Mental health has its difficulties being accepted in our culture, especially in the workplace. You can’t see someone’s mental illness or issues, so oftentimes it is not taken seriously as say a common cold or broken leg.
The last two would be obvious reasons to ask off a day or more from work, but to ask for a mental health day? How sure are you of you’re boss letting you have one of those?
When one woman did take time off for her mental health, she messaged her team to let them know and her boss’ response is quite surprising.
There was no reprimanding or criticism, no questioning of why she needed to do this. Instead, her boss was completely there for her.
When the CEO responds to your out of the office email about taking sick leave for mental health and reaffirms your decision. ? pic.twitter.com/6BvJVCJJFq
— madalyn (@madalynrose) June 30, 2017
Madalyn Parker, a web developer from Ann Arbor, Michigan, shared her boss’ message online and it has gone viral, with a ton of positivity coming her way.
When she sent the message, Parker was transparent and straightforward to her team about her needing a few days to care for her own mental health. It sounded as to-the-point as someone saying they’ve got the flu and need a doctor’s appointment.
However, as common as it may be for any of us to take off work for being sick, research shows that Americans rarely take time off from work. It should also be no surprise that if you do take off some time, there are benefits.
Parker’s boss CEO Ben Congleton of Olark, thanked his employee for her taking time off for mental health — and we’re sure applications for this company are flying in.
That is bloody incredible. What a fantastic CEO you have. I hope one day to work with a business with exactly this attitude.
— John Kearney (@JK1440) July 1, 2017
Had to do a double take to realize your boss and your company are so awesome! I wish at least half the companies on the planet were as nice
— The Zooter (@BluntBong) July 6, 2017
Though it is a specific situation, the way this story has spread like wildfire across the web shows our culture’s shifting attitude towards mental health. And it’s a positively amazing shift.
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