Mental health, unfortunately, is still considered as a taboo and is looked down upon with stigma that mostly stems from insensitivity and unawareness. While there are a few samaritans–including actress Deepika Padukone–who are advocating for its cause and effects, the force, unfortunately, falls short in front of inhibitions and unwarranted assumptions.
You’d be surprised but it isn’t just us, who are trying to see through the hush-hush pattern. Even the West is struggling to break free from the regressive brackets. But like I said, sincere thanks to a handful…
Madalyn Parker, a web-developer from Michigan recently decided to do herself a favour so she did what most of us would just desire of! She wrote a mail asking for a sick leave “to focus on her mental health”!
Isn’t that great! But hey, what if I tell you, it isn’t even the best part of the story?
That’s right! Madalyn also shared her CEO’s response to her mail and we are falling short of words.
Needless to say, when Madalyn posted the exchange on Twitter, Tweeple couldn’t help but show their love which should explain why it has over 33,596 likes and 10,317 retweets.
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
But hey, not every corner saw it the same. Some even failed to comprehend! For example this gentleman.
But *vacations* are for mental health too. So then really what's difference btwn sick leave & vacation leave? Could be just 1 leave policy
— Andrew Cohen (@acohenNY) July 1, 2017
To which she replied,
Having them separate helps me reason about them. I took an entire month off to do partial hospitalization last summer and that was sick…
— madalyn (@madalynrose) July 1, 2017
… leave. I still felt like I could use vacation time because I didn't use it and it's a separate concept.
— madalyn (@madalynrose) July 1, 2017
Not sure about what's really important though. Personal (mental) health, or ability to work ?
— 🙏 override lazy val ❤️ (@ValentinKasas) June 30, 2017
There were questions too.
Not sure about what's really important though. Personal (mental) health, or ability to work ?
— 🙏 override lazy val ❤️ (@ValentinKasas) June 30, 2017
But the answer made it all clear!
Definitely health. 100%
— madalyn (@madalynrose) June 30, 2017
While the internet kept buzzing, Ben Congleton, the CEO was so stunned by the outpouring of support that he wrote about it on Medium.
“It’s 2017. I cannot believe that it is still controversial to speak about mental health in the workplace.”
And I couldn’t agree more. Can we please have more open-mindedness and welcoming approach to mental health and its discussions at the workplace? Because if not now, then when?