Mental health is a retail management issue


The news yesterday that Kate Spade, the designer famous for starting the luxury handbag brand that carried her name, died of an apparent suicide has shocked many within the industry. In taking her own life, Ms. Spade’s act reflects government figures that show a growing number of Americans committing suicide in recent years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide was the second largest cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 34 in 2016. It was the fourth leading cause of death among those between 35 and 54. The CDC has reported that suicides have increased since its last official report.
It is increasingly common to hear of suicide discussed in terms of having reached epidemic proportions. Reports of suicides committed by members of the armed forces or middle-age adults struggling with opioid addiction have become increasingly common on television, in publications and on media sites in recent years.
The retailing and consumer brand industries are a reflection of the society they serve with workers coming from all walks of life. Depression and suicide, as Ms. Spade’s suicide illustrates, is not just reserved for those at the bottom of the economic ladder.
It is important to understand that suicides are frequently tied to depression. While many find it difficult to talk about mental health, it is important for companies and their managers to openly address the issue with employees to help remove the stigma associated with getting help.
Even companies that do not offer mental health coverage can play a role in suicide prevention. According to a Quartz article, the key to preventing suicide is to talk about it. There are a variety of free resources that people can access, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line.
- The way we discuss suicide can unintentionally cause harm, but it doesn’t have to – Quartz
- We Need to Talk About Mental Health at Work – Glamour
- Kate Spade, Whose Handbags Carried Women Into Adulthood, Is Dead at 55 – The New York Times
- Suicide Prevention – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- 10 Leading Causes of Death by Age Group, United States 2016 – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- The Crisis Text Line
- The National Suicide Prevention Hotline
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How do mental health issues affect the workplace, based on your experience? Where do you see opportunities for employers to positively address this issue for the good of employees and their business?
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11 Comments on "Mental health is a retail management issue"
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Principal, Cathy Hotka & Associates
Unfortunately, there remains a stigma attached to mental illness. One of my neighbors committed suicide last month, and none of us knew there was any problem. All of us have to do a better job of projecting sympathy and understanding. Ms. Spade’s loss is tragic.
Chief Executive Officer, The TSi Company
President, Global Collaborations, Inc.
There is a stigma surrounding mental health care. Part of the stigma is that a person might lose a job, receive a negative performance review, lose a raise, or lose a promotion. If employees fear retribution, talking about mental health issues is only more difficult.
Strategy & Operations Delivery Leader
There’s no easy answer to this question, and yesterday’s tragic Kate Spade news raises all of our awareness. As professionals, we are guarded against showing our true selves and perhaps sharing too many personal details about our lives.
What we need more in the workplace is empathy, and showing true concern for people as individuals, who have personal lives to balance with their professional lives. Empathy is an overused term, but is honestly missing in most organizations. Organizations could help take steps to help with the work-life balance by providing wellness incentives, and other incentives, as individuals are spending more time at work and the office as compared to their own families.
Global Retail & CPG Sales Strategist, IBM
This is such a tough challenge in any industry. The problem is all the money in the world still doesn’t help celebrities. But it doesn’t take all the money in the world to address the issue. Friends, family, coworkers need to heed the warning signs and not let these people be alone … ever. Assign a “buddy,” do whatever it takes.
Strategy Architect – Digital Place-based Media
To cut life short is tragedy every time, but the submerged iceberg of unhappiness below it is the torture that too often exists. This highly competitive world demands much of those who seek its rewards. We serve ourselves and others well by broadening the definition of “rewards” and noticing when performance needs to be propped up by approaches that will do ultimate harm. May the loss of Ms. Spade not be in vain.
Chairman & CEO, H2O+Beauty
Mental health is different for everyone, which makes addressing it difficult. However, companies can provide mental health programs that employees can sign up for. Additionally, it is most important to have a company culture that is communicative and collaborative which will help with employee’s overall mental and emotional state.
President, Protonik
Employers need to take the lead in removing the stigma of mental health in the workplace. That won’t solve everything — the social and community pressures will continue. But if workplaces take the lead in making it clear that mental health is important for the individual and that an individuals choice to treat it can be discussed with management without penalty, then progress will be made.
Additionally, employers need to ensure that benefits include good mental health coverage. NOT just a miniature plan that offers a couple of counseling sessions with a soft shoulder — but serious treatment options that rise above what’s available in society.
In fact, we have a crisis in mental health treatment facilities in the US. Insurance companies are trying to force all mental health treatment into neat little boxes — yet if there’s an issue that doesn’t fit a neat box … it’s mental health.
Independent Board Member, Investor and Startup Advisor
Founder, CEO, Black Monk Consulting
CFO, Weisner Steel
I don’t doubt that mental health can affect the workplace, but as its name suggests, it’s a “health” issue, and companies not being hospitals — other than offering medical coverage — most are not well equipped to deal with it; nor do I particularly think they should try, as amateur efforts are likely to be worse than useless. And the issue being “important” doesn’t change that fact.