Sometimes you come across some things on the internet that go viral that really should not. Then there are those times like this, where you hope that it continues to circulate for a long time. 

What am I talking about? 

There was an email that went viral on the internet last week that had people praising CEO of Olark an on-line chat platform, Ben Congleton. Madalyn Parker, a web developer at his company had sent the following email

“Hey team, I am taking today and tomorrow to focus on my mental health. Hopefully I’ll be back next week refreshed and back to 100%.”

The response from Congleton was extremely encouraging, personally thanking her for her honesty and for shedding light on Mental Health. He praised her for using a sick day for mental health so she can bring her whole self to work, and he expressed that he cannot believe this is not common practice in all organizations.

She shared the email response on twitter and it has had over 16K retweets followed with messages of encouragement and praise to Congleton.  The responses from other twitter users were expressing how they would be afraid to get fired if they were to send a similar email to their employers.

This had me thinking. Why isn’t this common practice in every organization? Why is it okay to call in if you have the flu but frowned upon if you need to take some time for self-care.  I believe that when you are able to take that time you can come back to work a more productive state.  Refreshed and clear headed.

It breaks my heart to think that people are jeopardizing their well-being in fear of losing their jobs.  

There needs to be more people like Ben Congleton who understand the importance of good mental health. People who allow the workplace to be empathetic, supportive and emotionally safe.

To see the email exchange between Madalyn Parker and Ben Congleton you can go HERE.

Taking care of your mental health will lead you in

Living Prosperously