I consistently see stories/posts on social media from people about how their mental illness difficulties are causing them to be perceived as an unreliable team member/employee. To me, this is incredibly concerning from one human being to another. It’s true that some people’s symptoms include unstable energy/mood/anxiety, etc. It is also true that there are issues that can arise when trying a new medication or changing their current method of treatment that could impact their performance at work. Last time I checked, human beings were just that: human. Humans are not robots. Our bodies (and minds) break down, are inconsistent, and need time to restore. The human brain is not meant to multi-task as much as it’s expected to by the business world. I have noticed many people develop a fear of failure/rejection, low self-esteem, panic about being perfect, have anxiety over making sure every single detail is done, etc. I know that there are some people who have these skills naturally. (I take pride in some myself.) However, I believe the one-size-fits-all system currently used in many workplaces can result in an excessive amount of stress and anxiety for many individuals.
At the same time, I fully understand that money is money and businesses need to be productive to continue. But my rhetoric is this: it’s ironic that employers/team leaders would discriminate against an employee/team member for their mental health difficulties and struggles, seeing as mental health issues are extremely prevalent, and impacts ¼ people in Canada at one point in their lives. I believe we should work towards creating an environment that is supportive of mental health issues in order to decrease stigma in the workplace and make employees more comfortable.
I like to think that most people out there aren’t heartless. I grew up and continue to naturally give people the benefit of the doubt, and would prefer to do business with a company who exhibits compassion and understanding towards their team members/employees. I firmly believe that if one of a company’s team members/employees is struggling, the rest of the team should be more than willing to help out for as long as it takes, as most people I meet are good-hearted. However, we should work towards an environment that is able to flexibly work with and support those with mental health issues, rather than isolate or stigmatize them. I don’t think anyone disagrees that it’s unreasonable that human beings are expected to do something at exactly the same start time and end time and exactly the same duration/hours each time without difficulty, because it assumes their mood/energy is robotically stable. Instead, I believe we should work to adapt workplaces to meet the needs of both the employers and their employees.
I am delighted to know that many mental health non-profits take their team members’ mental health seriously. It’s not a cry for attention. It’s not laziness/an excuse. I don’t know anyone with Mental Illness who willingly experiences their symptoms. I’ve recently seen the “Bell Let’s Talk: workplace mental health” commercials, and I am immensely thrilled to see that people are being exposed to this subject matter! I am genuinely looking forward to seeing workplace mental health statistics change for the better over this upcoming year and for many years to come!
Written by Lea Bianchin