Workplaces that promote trendy RU OK Day messages and do nothing to support their employees’ mental health have been criticised by a happiness expert.
Declan Edwards, 30, sparked national debate after accusing managers of “toxic” workplaces of taking one day a year to blame for mental health problems when they were the very reason staff were unhappy at work.
Mr. Edwards, founder and CEO of BU Happiness College, posted on LinkedIn on RU OK Day that many workplaces “treat their staff quite badly.”
“If your workplace has a toxic work culture, and bad leaders get away with their bad behavior because they are ‘performing well,’ [or] “is known for treating its staff badly. It is best not to post symbolic photos and slogans on RU OK Day,” the happiness researcher wrote on Thursday.
“People will roll their eyes, but your team will see right through that.”
Mr Edwards told Daily Mail Australia on Friday he was “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of support he received from angry workers.
“The amount of people who have reached out to me personally through DMs and said, ‘Hey, I really resonated with that post, but obviously I can’t respond to it publicly for fear of the series coming out of my workplace,’ is insane,” he said.
“This is exactly why I wrote this post. To have this validated by people reaching out is something very profound.”
Declan Edwards, 30, criticised workplaces that jump on the RU OK Day bandwagon without actually doing anything to increase the happiness of their employees
Mr. Edwards’ BU Happiness College works with companies to anonymously measure employee satisfaction and happiness, but he says too many employers aren’t committed to driving change.
“I feel privileged and am allowed to take a look behind the scenes at the organizational culture. I am allowed to hear this first-hand, directly from the employees,” he said.
‘We see a disconnect between the way leaders and senior management are addressing their organization’s culture and workplace wellness strategies. For whatever reason, these strategies are not resonating with their workforce.
“So we see a gap in satisfaction scores and I think that’s only going to grow and be emphasized by great initiatives like RU OK Day.”
Mr Edwards stressed that his message was not intended to undermine the benefits of RU OK Day, but rather to highlight the need for more to be done.
‘If an organization spends most of the year not really investing in supporting the well-being of its people, but jumps on the bandwagon anyway, [of R U OK Day or mental health month] “Then people see through it,” he said.
“And I think it actually makes the organization worse because it alienates the employees and the team and they think, ‘This feels like a virtue signal,’ rather than it coming from a genuine, meaningful concern for the employees.”
Mr Edwards, founder and CEO of BU Happiness College, told Daily Mail Australia that employees often see right through their company’s virtual signage
The researcher said BU Happiness College warns workplaces that employee happiness cannot be solved through a “lunchtime workshop.”
According to Edwards, real results can only be achieved through a three- to 12-month programme with a ‘rigorous and comprehensive package of initiatives’.
Dozens of frustrated employees praised Mr. Edwards for raising the issue, one that many employers appear to be ignoring.
“Unfortunately, many leaders and companies are completely unaware of the toxic and negative impact their behavior and company culture is having on their team,” wrote wellness and leadership consultant Catherine Robertson.
‘I’m sure there are a few people out there who are choking on RUOK cupcakes and listening to nonsense about why it’s important to check in with others when the only check-in is [employers] “What you need to do is on a KPI sheet,” added leadership coach Mark LeBusque.
Mr Edwards told the publication that it can be very disheartening when bosses don’t listen to the feedback from his anonymous surveys.
“My biggest concern is that if you survey your staff and then don’t do anything with it, you’re essentially saying, ‘We care enough about your opinion, but we don’t think your opinion is important enough to do anything with it,’” he said.
“That’s actually worse than not doing any surveying at all.”
Mr. Edwards helps companies routinely survey employees anonymously to measure overall employee satisfaction with their jobs
A Study 2021 found that as much as $100 billion is invested globally in workplace wellness programs, but that these have so far been largely ineffective.
Another study A report released on Tuesday found that dissatisfied workers could reduce global GDP by 9 percent — or $13.2 trillion.
Mr Edwards said it was worth businesses taking advantage of workplace satisfaction surveys because the benefits could be “staggering”.
“When done well, workplace wellness and employee experience strategies deliver a return of approximately $2.67 to $3.27 for every dollar invested,” he said.
‘Almost three times the return on investment, a 300 percent return for organizations.’
RU OK Day encourages all Australians to spot the signs of mental health issues in their friends, family and colleagues.
The national day of action takes place every year on the second Thursday of September.