SHRM26 Debrief · Health & Wellness · #2309
Mental Health Isn’t a Perk It’s a Workplace Priority
with April Simpkins
"Every problem doesn't demand a solution. Every problem needs exploration."
What it was about
HR professionals spend their careers taking care of everyone else while neglecting their own mental health, and the workplace needs a shared language ("taxed" vs. "affected") plus concrete self-care, advocacy, and resource-sharing practices to support both employees and HR itself.
By the numbers
one in five US adults
NAMI statistic on the share of US adults dealing with a mental health challenge, cited by an audience member and confirmed by the speaker
Key notes
- Distinguish between mental health being "taxed" (temporary stress with an expiration date, addressed through self-care) and "affected" (a pivotal event requiring outside resources and support).
- Take a real day off with your phone on silent to let your nervous system reset, rather than saving PTO only for weddings or vacations.
- Practice "be where your feet are planted" — be fully present in the moment instead of mentally elsewhere during meetings or family events.
The contrarian takeHR's instinct to 'fix' employee problems and 'own the outcome' of their choices is itself the wrong approach. The speaker argues HR should deliberately not solve problems for employees, and should resist the culture that treats all-nighters and unused PTO as badges of honor rather than warning signs.
Take this back Monday
Do this for your team
Train managers to ask 'is this taxed or affected?' before jumping to fix mode, and remind everyone real PTO days off aren't just for vacations.
Say this in your next leadership meeting
We're teaching managers that not every employee problem needs a fix — sometimes it just needs to be heard and explored.
Watch out for
- Minimizing someone's stress by immediately reassuring them ("they're not that bad, there's no reason to be upset") instead of listening first.
- Trying to "own the outcome" of an employee's choices (being a savior) instead of simply providing resources and support (being a supporter).
- Glorifying overwork and lack of sleep (e.g., praising an employee who "hasn't missed a day of work in 15 years") instead of recognizing burnout.
Fun fact · April Simpkins
April co-authored a New York Times bestseller with her daughter Cheslie Kryst about mental illness and grief.
If this landed, see these
↳ Go deeperFrom Stigma to Support: How HR Shapes Employee Mental HealthTurns the taxed-vs-affected language into a concrete manager script: notice, ask, listen, connect.⇄ The counterpointStop Demanding Fruit from Dead Soil: A Repair-First Approach to BurnoutReframes the fix: repair the depleted environment itself, not just self-care habits.✦ The unexpected oneFrom Typewriters to TikTok: The Power of Generational Wisdom within Modern LeadershipSame reframing trick, aimed at generations instead of stress: name it to build compassion.