HR Insights: The Podcast. Series 7: Anti-racism and Care in the Modern Workplace

In this episode, Stuart Elliott sits down with Ngozi Cadmus, an inspiration in mental health, anti-racism, and leadership research. With 17 years working in mental health, Ngozi shares her journey from social worker to founder of Happiworkers, an anti-racist, culturally sensitive mental health platform designed to support employees—especially those from racialised backgrounds.

Ngozi discusses her experiences as an approved mental health professional, her groundbreaking doctoral research on discovering why there is a huge lack of black women at C-suite level, and the systemic barriers they face. Ngozi breaks down what anti-racism looks like in the workplace, why racially informed mental health care matters, and how companies can truly support their staff with inclusivity and psychological safety. She also shares actionable insights for leaders to take risks, embrace discomfort, and create meaningful change in order to actively practice anti-racism. 

Get to know our guest 

Ngozi Cadmus is a TEDx speaker, social worker, psychotherapist, and CEO of the leading UK anti-racist, culturally sensitive workplace mental health solution, Happiworkers. Her expertise is in creating anti-racist organisations through a racially informed mental health lens and holding leadership accountable for their commitment to anti-racist practice. Lastly, she is nearing the end of her doctoral research, which focuses on the strategies black women use to reach the top. 

Key Timestamps: 

• 02:04 – Intro into Ngozi and her career history
• 04:40 – Ngozi’s experience as a mental health professional 
• 08:49 – Ngozi’s doctoral research 
• 18:05 – The definition of anti-racism and a racialised employee 
• 25:27 – The importance of racially informed mental health care 
• 36:10 – How companies can look after racialised employees 
• 39:51 – The significance of psychological safety 
• 46:15 – How leaders can start creating inclusive workforces