I think that this is so great: APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards

Many summers ago, I worked for my dad at an investment firm. It was a 9 – 5 (or 6…) job, Monday – Friday. I followed the dress-code of a suit or dress with closed-toe shoes. I sat in a cubicle. The office was pin-drop quiet. My work was mundane. There was a strict hierarchy of employees. I never really got to launch any projects that I was personally interested in. I spent a lot of time writing RFPs. There wasn’t any positive feedback. My boss (not my dad) was rarely around, and definitely not involved in anything I was working on. There were meetings about having other meetings. I could go on…

And I was depressed.

I now work at a company with very flexible hours. I wear jeans on most days (always telling myself that tomorrow I will dress up…) and communicate with many coworkers on IM. I always feel encourage about the work that I am doing, and am encouraged to carve out my own niche and to own projects. My boss is always reachable and meets with me on a monthly basis to discuss how things are going. The CEO takes everyone out to lunch at least once. It’s run like a small business — even though it’s really not anymore.

And I don’t dread going to work!

I could never work at a company that didn’t care about it’s employees. I think that in my dad’s generation, salary was a lot more important. Don’t get me wrong, I care about salary… but it’s not worth hating work! You spend 1/3rd (at least) of your day at the office… that’s a lot of life to waste being miserable. If you want to produce the caliber of work necessary for getting ahead in the market, you need to retain employees who feel some dedication to the company. Depression is the #1 cause of loss-of-productivity in the workplace.

So, care about your employees! A little bit of attention and flexibility goes a long way.

Tags: eating disorder, APA awards, mental health, office well-being, psychologically healthy workplace awards, workplace depression