Having a challenge at work? Get support, at your fingertips

“Oh god, that’s exactly what I need right now.” — security guard in San Francisco

“I was embarrassed and unsure what to do. Was what happened normal? I didn’t have anyone to talk to.” — recent college graduate turned Lyft driver

“You’ve hit on my pain point when I was going through a crazy work thing. I wish I’d known about Empower Work last year.” — mid-career fundraising professional

The last few months, I’ve been talking to people across the United States about their experiences at work. Through qualitative surveys and quantitative interviews I’ve connected with more than 200 people and counting from diverse backgrounds and industries.

The stories have been pretty staggering. It’s not surprising that tough things come up in workplaces. Nearly everyone has had a bad manager, a challenging co-worker, an intimidating interaction, or worse. We see it in headlines and feel it in our day-to-day lives.

But what goes unseen? Of the 95% of people I’ve talked to who have had challenges, nearly 80% indicated those situations were extraordinarily challenging. Half the people left their jobs as a result. And what’s shocking? People who didn’t have someone to talk to about it often left and took jobs that paid less or were steps back in their career. Some left without another job at all.

What if people in those tough moments — when your boss puts an unknown meeting on your calendar and you think you might be getting fired, or a co-worker approaches you in a way that feels wrong but you can’t figure out why — could immediately, anonymously talk with someone who understands?

Empower Work is a new resource for people facing a challenging work situation. Anyone can text or chat with a trained peer counselor and feel heard and supported to take a next step that feels right for them. It’s immediate, anonymous, and free.

We’re on a mission to change workplaces across the country. To create work environments where people feel valued, supported, and empowered.

Need someone to talk to? Have a friend or co-worker who might? We’re here. Text 510–674–1414 or share www.empowerwork.org.

Originally posted on LinkedIn earlier this year.