A buzz in my head

There's been a flurry of activity in the online HR community this past fortnight as HR professionals and other enthused and interested people have blogged and tweeted in an attempt to get people talking and thinking differently about mental health. 

Our recent post was just one that's appeared amongst other talented and passionate writers, but the catalyst seems to have been this post by an anonymous writer and shared by Alison Chisnell on her blog, the HR Juggler. It's to Alison's enormous credit that dozens of us have signed up to get mental health and welbeing high on the workplace agenda, sharing our stories and experiences and recognising that tough times are impacting on business owners, employees and managers alike.

It's spawned an entire movement, in fact: find us on Twitter at @HRforMH.

We know that we have a long way to go to challenge perceptions around mental health matters. We know that the stigma will stick like glue and will take some pretty vigorous effort to shift. 

We don't imagine we have all the answers or that we can effect change overnight.  But just because we can't do everything is no excuse for not doing something.

What this new thinking has done is to create a buzz in my head that won't die down, to share experiences and knowledge and a need to explore the topic further. I'm considering the idea of a no-nonsense, straight-talking advice pamphlet for employers on managing mental health issues. I'd like to speak with employees who have first-hand experience of mental health matters. If you have thoughts on this or a story to share, do get in touch. I can promise anonymity if you'd rather not share your story so openly.

Please spread the word!