When an Employee Talks About Suicide

When an employee tells a coworker they are thinking about suicide, the company has a safety concern, an employee who needs support, and a coworker carrying something they probably were never trained to handle. The next move should be clear: take the disclosure seriously, connect the person with qualified help, and give the workplace response an owner.

A roofing company needs a plan for this just as it needs a plan for an injury on a jobsite. Nobody should have to invent the entire response while standing beside a truck with someone who has just said they do not want to live.

Take the disclosure seriously

A manager cannot reliably decide that a suicide disclosure is harmless because the person has said it before, appears calm, or brought it up during a difficult conversation. Repetition does not make it safe to ignore. The National Institute of Mental Health advises taking all talk of suicide seriously.

You can have concerns about someone's conduct and still respond responsibly to a threat of self-harm. Handle the immediate safety concern first. Address documented workplace conduct through the appropriate process afterward. Making help depend on whether you believe someone has earned it is a terrible operating procedure.

Make the first response practical

If there is immediate danger to life or an attempt is underway, call 911. If someone says they are going to kill themselves, do not leave them alone when you can safely stay with them while help is arranged. If remaining nearby puts anyone in danger, move to safety and follow emergency responders' instructions. An emergency contact can help, but reaching that person must not delay emergency care. See NIMH's emergency guidance.

Listen calmly. In response to a disclosure or credible warning, a direct question such as “Are you thinking about suicide?” can help establish what is happening. Asking does not increase suicidal thoughts. Help the person connect with a professional and, where appropriate, someone they trust. These are part of NIMH's recommended steps.

In the United States, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides crisis support. Call 988 or use its https://988lifeline.org/chat/. Someone worried about another person can seek guidance too. Do not promise to keep an immediate safety threat secret.

On a jobsite, make room for the response: pause the affected work, involve the designated supervisor, and keep other workers clear of immediate hazards. Do not send a distressed person back onto a roof while the office decides whose responsibility this is. The person coordinating help should make sure the handoff actually happens.

Keep medical questions focused

The ADA limits disability-related questions and medical examinations during employment. For covered employers, these generally need to be job-related and consistent with business necessity. Objective evidence of impaired essential job functions or a direct threat can justify an inquiry; reliable information from a coworker can count. “They seem sad” and a credible report of a specific threat are different evidence. Keep any inquiry limited to the concern, and consult employment counsel before ordering an examination. See the EEOC's guidance on medical inquiries.

A brief safety conversation is no invitation to collect someone's psychiatric history. Record what was said, what you observed, and what action you took. Avoid diagnoses and labels such as “unstable” or “attention-seeking.” Those labels tell the next person more about your opinion than about the facts.

Check leave and accommodations

For private employers, federal FMLA coverage generally starts at 50 employees for at least 20 workweeks in the current or preceding year. Employee eligibility generally requires 12 months of employment, 1,250 service hours in the preceding 12 months, and 50 employees within 75 miles of the worksite. Check the actual requirements rather than assuming either coverage or exclusion. The Department of Labor explains FMLA eligibility.

A qualifying mental health condition can support up to 12 workweeks of FMLA leave in a 12-month period. Inpatient care or qualifying continuing treatment may meet the serious-health-condition requirement. FMLA itself does not require paid leave. It generally preserves group health coverage on the usual terms and the right to return to the same or an equivalent job. A supporting certification need not include a diagnosis. See DOL's mental health guidance.

Depression and other mental health conditions can also qualify for ADA protection. Discuss reasonable accommodations individually: a schedule change, time for treatment, or another effective adjustment may help. Accommodations are required for covered employees unless they impose undue hardship. Keep medical information confidential, with access limited to legally permitted purposes. A diagnosis alone does not establish that someone cannot work safely. The EEOC explains these workplace rights.

Colorado employers must check FAMLI separately

Colorado's Family and Medical Leave Insurance program, FAMLI, provides paid leave for qualifying circumstances. It is separate from federal FMLA. Most private Colorado employers must participate, including businesses with fewer than ten employees. Those smaller employers generally do not owe the employer share of the state premium, but still have employee-premium reporting and remittance duties. Small does not mean optional. See Colorado's small-business guidance and its explanation of small-employer contributions.

Benefit eligibility generally requires at least $2,500 in covered Colorado wages during the applicable base period. FAMLI's job-restoration protection generally requires 180 days with the employer; that is separate from eligibility for payments. Check both before making promises about leave or return to work. The FAMLI Division explains the distinction.

Existing health coverage must continue on the applicable terms during FAMLI leave, with the employee still responsible for their usual contribution. Have the person administering leave coordinate FAMLI, FMLA, and any accommodation obligations. Colorado explains the health-benefit obligations. Employers must also provide the official program notice when required, including within five days of learning of a potentially qualifying event, as described in the FAMLI Division's employer guidance.

Support the coworker and keep clear boundaries

The coworker who reported the concern needs a straightforward response: “Thank you for telling us. The designated person is handling the next steps. Report any new immediate concern.” They do not need the employee's diagnosis, treatment notes, or leave paperwork.

Do not turn that coworker into an unpaid counselor, an overnight monitor, or the person responsible for keeping another adult alive. Offer support for the strain of receiving the disclosure. Give supervisors a named contact and a backup, and make sure the process works for Spanish-speaking employees too.

A manager can remain compassionate, maintain work standards, and set limits on what coworkers are expected to carry. That requires a consistent response: professional help for the crisis, a careful process for employment decisions, and privacy throughout. Deciding who is “serious enough” to deserve help does none of those jobs.

General information for U.S. employers, with Colorado-specific guidance, reviewed October 14, 2026. This is not individualized legal or medical advice. Consult qualified professionals about a particular employee's circumstances.