Mental health campaigners 'disgusted' by Welsh hotel advert for 'slightly OCD' staff

Wales
South Wales
Wales
Mental Health
Monday 19 March 2018 at 9:43am

A Swansea wedding venue's tweet advertising for 'slightly OCD' staff has been labelled 'disgusting' by mental health campaigners.

Fairyhill in Reynoldston advertised various jobs on Twitter after a recent renovation.

The tweet has been met with a number of angry responses from various people calling for the venue to reconsider the advert, labelling it 'disgusting' and 'inappropriate'.

One user responded: 'I do have OCD. It’s got nothing to do with liking my cutlery straight, though.' Credit: Twitter/redskyatnight

One user responded: "I do have OCD. It’s got nothing to do with liking my cutlery straight, though.

"It’s more about distressing and intrusive thoughts of horrific self-harm and unbearable anxiety that my partner will die. So you might want to reconsider that advert."

Another added: "OCD can increase vulnerability to suicide up to 10 times. It ruins lives. It’s worth reconsidering this."

Credit: Twitter/Lepidoptric

Cerith Jones said: "I know others have said this already, but please do amend this. OCD isn’t as simple as wanting your cutlery in order, and the choice of words and images in this is damaging.

"Please change it. It’s a poor advert for a really nice place."

Credit: Twitter/clairecarlile

Leading national charity OCD-UK have also called the advert inaccurate and inappropriate.

Credit: Twitter/OCDUK

The attached job advert posted on Fairyhill hotel’s social media page was brought to our attention, and is drawing some anger from some of our social media followers. Are you aware that OCD is absolutely nothing to do with being a perfectionist? Did you know that someone who likes things a certain way, let’s say neat and tidy, is compelled to arrange things that way because of an unwanted, aggressive, intrusive thought. And in fact they might spend so much time trying to get the objects to ‘feel’ lined up that their ritual may take one, two, or even more hours just on that one issue. Are you still keen to seek someone with that form of OCD for your hotel now? I am sure the person that created that copy did not mean to offend, but sadly ignorance is no excuse for placing such a stigmatic and trivialising post. I hope you will take this opportunity to educate your staff and take the appropriate action with that post and any others misusing OCD this way. Perhaps you might want to get your staff involved in supporting the charity’s OCD Awareness Week efforts in October to further highlight misconceptions around OCD?

Fairyhill have now issued an apology and removed the advert this afternoon:

For years Fairyhill was a go-to destination for tourists and diners on the Gower before becoming exclusively a wedding venue. It recently underwent a £1 million refurbishment.