This is Mental Health Awareness Week, and in line with an area of concern in recent times, the theme this year is kindness. In a workplace context this includes: avoiding mean-spiritedness; knowing you have a right to be listened to if something is bothering you; taking care with those whose mental health might be more fragile, for example at times of maternity leave or bereavement. Wise colleagues (and an organisation is fortunate if they are line managers or admin staff with ‘human resources’ responsibility) have never needed to be reminded of these things.

I wrote in an earlier post about how some of these skills were in short supply. Reading about this week’s initiative and the trend it represents, I have one question: why did it take so long for the penny to drop about this?

(Disclaimer: nothing in either of these posts relates to any issue in my current employment.)