Employee tells boss she needs mental health day, he ends up thanking her
Associated Press
The CEO of a small tech company is being praised on social media for his response to an employee who took time off for her mental health.
The Ann Arbor, Mich. employee, Madalyn Parker, sent out an email to her co-workers last month saying: “Hey team, I’m taking today and tomorrow to focus on my mental health. Hopefully I’ll be back next week refreshed and back to 100 percent. “
To that email, Parker's boss responded: “Hey Madalyn, I just wanted to personally thank you for sending emails like this. Every time you do, I use it as a reminder of the importance of using sick days for mental health. I can't believe this is not standard practice at all organizations, you are an example to us all, and help cut through the stigma so we can all bring our whole selves to work."
Parker asked her boss if she could share the email exchange on social media and since then it has been retweeted more than 12,000 times.
The National Institute of Mental Health says about one in five adults suffers from depression anxiety or other mental health issues, but the stigma around mental illness remains.
Other studies say certain working conditions can greatly increase stress, including heavy workloads, lack of family friendly work policies, or lack of support from coworkers and bosses.