A change in somebody's behaviour, mood or attendance at work may tell you that something is different. It does not tell you that they are self-harming, why they may be struggling or what support they need.
Work can be one of the places where changes become noticeable.
A colleague may seem more withdrawn, distracted or distressed than usual. Their attendance or performance may change. Somebody may disclose that they self-harm, or another person may become concerned about them.
The useful workplace response is not to work out a diagnosis from what you can see. It is to notice, ask, listen and understand the limits of your role.
If you are concerned about somebody, you do not need to begin by mentioning self-harm.
A conversation can start with an observable change: that they seem quieter than usual, that they have appeared upset, or that you have noticed they are finding things difficult. This gives the person room to decide what they want to share rather than asking them to confirm an assumption you have already made.
Choose a private setting where possible and give the conversation enough time. A hurried question in front of other colleagues is unlikely to make a sensitive subject easier to discuss.
If the person does not want to talk, you do not have to force the issue. You can make it clear that the door remains open and, where appropriate, let them know about other routes for support.
Disclosure can be difficult. Fear of judgement, stigma or other people's reactions can make people reluctant to tell anyone about self-harm.
Try to keep your response calm and centred on the person rather than on your own shock or worry. You do not need detailed information about how they self-harm in order to listen or discuss what support may be useful.
Ask what they would find helpful. They may want to talk, make you aware of what is happening, discuss something at work that is adding pressure, or think about another source of support.
Avoid demanding that they stop, threatening consequences or treating the disclosure as evidence that they are unreliable or unable to do their job. A disclosure of self-harm tells you that the person has shared something significant. It does not tell you everything else about them.
Sensitive information should be handled carefully.
ACAS advises managers to reassure workers that information about their mental health will not normally be shared without their permission, while also being clear when there is a good reason for information to be passed on, such as where specialist help is needed because somebody's safety is at risk.
Do not promise absolute confidentiality if your role or organisation means there are circumstances in which you may need to involve somebody else.
If information does need to be shared, explain what you are doing, who needs to know and why, wherever circumstances allow. Avoid turning a private disclosure into general workplace knowledge.
A manager or colleague can listen, respond without judgement and help somebody consider appropriate support. They are not responsible for diagnosing self-harm, providing therapy or managing another person's recovery.
Some of the support somebody needs may sit outside the workplace. But there may also be practical things at work worth discussing.
The person may want to talk about workload, contact with their manager, time away from work, a return after absence or another aspect of working life that is making things harder. What is appropriate will depend on the individual and the organisation.
Where available, occupational health, an employee assistance programme, HR, a wellbeing service or another trusted workplace contact may offer additional routes for support. Somebody who is uncomfortable speaking to their own manager may prefer a different appropriate contact.
The aim is not to produce a standard response to self-harm. It is to understand what is relevant for this person and what the workplace can reasonably contribute.
Self-harm and suicide are connected, but they are not interchangeable. Somebody who self-harms may not intend to die, while suicidal thoughts can also be present or emerge at another time.
That means a disclosure of self-harm should not automatically be treated as a suicide attempt. It should not be treated as proof that there is no suicide risk either.
If there is an immediate concern about somebody's safety, a serious injury, poisoning or another urgent medical situation, the priority changes. Appropriate urgent or professional help may be needed, and workplace procedures should be followed where they apply.
Pay attention to changes or concerns without deciding in advance what they mean.
Choose an appropriate private moment and start with what you have actually observed.
Give the person space to explain what they want to share without judgement, interrogation or pressure.
Ask what would help and consider appropriate workplace and professional sources of support.
Agree what happens next where possible, including any follow-up, boundaries or information that genuinely needs to be shared.
People who self-harm do not all look, behave or work in the same way.
Workplace awareness is useful when it helps somebody notice that a colleague may need support and feel more able to begin a thoughtful conversation. It becomes less useful when possible signs are treated as a checklist for deciding what somebody is experiencing.
Responding without assumptions leaves more room for the person themselves. That is a stronger starting point for understanding what is happening, what the workplace can do and when other support is needed.
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