Breaking the workplace silence around men’s health

Looking back, I never imagined that a seemingly minor health symptom would transform my understanding of workplace wellbeing. As the co-founder of a corporate benefits platform, I’d always championed employee wellness, yet it took my own health crisis at age 29 to really comprehend the relationship between personal health challenges and professional life.

It began with an unlikely symptom: a leaking nipple. In the summer of 2021, amid the lingering challenges of the pandemic, this development would become the catalyst for a lesson in workplace support and mental resilience. The timing couldn’t have been more complicated. The NHS, while admirably managing pressures left by the pandemic, was operating at reduced capacity for non-Covid cases. Like many men, I initially dismissed my concerns, clinging to that time-honoured tradition of keeping a stiff upper lip. 

When I finally sought help through private healthcare channels, things moved swiftly. A virtual GP consultation led to blood tests, revealing significantly elevated prolactin levels. Then came the MRI scan and the diagnosis: a brain tumour pressing against my pituitary gland. The news was simultaneously terrifying yet, paradoxically, relieving. There’s a peculiar kind of comfort in identifying what is wrong, even when the name itself carries weight.

However, the physical diagnosis was just the opening chapter of a far more complex narrative. As I navigated treatment while maintaining my responsibilities at home and work, I discovered that the greatest challenges weren’t necessarily medical. The real test lay in managing the invisible burdens: supporting my pregnant partner (who is also my co-founder), redistributing work responsibilities and maintaining professional composure while grappling with medication side effects that ranged from persistent fatigue to mood spirals.

The traditional masculine playbook of stoicism and unwavering resilience proved inadequate for this situation. Instead, I found myself learning a new language of vulnerability and transparency. This openness, while initially uncomfortable, gradually lifted an enormous psychological burden.

What became increasingly clear throughout this journey was the critical role that workplace culture plays in supporting individuals through health challenges. With Brits spending nearly a quarter of their lives at work, the notion that we can somehow partition our wellbeing from our professional lives seems not just outdated, but actively harmful. The stigma around discussing mental health in professional settings – particularly among males – creates an unnecessary barrier to support and recovery.

In my experience, meaningful workplace support extends far beyond the provision of health benefits or occasional wellness initiatives. It requires creating an environment where personal challenges can be acknowledged without fear of professional penalties. This means fostering a culture where a senior executive can openly discuss their struggles with depression, where a team member can request flexible hours to accommodate treatment schedules and where conversations about mental health become as normalised as discussions about quarterly targets.

While awareness campaigns like Movember highlight men’s health issues, the commitment to supporting employee wellbeing must extend throughout the year. This means regular, genuine check-ins with team members, comprehensive wellbeing programmes that address both physical and mental health, and leadership that models healthy work-life boundaries. Most importantly, it requires a fundamental shift in how we view vulnerability in professional settings.

The simple act of asking ‘how are you? Is there anything we can help with?’ – when asked sincerely and consistently – can transform workplace culture. Yet this question must be backed by meaningful action: flexible working arrangements, comprehensive health benefits and a genuine understanding that supporting employee wellbeing isn’t merely a nice to have, but a business imperative.

My journey from diagnosis to recovery has reinforced this: workplace support for mental health is not just about supporting individuals – it’s about building more resilient, productive and humane workplaces for everyone. As we continue to navigate the evolving landscape of corporate wellbeing, organisations must recognise that investing in employee health is both a moral imperative and a cornerstone of sustainable business success.

Alex Hind is co-founder of Heka