In the twenty-first century, human capital is the most valuable resource in our economy. And though much has been done (rightly) to promote diversity at work, there’s a giant hole when it comes to understanding how temperament and sentiment play into the trajectory of success. Mental illness is a challenge, but it is not a weakness. Understanding your psyche can be the key to unleashing your strengths — whether it’s using your sensitivity to empathize with clients, your anxiety to be a more thoughtful boss, or your need for space to forge new and interesting paths. Still, less than one third of people with mental illness get the treatment they need, and this comes at a cost — to people and to companies. Failure to acknowledge an employees’ mental health can hurt productivity, professional relationships, and the bottom line: $17-$44 billion is lost to depression according to CDC. So what needs to change? Professional support needs to get better. In short, we need more flexibility, sensitivity, and open-mindedness from employers. Along with employee assistance programs, conversation and education are fundamental if our goal is to increase understanding and reduce the stigma around mental health.
Alyssa Mastromonaco is no stranger to tough conversations: she served as White House deputy chief of staff for operations under President Obama, was an executive at Vice and A&E, and is Senior Advisor and spokesperson at NARAL Pro-Choice America. So when Mastromonaco switched to a new antidepressant, she decided to tell her boss.
See The Original Blog:
https://hbr.org/2018/11/we-need-to-talk-more-about-mental-health-at-work?fbclid=IwAR3Ws8hypjOKRYGx-qlv5_alDHZtwXoBFphVFALbEYG1SkN3e6ZruPZPyUI
