Workplace well-being initiatives don't boost employee mental health

3 years ago by fossilesque to c/nottheonion

The mental health of people who undertake mindfulness or meditation courses offered by their employer is generally no better than those who are not offered such programmes

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BradleyUffner 170 points 3 years ago

My workplace recently started doing a "Path to the Weekend" initiative. This is a mandatory meeting held at 5pm on a Friday for an hour about every month, where we have to have extroverted style discussions such as "tell us about 2 new things you accomplished in your personal life since the last meeting.".

It's hell.

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MethodicalSpark 38 points 3 years ago

The director of my department just announced a new initiative starting this year for something similar.

Once a month, we now have a two hour meeting where we need to prep and present a five slide PowerPoint to our peers. The slides are focused on project status, work accomplishments, personal development, a life update, and mandatory feedback given to one of our peers in front of the group.

So not only am I forced to share details of my private life to a bunch of people that I hate in a fucking PowerPoint, I have to single someone out with one thing they’re doing well and one thing they can improve.

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gramie 19 points 3 years ago

Is there any explicit requirement that this presentation contain truth?

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GoofSchmoofer 15 points 3 years ago

If you do this right you could build up an amazing false personal life.

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UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT 13 points 3 years ago

Whoa that is so not ok

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Honytawk 11 points 3 years ago

Single out the director and tell them they can improve by scrapping the meeting. Do this every month until they listen.

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MethodicalSpark 2 points 3 years ago

I’ve seriously considered this option for sure. These type of meetings at large companies really highlight how you’re just a number. You don’t expect it from your direct manager who should at least attempt to form a relationship with their direct reports naturally.

I spend about 10 hours a week on things like this and others where I’m supposed to constantly remind the company of my value. It’s all about bragging about your accomplishments and putting it in front of leadership. 25% of my time and 50% of my mental/emotional energy. I feel like my actual work suffers because of it.

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JustZ -4 points 3 years ago

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mriormro 2 points 3 years ago

All of this is so generic as to be useless.

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