The two have never met in person, but they’ve developed a bond over the years that Bob says saved his life.
Mental health
At Best Buy, we strive to be an accessible and inclusive workplace, which is vital to attracting and retaining the best talent while also delivering a great employee experience.
Mental health is an integral piece of our focus on our employees’ overall well-being — physical, mental, financial and work/life.
On Caitlin Waugh’s second day as general manager of a Best Buy store in Portland, Oregon, one of her employees told her they wanted to take their own life.
Needless to say, it was an eye-opening experience for her.
“In that moment, I realized I wasn’t really equipped with the skills to navigate these conversations,” Caitlin said.
Thankfully, she was able to help the employee through the crisis, but she knew a situation like this could happen again with someone else.
Warning: This post discusses depression and suicide.
TJ Ellis is no stranger to struggle.
His grandma raised him, but she died from breast cancer when he was 11. After that, he couch-surfed so he wouldn’t have to sleep in the back of his mom’s van. At 16, he juggled school with a full-time job. And at 19, feeling overwhelmed and alone, he tried to take his own life.
Now the general manager of a Best Buy store in suburban Seattle, TJ uses those life experiences to shape how he cares for his employees — especially the ones with whom he can empathize.
The company encourages open conversations, education and access to resources.