Prince Harry has been a mental health advocate for years now, which is why his new day job makes a lot of sense for him now that he’s now longer a working royal.
Since March, the Duke of Sussex has served as the Chief Impact Officer for San Francisco-based tech startup BetterUp, which aims to improve “mental fitness” in the workforce through coaching and other services.
In a new interview with Fast Company about his role, the duke was asked how he’s addressing the COVID-bourne issues of burnout and job resignations. In a statement that is now being twisted out of shape all over the internet, the duke said, “I’ve actually discovered recently, courtesy of a chat with [BetterUp science board member] Adam Grant, that a lot of the job resignations you mention aren’t all bad. In fact, it is a sign that with self-awareness comes the need for change. Many people around the world have been stuck in jobs that didn’t bring them joy, and now they’re putting their mental health and happiness first. This is something to be celebrated.”
A lot of criticism has been aimed at the royal for seemingly implying that jobs don’t matter and that everyone should just quit—which, if it was what he was saying, would obviously be unacceptable given his extreme privilege and the breadth of income inequalities in the U.S. and across the globe.
With that in mind, what the duke is actually doing here is simply celebrating the decisions people have already made for themselves—that quitting their job was the right thing to do to protect their own mental health, having weighed up the pros and cons of doing so. He’s simply celebrating people who felt empowered to quit their jobs, not saying that everyone should follow suit.
The interviewer, Yasmin Gagne, tweeted, “In 2017 I quit a job that destroyed my mental health. It's one of the best decisions I ever made. I spoke to Prince Harry about his work as Chief Impact Officer at @BetterUp and why quitting is sometimes the right thing to do.”
-
Taylor Swift is at Travis Kelce’s Chiefs Game in Kansas City—With His Mom, DonnaWell, that clears that up.
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Literally Face the Same Woe as Every Other Parent
They may be royalty, but kids are kids.
-
Expert Says of Princess Kate’s Recent Transformation That “We Are Seeing the Real Kate Now”
Her revved up charisma matches that of a beloved royal family member that was anything but self-conscious.
-
Royal Expert Says Prince Harry Turned Down King Charles’ Invitation to Join Him at Balmoral
“For Harry, this was a missed opportunity.”
-
George, Charlotte and Louis Will Be Laden With Gifts as Prince William Returns From New York
He was handed so many souvenirs for the little ones.
-
Here's Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stay, Eat, and Visit While in New York City
Prince William arrives in the Big Apple today, but hopefully he’ll have time to have a little fun, too, maybe at one of these hotspots.
-
We Noticed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Unspoken Signal That Their Marriage is Doing Just Fine
The two were front and center—and obviously very in love—at the Invictus Games this week.
-
Prince Harry is “A Completely Different Person” Since Moving to the U.S., Body Language Expert Says
“You can tell through Harry’s body language that he is genuinely happy.”
-
Meghan Markle Shares She Hopes Her Children Will Take Part in this Royal Family-Loved Hobby
She admitted that she doesn’t know how to do this activity, though.
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “Value Their Private Moments Together,” Expert Says
They’ve been very out front this week at the Invictus Games, held in Dusseldorf, Germany this year.
-
Meghan Markle’s Show of Support at the Invictus Games Has Increased Prince Harry’s Confidence, Body Language Expert Says
Behold—our favorite loved up photos of the couple from the Games this week.
