At the beginning of last week as I started to feel a bit stronger I decided to write to my HR contact at work. She knows about my condition but I realised that I had never had a full conversation with her about it and I recently had a new manager who started when I was having a depressive episode and wanted her to be in the picture too.
I asked to meet them both and I was so impressed with their response. They listened and understood how bipolar is for me not just how bipolar is described on google!
I also talked with them about being a mindful employer and it was reassuring to hear that it wasn’t just a logo for them. They want to be a true mindful employer and understand what that means and that is very positive.
There is a long way to go and part of the issue is that due to recent restructures people are reluctant to disclose. I feel that the small steps so far are positive and they have my support for their future work.