(RNN) - A web developer in Michigan sent her co-workers an email saying she was taking a couple of days off to focus on her mental health.
The CEO of the company wrote back and thanked her for her courage.
He said he used her email as a reminder that using sick days for mental health was important, and every organization should make it standard practice.
The woman posted her message and the response to Twitter, where it has gone viral. Responses were almost unanimously positive, and more than a few said they’d like to apply for a job with the company.
A few days later, the CEO, Ben Congleton wrote an op-ed in the form of a post on Medium.
“It’s 2017,” he wrote. “I cannot believe that it is still controversial to speak about mental health in the workplace when 1 in 6 Americans are medicated for mental health … We are in a knowledge economy. Our jobs require us to execute at peak mental performance. When an athlete is injured, they sit on the bench and recover. Let’s get rid of the idea that somehow the brain is different.”
He posted his email: benc@olark.com in case people wanted to express gratitude or ideas to make a colleague feel more safe. He said he’ll write up some of the ideas his company has tried if there is enough response
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
.
Copyright 217 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
