As the world starts to reopen, not all companies are taking an employee-first approach to how they are going back to the offie. Fast Company was looking for companies who were doing a good job of helping employees ease back into going back to the office. They interviewed me for how Etsy is advocating for employee’s mental health and all that we are doing with our new Mental Health Employee Resource Group.
SUPPORTING EMPLOYEE FINANCES AND MENTAL HEALTH
Online marketplace Etsy made working at home a little easier with a $100-per-month stipend to help employees offset the costs of working from home. The company also subsidized ergonomically correct home office furniture to help ensure that working from home was more comfortable. “I can open up a help desk ticket, and have someone consult with me about the ergonomics of my home office setup,” says Christina Goldschmidt, head of product design.
Now that employees are heading back to the office, the company is focusing on employees’ mental health. Goldschmidt helped co-found the employee resource group for mental health needs. “Etsy has always had all these amazing employee resource groups, bringing about a whole bunch of different affinities,” she says. When employees were surveyed, it was clear that they needed mental health support, she says.
Goldshmidt says she was “vocal” about the need and the company supported creating a support structure, “and a place where we can actually create content and programming and a safe space for people to have dialogue and support and actually have executive team sponsorship for mental health,” she says. She feels it’s going to be an important resource as employees head back to the office this fall. The resource group is also tackling burnout and advocated for an additional day off on the July 4 holiday to give employees more of a break.