During this year’s Summer Olympics I was reminded of the comments about Simone Biles withdrawing from the 2020 Summer Olympics due to “the twisties”.
Many people supported and applauded her decision to end her Olympic competition, and the subsequent time off from training and competing. Others berated her, saying she didn’t have the courage to finish the job and that she let down her team. Those negative comments shocked me. She was unable to safely perform her job. Not to mention, her poor performance would affect the entire team. I can’t imagine insisting that a roofer get on my roof to complete the job when they’ve complained of being dizzy or lightheaded.
Even in 2024, there’s still a stigma around mental health; it’s not real, it’s not that big of a deal, and people should just soldier through. I equate it to my former attitude toward Plantar Fasciitis. I fully admit I thought it was a fake condition. I said more than once “everyone seems to have it, it can’t be that bad, come on – just walk for goodness’s sake!”. Until I went to the doctor for what I knew was a broken heel bone. The pain was excruciating! Of course, you know the outcome of that appointment; I had Plantar Fasciitis. It is real! It is that bad! And I couldn’t walk! (I went in on crutches, LOL!)
My point being, mental health is real. It can be bad. It can be debilitating. Companies have a legal responsibility to ensure their employees are physically safe at work. Leaders need to understand that the mental health of their employees is also important and has a direct impact on the performance of the entire company. They need to determine how they’ll address the rise in mental health disability claims that are sure to come their way, if they haven’t already.
Here are some questions that might help get leaders started in that process:
What is your company’s and Leadership’s current position with respect to employee’s mental health? Does that position fit with the company culture? Are employees aware of that position? Should the position be reviewed/modified?
What mental health benefits do you offer? Do you have an EAP? (Employee Assistance Program)
How does your company’s insurance provider handle mental health leave of absence/disability claims? Does that coincide with the company culture? Should this be reviewed/modified with the insurance provider?
Back to Simone Biles. She courageously took time off to focus on healing. She came back stronger than ever and earned a Silver Medal on floor, a Gold Medal on Vault, a Gold Medal in the Individual All-Around, and a Gold Medal in the Team All-Around! That’s the kind of outcome that can result when Leaders have the courage to acknowledge that mental health is in fact real. Leaders have the power to ensure their company is taking the proper approach toward, and offers assistance for the mental health of all employees. We can all win as a team!
Related Links:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8631150
https://olympics.com/en/athletes/simone-biles
Kerry Martin
