Why the idea of an ‘ideal worker’ can be so harmful for people with mental health conditions

By Hadar Elraz, Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour, Swansea University
Jen Remnant, Chancellor's Fellow Work, Employment and Organisation, Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde

In the modern world of work, the “ideal worker” is a dominant yet dangerous concept that can dictate workplace norms and expectations. This archetype describes an employee who is boundlessly productive, constantly available and emotionally stable at all times.

What makes this trope so flawed is that it assumes workers have no caring responsibilities outside work, or have unrealistic physical and psychological capabilities. It’s intended to drive efficiency, but in fact it is a standard that very few people can reach. It marginalises people who deviate from these rigid standards, including…

Read complete article

~	Ukraine: Civilians injured, miners killed, in separate Russian attacks

~	Why Canada must step up to protect children in a period of global turmoil

~	Lessons from the sea: Nature shows us how to get ‘forever chemicals’ out of batteries

~	The mental edge that separates elite athletes from the rest

~	Why futuristic, tech-centred ‘smart city’ projects are destined to fail

~	Diabetes care in NZ: thousands of patient records reveal who’s being left behind

~	A brief history of table tennis in film – from Forrest Gump to Marty Supreme

~	The Playboy of the Western World: National Theatre staging ensures Irish play remains essential viewing

~	The rise and fall (and rise again) of gold prices – what’s going on?

~	Is it illegal to make online videos of someone without their consent? The law on covert filming