Burnout and mental health challenges are exponentially increasing across our workforce. As a result, more employees are going on mental health leaves of absence in order to focus on their health. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has been a critical tool for U.S. organizations with 50 or more employees. It enables them to safeguard passage leaves for serious health conditions, including positive mental health. This federal law requires their employers to allow them to take these types of paid or unpaid leaves of absence for up to 12 weeks.
Yet mental health leaves can extend up to three to six months or more. HM02 common etiological factors In our featured case study, common diagnoses leading to these leaves include depression, anxiety and adjustment disorder. As countless mental health experts and advocates have pointed out, it’s crucial to address these challenges before they escalate into emergencies. They call on businesses to create cultures that support their workers.
Understanding Mental Health Leaves
Mental health days have turned into an indispensable option for employees who are dealing with real mental or emotional hardships. According to Jennifer Birdsall, senior clinical director at ComPsych Corp., the ongoing stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues. “It seems like, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, together we’ve all just been in this stress, swirl, helplessness,” Birdsall said.
It seems counter productive, but many employers differ in their policies on taking leave for mental health reasons. Other employers force workers to use sick days or vacation days in order to maintain their pay while they are on leave. This policy can actually prevent employees from using the leave they desperately need. These conversations have drastically increased awareness of mental health and continue to do so. In response, companies big and small are turning to flexible policies that put their employees first.
“Taking a mental health leave is not necessarily a cure-all, but it is important to give yourself a break and allow yourself to regroup, make a plan of how to proceed and take the steps to work towards feeling better.” – Rosalie Mae
Personal Stories of Recovery
People such as Carolina Lasso, a digital marketer have made drastic measures to protect their mental health through long mental health breaks. Lasso took a six-month leave on medical advice to take care of herself. While this is going on, she went through therapy and went to India for more treatment. Reflecting on her experience, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to heal: “I’m thankful for that opportunity to take the time to heal.”
In what was perhaps the most evocative description of her mental health struggles, Lasso said, “I had a chalkboard in my throat.” Her experience illustrates how mental health leaves provide critical time and space. This gives people an opportunity to face their private struggles.
Just like during the previous keynote, Google director of health and performance Newton Cheng opened up about his struggles with mental health. Cheng’s leave was prompted by a cathartic moment at work where he knew that he couldn’t hide his struggles anymore and sought help. “I never knew that I was really doing so badly, and to the extent that this goes really deep. I can’t continue just slapping duct tape on this, I think I’m overdue for some maternal leave,” he said.
“It was just totally horrifying to me because, one, I had just cried in front of my coworkers and I was definitely taught as a professional — and as a man — you do not do that.” – Newton Cheng
Changing Perspectives on Mental Health
Increasingly, employees are speaking out about their experiences when forced to take mental health leaves. As more and more take the plunge, the stigma of these actions starts to disappear. Cheng admitted that his transparency around his challenges helped establish an example within his organization. They’re all like yo dude that was cool, I can’t believe he did that, then they just completely forgot about me. But the tone was set. It was just definitely the attitude of like ’Oh, this is it. So let me open up about what’s going on with me, as well,’ he explained.
This change in workplace culture is vital for making people feel comfortable seeking support without the fear of being looked down upon. As Carolina Lasso illustrated in her presentation, there is a plethora of guilt associated with taking a mental health leave. She noted that we all have a lot of weight on our shoulders. They made it so it feels like we are at fault for this.
Organizations are starting to understand that when mental health is prioritized, it creates more productive and happier employees. When companies work to build an environment of support, employees can be at ease when discussing their potential difficulties. This flexibility can result in better performance and higher retention from the employees.
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