Mental Health At Work: Germanwings And Beyond

The tragedy of Germanwings Flight 4U9525 has given rise to considerable public discussion about mental health, particularly where a worker is responsible for the safety of others. The noisy debate erupting from the Germanwings tragedy has the potential to spread either worthwhile discussion or wild misinformation.

As we now know, it is believed that the co-pilot commandeered the Germanwings aircraft and deliberately crashed it into the Alps, killing himself and 149 innocents. It has been called a suicide and a mass murder. Information leaking out suggests that the co-pilot was under treatment for depression and had ignored medical direction not to work at the time of the crash.

The disaster has caused unimaginable grief to those whose loved ones perished. It has also caused concern about aviation safety and, more generally, questions about how employers must address mental health questions among their personnel. This is particularly complex in an era where the legal