How this Clorox Teammate is Helping Change Stigmas Around Mental Health
The Clorox Change Makers initiative spotlights people who actively celebrate diversity, promote inclusion and practice allyship, making a positive impact on our business and culture.
In this installment, we focus on Cassie Hairston, a senior engineer for our Glad and Brita businesses in our Supply Chain organization. Cassie was nominated by Kendall Stout, a technology lead, also in Supply Chain. We spoke with them to learn more about what Cassie’s allyship looks like in action.
Why did you nominate Cassie as a Change Maker? What makes her an ally?
Kendall: Cassie has been instrumental in eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health. She is heavily involved in her local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is a chief of staff for our Mental Health Champions ERG. She openly shares her experience as a suicide survivor, letting others know they are not alone, and is a safe place and haven for anyone to reach out to if they are struggling.
How has Cassie’s allyship made an impact for you and others at Clorox?
Kendall: While Cassie has been sharing her story in small forums for years, she was recently a speaker during our global IDEAcon. She has the unique ability to listen, support, learn and grow, which has enabled her to find intersectionalities between mental health and our ERGs. By working at a plant, she’s also been able to tailor our ERG content to reach production teammates while also driving an improved culture across all our ERG communities.
What does IDEA, and specifically allyship, mean to you?
Cassie: IDEA is about creating a space where everyone feels valued, respected and supported. Specifically, allyship and mental health, for me, means standing up for those who are struggling, advocating for open conversations and ensuring that mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health. It’s about being a voice for those who might not have one, and fostering an environment where people feel safe to express their needs and to seek help without judgment.
What tips do you have for others to put allyship into action in their day-to-day lives?
Cassie: To put allyship into action, you can begin by listening — and I mean really listening to your colleagues when you ask them how they’re doing. And make sure we educate ourselves about mental health challenges that others may face that we may not understand. The greatest way to be an ally is to speak up any time you see stigma or discrimination happening. Remember that allyship is about consistent, everyday actions that make an impact on those around us.
To live our purpose and values, we must build a workplace where every person can feel respected and valued, and fully able to participate in our Clorox community. We aim to lead by example, at every level within the company, and to continually challenge ourselves to do better. Learn more about our inclusion and diversity efforts here.
