Leaving SHRM, I felt full. Full of gratitude. Full of appreciation. Full of hope. And honestly, full of even more conviction that this work matters.
"Mental health is not a perk, a trend, or a box to check."
It is a workplace priority because people bring their minds, bodies, grief, stress, caregiving responsibilities, financial fears, trauma, ambition, exhaustion, and hope to work every day.
Let’s talk
I had the absolute joy of presenting at SHRM’s Annual Conference, and I am still sitting in the gratitude of it all.
With 20,000 people in attendance, the conference felt less like a typical professional event and more like a village. A very large, very caffeinated, badge-wearing village of HR professionals, business leaders, vendors, authors, speakers, supporters, and people who care deeply about the future of work.
This year’s conference brought some incredible voices to the stage, including Simon Sinek, James Marsden, Terry Crews, and Oprah Winfrey. Yes, Oprah. And yes, the HR crowd was appropriately excited.
My session, “Mental Health Isn’t A Perk, It’s A Workplace Priority,” was one of those moments that reminded me why I do this work.
I had the opportunity to share why mental health advocacy has become such a personal passion for me, and why this conversation belongs in the workplace. Not hidden in the benefits folder. Not mentioned once during open enrollment. Not reduced to a poster in the breakroom. Mental health affects how people communicate, perform, lead, recover, problem-solve, show up, and sometimes, how they survive the day. That does not mean HR has to become a therapist. In fact, please do not.
HR’s role is not to diagnose, counsel, or carry the full weight of someone’s pain. HR’s role is to help create a workplace where people know what resources are available, where leaders are trained to respond appropriately, and where employees do not have to fall apart before someone notices they are struggling.
After my presentation, I spent time in the SHRM Store meeting attendees and signing copies of my book, “By The Time You Read This: The Space Between Cheslie’s Smile And Mental Illness.” Those conversations were tender, honest, and deeply meaningful. People shared stories about their workplaces, their families, their employees, and themselves.
That is the part that stays with me.
Because behind every policy conversation is a person. Behind every accommodation request is a person.
Behind every performance concern, attendance issue, withdrawal, conflict, or sudden change in behavior, there may be a person who is taxed, affected, or both.