+ Bumble: The Gold Standard
Bumble has a proven track record of prioritizing employee mental health. In June 2021, recognizing that an increasing number of employees were reporting burnout and higher levels of anxiety and stress, the company was among the first to institute a company-wide well-being closure: giving a paid week off for all employees, except a core team of cybersecurity executives and customer service representatives (who were given a paid week off to use subsequently). This initiative was put out from the CEO herself and echoed at all levels of the organization.
Employee feedback was so positive that Bumble added two company-wide mental health weeks per year. Bumble also supports employee mental well-being in numerous other ways including comprehensive benefits, employee assistance programs (EAPs), and individual mental health days.
Key takeaways from Bumble’s example include: committing to employee well-being in multiple ways, communicating clearly with employees at all levels of the organization, and measuring the results to adjust as needed. When you look at these pillars that Bumble upholds, it’s no surprise that 93% of employees at Bumble say it is a great place to work compared to 59% of employees at a typical American company.
+ Nike: Well Intentioned, but Not Equitable
Seeing Bumble's success, Nike hopped on the bandwagon and quickly announced a week off for its corporate employees. While the reception was positive within that group, Nike did not include a large and crucial percentage of their workforce: retail and manufacturing employees.
The backlash was swift, with many pointing out that Nike seemed to value their corporate team over their retail and manufacturing teams.
Nike should have considered the message this would send to their entire network of employees and the public before hastily following in another’s footsteps. This case study includes 2 lessons: (1) when taking inspiration from others’ success, evaluate the unique facets of your business; (2) apply benefits equitably company-wide.
+ Google: Inauthentic & Problematic
Google created its own crisis in 2021 when it was revealed that they were referring employees who spoke up against workplace misconduct to internal mental health counselors, and then pressuring those counselors for information on the employees.
Employees went public with their mistrust for their employer and it was discovered that this was a pattern for Google, often resulting in these employees being forced to quit or removed from their positions.
This case study shows that trust and privacy are paramount when you are working with sensitive and personal matters related to employee mental health. If your employees do not trust that you will respect their privacy they will not use the mental health services offered, or speak honestly on issues that could affect productivity. Google was recommended to immediately stop predatory behaviors such as pressuring counselors and to offer access to third-party outside counselors that employees could choose on their own.
