Why the idea of an ‘ideal worker’ can be so harmful for people with mental health conditions
- Written by Hadar Elraz, Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour, Swansea University
PeopleImages/ShutterstockIn 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...







