Workplace suicide rate up: what can HR do?

Some disturbing news has rocked Corporate America this week with the release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries report. It shows that, while there has been a decline in number of workplace fatalities over the past year, there has also been a double-digit jump in the number of suicides occurring in the workplace.

The figures are quite shocking, suggesting workplace suicide has climbed by 28 percent between 2007 and 2008 - that's up by 55 deaths, from 196 to 251.

The report, which includes deaths that took place at work or while the individual was working, also highlighted some suicides may have occurred outside the workplace or 'off the clock' but can still be included in the data if a specific relationship between the death and the workplace could be established.

While the BLS have failed to confirm what factors have led to the rise in suicides - instead suggesting the deaths are often "multi-causal" and trends are therefore more difficult to establish - many experts are already speculating the downturn in the economy may have played a major part in the jump.

This theory is not new, however, with reports linking the recession to suicides rates stretching as far back as December last year. One case that made front pages worldwide was the case of New York-based money manager René-Thierry Magnon de la Villehuchet, who took his own life after losing more than $1 billion of client money, including much, if not all, of his own family's fortune. In the end, he was revealed as yet another victim of Bernie Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

And, aside from high profile cases, marked by bankruptcies, foreclosures, evictions and layoffs, the economic crisis really has taken a heavy toll on Americans, pushing people past their breaking point and, it seems in many cases, causing them to take their own lives.

For HR managers, dealing with these kinds of issues are never easy. The advice for HR leaders is to lookout for warning signs and be aware of those workers who might be going through a personal crisis. From there is the hope that a troubled colleague will accept a helping hand and get connected with someone who can really help them work through their issues.

Sometimes, and especially during times of financial burden, people can feel lost, alone, confused and, ultimately, not themselves. Efforts to counteract this confusion not only communicates that the company cares, but is also that it is humane; perhaps thereby making those struggling to feel more human again. It is called Human Resources, after all.

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