoints found at these external sites. Information is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the counsel or advice of a qualified health or legal professional. For further help, questions, or referral to community resources for specific problems or personal concerns, contact the EAP or other qualified professional.