| Treatment of Depression in the
Corporate World An Appeal to Readers | I appeal to all visitors to my site to 1. lend me your support for one million sign-ups (Go to Home to support if you have not done so) 2. help me by forwarding this site's URL http://shelledfordepression.com to all your friends worldwide. If we were not able to correct any injustices before, now we can work together and make a difference. Together we are a force, apart we are little more than a helpless individual. |
| The
situation today for most organisations (Shell included) is that in
pursuit of higher and higher profits corporate managements have become
big machineries lacking
a soul. In other words, higher human
values, such as caring for our co-workers and families have eroded.
Yes, although there are a number of programmes being
organised in
Shell, like work/life balance and family day (we even used to have the
now defunct "Kids Visit Shell Office Day"), the ultimate objective of
making the workplace a family-oriented one has been lost.
Events are organised for events' sake without focusing on any attention to fostering deeper human relationships. Lacking are real commitment and sincerity on the part of Management to show that staff is a vital part of a corporate family. What is an army without foot soldiers? Or has the army become cold and robotic? I get the impression that not being able to give 100% to the company, Shell did not hesitate a moment to get rid of me despite all my past contributions. On my last day at work, the National Sales Manager called me into his office to thank me for my contributions on behalf of the company, to leave the company with good feelings and to focus on recovering. He recognised that I was the person behind the business and that I am leaving behind a legacy which I spent years building. I was touched by what he said in good faith. But when I told him my parting wish that Shell should listen to grassroots' sentiments, he fell silent for a moment before responding that he will look into it. Shell's philosophy is Enterprise First. When will it be Employees First? |  What does Shell stand for in terms of taking care of its employees? It would seem that what matters most is profitablity. If one is deemed as incapacitated, he/she is chopped off like a broken limb. |
|
I write this because I am a sufferer of major depression and have been medically
boarded out from Shell
in a dismissive, cold and uncaring manner despite the fact that Shell
recognises depression as a prolonged illness. So, I fear for
those who work for less enlightened organisations. Even scarier is the fact that most companies do not recognise depression as an illness and now, multinationals including Exxon have started to outsource the medical aspects of their business. Once staff medical needs are treated as a business, compassion will be flying out the window. | I
want to put a face on depression and hopefully dispel the stigma
associated with it by giving talks to organizations who are
willing to invite me. If I can start this website after
suffering
five (5) years of depression and still going through a rough patch, I
am sure others can do it as well. More important, we have to
start demanding that all the necessary policies be put in place to deal
with depression andinsist that a person is properly cared for and that
all available steps are exhausted before a person is medically boarded
out. Currently, depression, although recognised as a major illness, is a taboo subject, whispered about behind closed doors. It needs a voice, and I want to bring awareness about depression in the workplace and hope that others in a like situation will join me. We have to start somewhere. Eventually we may have sufficient numbers to form an association. We have to educate the public that depression is an illness just like any other, like heart, lung or kidney problems, and has nothing to do with too much thinking. We have to get people to learn to recognise the symptoms early and quickly seek out proper treatment. Men and women are equally susceptible but men are more likely to go into denial and seek solace in alcohol or even drugs. I myself was in denial for almost a year before accepting the fact that I had an illness. We have to educate organisations on how to recognise stress caused by organisational changes and how to help identify the symptoms. |
| Chairman of Malaysia's NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye wrote to the countries' daily newspapers about the seriousness of mental disorders (click here to read his letters). | Excerpt:
Mental illness is a subject very few wish to talk about but
it is a reality we have to grapple with. Cases of suicide and people running amok reported in the media from time to time are of concern to us and are tragic reminders of another side of life less talked about but nevertheless very real. It is a reality which must not be overlooked or ignored in our quest to become f fully industrialised nation. |