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H&M CEO Helena Helmersson announced a shock resignation on Wednesday citing the ‘very demanding’ nature of the role as a driving factor in her surprising step down.
The news came two days after Elmo sparked an outpouring of dread on X – formerly Twitter – by tweeting: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?"
Many of the responses alluded to exhaustion, misery, and unhappiness with their work and anxiety with the broader socioeconomic landscape. “Every morning, I cannot wait to go back to sleep. Every Monday, I cannot wait for Friday to come. Every single day and every single week for life,” says one user.
“The world is burning around us, Elmo” tweets another. One account writes that it’s been “a tough time since we left the street and entered the workforce.”
Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?
— Elmo (@elmo) January 29, 2024
There are echoes of these tweets in Helmersson’s statement, which admitted personal struggles amid a strenuous few years of social, political, and economic turmoil. “We have navigated through [the] pandemic, and several geopolitical and macro-economic challenges. However, it has been very demanding at times for me personally,” it reads.
Helmersson’s resignation was unexpected, and certainly, no one had a nationwide trauma dump on America’s most beloved puppet on their bingo card for 2024. But the responses have triggered a long-overdue conversation about the abysmal state of mental wellbeing in the U.S.
Elmo followed up by tweeting “Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you. #EmotionalWellBeing.” Sesame Street shared mental health and wellbeing resources, stating “Mental health is health!”
It also drew attention from President Joe Biden: “Our friend Elmo is right: We have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for help when we need it,” he writes.
Elmo started the fire: HR must keep it burning
Swathes of the replies to Elmo’s tweet confirm employee struggles that should be no surprise to HR professionals, be it dealing with layoffs, anxiety about economic uncertainty, or disengagement with work.
The conversation about wellbeing is also increasingly being held at the leadership level within companies. According to Reuters, Helmersson stated she did not have the energy to continue as CEO at a press conference in Stockholm. As a leader, she’s not alone in this. Other recent examples include Jürgen Klopp, soccer coach of Liverpool F.C. and one of the most well-known coaches in the world, who said “I am — how can I say this? — running out of energy” whilst announcing a similarly shocking decision to step down at the end of this season.
So, where do HR and people leaders fit into this picture? Whilst it’s undoubtedly positive to see people speaking freely about their struggles and destigmatizing mental health difficulties, this conversation must turn into action within corporate America. With leaders resigning and employees suffering from a mental health crisis, companies – and HR – are not doing enough to help their workers.
Some of the replies from organizations to Elmo’s original tweet were predictably tone-deaf. “Craving a burrito. what's Elmo's Chipotle order?” from Chipotle and “Ran out of milk. do the math” from Oreo are among the most painful marketing gimmicks that completely miss the mark and signify a lack of understanding about the true scale of the mental health crisis in corporate America.
Organization-level change is needed
Of course, this issue is far bigger than the likes of Oreo and Chipotle who do offer support to employees on mental health. Chipotle, for example, recently announced plans to increase mental health support in a bid to better engage and attract Gen Z workers.
However, for all the conversation, whether it’s CEO statements or simply bizarre interaction between global brands and a Sesame Street character, not enough is being done. All the added support, benefits, and individual schemes HR and employee experience leaders at companies like Chipotle have tried to implement are barely making a dent.
Yes, greater conversation about wellbeing is important. It encourages people to seek help when they are struggling, and companies should have this support in place. But the conversation is not enough. Individual support is not enough. HR has to get serious about its role in tackling the abysmal state of mental health in corporate America.
It must focus on systemic, organization-level change to prevent employees from being overworked and disengaged, rather than solely focusing on individual-level interventions when employees are already struggling.
Prevention is better than cure. We have to find a way to create organizations where employees aren’t overworked, overwhelmed, or underpaid. Elmo has sparked a much-needed conversation, and we can’t let him down.
