I work for the National Park Service in the US, aka the government agency with by far the highest approval rating from the public and I had an experience I have to share.
People may not know but in the NPS you basically have to move every 6 months and are unemployed (no pay or anything) for part of the year. You live in some of the highest COL areas in the country with horrible pay and miss out on all the supposedly great benefits gov employees get since you are contingent. Still, positions are very competitive to get, people with graduate degrees working GS-5s, and you have to be constantly looking for the next job and finding a way to pay first last and deposit every few months.
Given all this, during onboarding for my new position HR gave me a speech about how they know these financial conditions can drive people to suicide, they have seen it before, and that if I ever feel like that I should reach out.
It’s just so ridiculous that employers are now telling us they know working conditions are enough to drive you to that and they won’t do anything to improve them.
And yes I’m unionized but when you’re essentially a temp employee with a gov worker union that is legally barred from striking it only goes so far. Up PATCO, 🤔AFGE.