Employee Appreciation: A Tale of 2 Events

Where did we go wrong? Have we lost the plot completely? I want to share an experience that highlights a paradoxical shift in our societal priorities. In 2022, I was working for arguably the world’s most popular athletic apparel and shoe brand. I worked remotely but had the opportunity to visit their world headquarters in Portland, OR. The campus was beautiful! It rivaled most college campuses with amenities like swimming pools, gyms, hiking trails and bistros. I was there to participate in an employee appreciation event and awards ceremony. There was endless food and alcoholic beverages on tap. The weather was perfection. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better- that evening, employees were treated to a concert featuring 2 very popular rap stars and a host of decorated athletes as special guests. The energy was palpable as people were dancing and singing. It was truly a once in a lifetime kind of experience.

Fast forward about a year later and I found myself among the hundreds impacted by their layoffs. I was devastated to say the least. Fortunately, I landed on my feet and accepted a position with my state’s Department of Health and Human Services. I work for a state owned and operated psychiatric hospital. We take care of people with severe mental health disorders. Our patients are as young as 5 years old. Some have experienced levels of trauma that you would only expect to read about in a horror novel. Without our services and interventions, most of the patients we serve would not be able to return to the community safely.

This week, we have been celebrating our employees! Every spring, we host an employee appreciation week. For example, on Monday everyone received a pen and notepad. On Tuesday, we got a plastic water bottle and on Wednesday we had a complementary employee lunch. The lunch menu included chicken tenders, green beans, and a chocolate chip cookie- all prepared by our in-house nutrition services team. The meal was wonderful! Everyone enjoyed the fellowship and free lunch, of course. Myself, along with volunteers from all over the hospital, helped serve the meal by preparing plates and delivering meals to staff (due to the nursing shortages, people can not freely leave the unit without proper coverage).

After I finished packing the last plate, I remembered where I was almost 2 years ago. My former company had an endless budget to shower their employees with gifts, gourmet food and drinks. It was an epic way to show appreciation. However, I couldn’t help but compare the 2 employee appreciation events and notice how completely different they were. How could a company have all this money to spend on an event, while literal health care heroes received a $10 per person budget from the state? How have we disvalued nurses, teachers, social workers, and other public servants this much?

I reflect on this not to say employees of corporate companies deserve less. I reflect on this to say, people in helping professions deserve more. Our priorities are skewed to the point where we have severe teacher and nursing shortages across the country. Our capitalistic societal norms have elevated “things” above people. Our hospital staff should be celebrated (and compensated) in the same grand way! Unfortunately, we just don’t have the same budget because mental health isn’t as glamorous as shoes, I guess.

#Mentalhealthmatters.