The award-winning, Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a compliance-related topic, literally going into the weeds to explore a subject. This episode considers the very prescient topic of mental health and compliance officers. There is a mental health crisis in the U.S. workforce today, which also applies to compliance officers. Matt recently moderated a webinar hosted by Ethico on how mental health issues can affect corporate culture and compliance officers. The panelists included Paul Liebman, head of compliance at Harvard University; Sarah Ross, a former compliance officer at Novartis who now runs a consulting business on burnout, depression, and related issues; and Nick Gallo, co-CEO at Ethico.
Some of the highlights included:
- How the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the issues of mental health for all workers.
- We had some great suggestions from the panelists and webinar participants.
- Understanding the difference between mental health and mental illness is critical.
- Consider how your company could weave mental health awareness into training, especially manager training.
- Define boundaries between work and personal life.
- Finding a friend in your field can be a critical mental health safety check. If you feel like you have someone to speak to about stress, you’re more likely to understand and confront that stress. True for compliance officers and other employees alike.
- There is a strong connection between mental health and a speak-up culture generally. If employees feel afraid to speak up about feeling stressed or overworked, would they be equally reluctant to speak up about misconduct?
Resources
Matt Kelly in Radical Compliance
