Even though many of us are highly likely to experience poor mental health at some point in our lifetime, there continues to be a stigma surrounding mental health – especially in the workplace. Those suffering are often anxious about sharing their health challenges with their employer. And many employers are often not equipped with the knowledge or tools needed to deal with a mental health crisis when it arises.
At BIE, we believe that more needs to be done to educate leaders and people managers about the impact of mental health, and be given the training to effectively support people in the workplace.
We also feel strongly that people should be enabled to be open about their mental health challenges in the workplace, without fear of repercussions or prejudice.
With this in mind, we are supporting our colleague, Alex Hyde, to openly and candidly share his own recent story of poor mental health. This short video shares our experience of Alex’s illness and how we successfully navigated his return to work.
For those who know and work with Alex today, often his story comes as a surprise. It’s hard to imagine that someone as outgoing and as successful as Alex has struggled with mental health. It’s this that makes his story all the more powerful – and goes to prove it really can happen to anyone.
Alex is now championing a more open attitude to mental health challenges both within BIE and externally. We are openly discussing this issue with our clients and candidates and are sharing experiences and practical advice where we can.
It is our hope that our sharing of this experience encourages people struggling with poor mental health to open up and those managing them to seek support.
For more details on Alex’s story do watch this video - and please get in touch with BIE if you’d like to discuss any of the issues raised.
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