Employees need support from their managers in order to perform to the best of their abilities. In this case, emotional support is just as important as the career one since both are important in steering the company towards growth.

At some point, an employee is bound to face personal crises; these can be family problems, relationship issues or death of a loved one. During those times, employees need to be supported in ways that go beyond their work. 

Some bosses would not allow their employees to take off a day or week when they are dealing with personal problems, for the sake of not putting the job on hold. But this results in even more problems at work because what the employee is going through actually affects their performance.

Matutina Tumushabe a young entrepreneur says it is very important to be understanding of employees especially when they are dealing with personal problems, as it gives them a sense of belonging and feel supported.

"When an employee gets support from their workplace, they feel like they belong. They feel satisfied because they sense that their relationship with the employer is beyond work, and that their other life matters to them.”

Supporting employees and giving them time to deal with their problems also helps their wellbeing; they will not feel stressed to come to work even as they are dealing with their issues. This is bound to boost their performance because they are in a place where they feel understood, she explains.

The entrepreneur believes also that when a company carries that attitude, they are bound to have fewer employee turnovers.

"When your employees receive the right support from their workplace, no company can come and take them or offer them a better promotion or position. The employee might not be receiving much at their workplace but when they have a support system, they can’t feel the need to go anywhere else.”

For Bertrand Ishimwe Mahirwe a communication’s officer and president of Orators Africa, support to every individual within the workplace is an ideal thing that is very important and needed.

"Generally, support to the employees and employers, is viewed from different perspectives. Even though, support to the employers is needed because it facilitates them to be able to carry out managerial functions efficiently, on the other side, support to the employees is vital since it helps in satisfying their personal needs which helps them in carrying out their responsibilities. It helps in building a strong bond between the company and its employees,” he says.

He stresses that support is key in building a solid company and a sense of belonging amongst the employees. Employers should prioritise supporting their employees for it will facilitate the company in increasing their level of productivity, and it will fasten the journey to reach the success and vision of the company,” he continues.

Mahirwe believes that when employees are supported, they consider the company not as somewhere they make money from, but a family where they can ask for help and have partners who can be there for them in every situation.

Yussouf Ntwali, the Chief Operating Officer at BAG Innovation, thinks it important to support an employee because their work performance starts to suffer due to the issues that could be affecting them, and it has a possible chance of affecting others too.

"If it affects the person, their work is affected in either positive or negative ways. If they are too busy dealing with personal issues, they will not be able to perform well, affecting their reputation.  If they are constantly going through personal issues, they will continuously struggle to complete their tasks and become a liability,” he notes.

"Also, there may be cases where the person needs time off from work, being supportive is always better than not. I feel it’s important for managers to know how employees are doing so that productivity does not slip. In some situations, it might seem like someone has depression or something similar but shows no signs of it, which could result in bad performance at work because maybe they’re trying to hide it or just aren’t showing how it has affected them,” Ntwali adds.

Ntwali thinks if an employee is having a personal crisis, the people who take care of them should be understanding and try to help them in any way possible. They could offer counselling or even time off work to let them rest up if necessary. 

In his company when an employee is dealing with a personal crisis, they offer time off or recommend counselling resources and facilities.

How to be supportive of employees

Matchr.com, a blog dedicated to employee advice and management talks about Dos and Don’ts when managing an employee through their crisis;

Do listen and be compassionate

If an employee comes to you with a crisis, be sure to focus your undivided attention. Listen respectfully and don’t interject with advice or resolutions until he or she is done filling you in on as much as is comfortable. Be compassionate to the situation, but be careful to stick to the facts and avoid blurring the lines between boss and confidante.

Don’t be too friendly

Asking directly about an employee’s personal life or feeding too much into their story can be dangerous. It may cause accusations of favouritism, creating conflicts with other employees. It may also give the employee a false sense of leniency, which could lead to him or her taking advantage of the situation.

Do offer reasonable assistance

In some cases, it’s clear what to do for an employee that is enduring personal trauma: give the employee a few personal days to sort it out, put in for leave time, or adjust a schedule. Avoid going overboard to accommodate an employee, however, just stick to what you can reasonably offer without seriously affecting the business.

Do create a company support system

Having a support network in place to help an employee won’t benefit only the employee currently experiencing the crisis. Having a plan in place to support employee personal issues will benefit all employees. This support network can involve easy access to a therapist if your company’s health care plan covers it.