U.S. Sec. of Labor Marty Walsh shared a personal anecdote on the benefits of mental-health support in the workplace when he spoke recently with employers and disability-advocacy leaders, the DOL reports.
Walsh and Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams met Oct. 13 with corporate and advocacy leaders who have been acknowledged for supporting and strengthening "mental health-friendly workplaces," the DOL announced at the time. The meeting was part of the DOL's recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in October, the announcement states.
"(T)he NDEAM Employer Chat on Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being emphasized the importance of supporting the needs of individuals with mental health conditions in the workplace," the DOL states in the report, "as the nation experiences a mental health crisis driven, in part, by the pandemic."
Discussions focused on ways to advance mental-health initiatives in the workplace, according to the report, in light of recent findings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicating increases in stress, anxiety, depression and drug overdoses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. People suffering with Long COVID also reported its effect on their mental health, the report states.
“(F)or recovery to happen, the workplace culture needs to be supportive," Walsh said to the meeting participants. "As Secretary of Labor, I want all workers with mental health conditions to have the support they need to work and thrive.”
Walsh also shared a personal experience from early in his career, when he sought treatment for alcoholism, the announcement states.
"I was able to do that because of my job," Walsh said. "I had access to the care I needed through my union and being able to get back to work played a big role in my recovery. So I know that a mental-health-friendly work environment can make all the difference.”
