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Navigating Workplace Stress: Understanding and Utilizing Mental Health Leave
NEW YORK — Carolina Lasso’s initial panic episode occurred during a company-wide meeting, just before her scheduled presentation. Despite numerous prior successful presentations detailing her marketing team’s achievements, this time, when her name was announced, she found herself unable to speak. This incident underscores the growing recognition of mental health in the workplace and the increasing acceptance of mental health leave.
The Onset of Anxiety and the Need for a Break
“I experienced a tightness in my throat,” Lasso recounted. “My head felt detached, as if in a bubble. My senses were dulled, hearing and sight were impaired, and time seemed distorted. It was brief, only moments, yet profoundly impactful and personally devastating.”
Lasso was grappling with significant life changes, including a move across the country and a divorce. Her supervisor suggested a mental health leave, an option she was previously unaware of. Despite initial concerns about potential negative perceptions from her team and the impact on career advancement, she ultimately decided to take the leave.
The Relief and Reassurance of Taking Time Off
“I am grateful for the chance to dedicate time to recovery”, Lasso, now 43, stated. “Many individuals experience guilt when taking time off for mental health reasons. … There’s an added burden, a sense of personal fault associated with it.”
However, despite anxieties about repercussions, a rising number of adults are acknowledging that withdrawing from work to address emotional strain or psychological conditions hindering their daily lives is a necessary step, a sentiment increasingly recognized by employers.
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Employer Support and the Rise of Mental Health Awareness
ComPsych Corp., a leading provider of employee mental health programs and absence management services, encourages its corporate clients to prioritize employee well-being proactively, before individuals reach a critical point. They also advocate for establishing clear procedures for those requiring leaves of absence.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have collectively endured persistent instability,” notes Jennifer Birdsall, Senior Clinical Director at ComPsych. “We have been subjected to a continuous barrage of change and uncertainty.”
Common Conditions Leading to Mental Health Leave
Among clients of Alight, a technology firm based in Chicago that manages leaves and benefits for large organizations, depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder – characterized by excessive reactions to stress – were the top three diagnoses for employees taking mental health leaves over the past two years.
A mental health leave can range from several weeks to months. In some instances, employees are approved for reduced work schedules or intermittent short leaves as needed, termed “intermittent leave.”
Legal Framework and Practicalities of Taking Leave
Within most U.S. companies with 50 or more employees, individuals can request leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This federal law grants eligible employees with serious health conditions the right to unpaid or paid leave for up to 12 weeks, contingent on state and local regulations.
Some employers mandate the use of accrued sick leave or vacation time to maintain income during leave. For extended leaves, employees may access short-term disability benefits, if offered by their employer.
The Transformative Impact of Mental Health Leave
Lasso’s leave extended for six months, encompassing therapy and travel to India for further treatment. She returned to her position but ultimately decided to leave permanently after a year. She subsequently founded a business focused on training organizations to cultivate more compassionate workplace environments.
A mental health leave is “not just acceptable, but genuinely transformative. It unlocks new possibilities once we have the time for self-care — therapy, medication, or other interventions — and sufficient distance from work to reconnect with our inner selves,” Lasso elaborated.
Overcoming Stigma and Encouraging Openness
Social stigma surrounding mental health challenges often prevents individuals from seeking help or requesting necessary leave. Newton Cheng, Director of Health and Performance at Google, aims to challenge this stigma by sharing his personal experiences.
His initial act of self-disclosure occurred during the pandemic, when a senior manager invited meeting attendees to share their well-being. When it was Cheng’s turn, he began to cry.
He explained his struggle to meet his own expectations as a father and his lack of direction on how to improve his situation.
“It was utterly mortifying because, firstly, I had cried publicly in front of colleagues — something I was conditioned against as a professional, and as a man”, Cheng remembered. “Secondly, I had never verbalized those feelings before. I hadn’t even permitted myself to acknowledge them. But once spoken, I had to confront them.”
Colleagues responded with empathy, sharing their own difficulties, but Cheng’s struggles persisted. By February 2021, he felt overwhelmed by dread and unable to leave his bed. A therapist diagnosed him with major depression and anxiety symptoms.
“I realized, ‘My struggles are significant and deep-seated. I can’t continue with temporary fixes. I likely need to take a leave,’ ” Cheng recalled.
Hoping to positively influence others, he publicly announced his intention to take mental health leave at a conference of 200 people. Contrary to his fears of disrupting the event, his openness inspired others to share their own experiences.
“It was like a burst of fireworks,” Cheng described. “People were amazed by my action. Then the focus shifted from me. A precedent was set. It became, ‘This is what we’re doing here. Let me also share what I’m going through.’ ”
Prioritizing Personal Well-being and Seeking Support
While balancing coursework and a full-time job in her final year of college, Rosalie Mae experienced increasing difficulty getting out of bed and uncontrollable crying. However, she felt compelled to “maintain composure” to avoid burdening colleagues at the University of Utah bookstore, where she worked as an accounting clerk.
Eventually, she found herself contacting a suicide hotline. “Reaching that crisis point, especially with my husband’s encouragement, made me realize we needed to take more decisive action,” Mae, 24, explained.
For her, this involved taking a five-week work leave to prioritize her health and well-being. She encourages others in similar situations to do the same.
“Taking a mental health leave isn’t a guaranteed solution, but it’s vital to grant yourself a respite, allowing for regrouping, planning a path forward, and initiating steps toward recovery,” Mae advised.
Navigating the Conversation with Employers
Before discussing mental health leave with a manager, it is important to consider workplace culture and professional relationships, Cheng recommends. He recalls stating, “For my well-being, my family’s sake, and ultimately, for the benefit of the business, the most prudent course of action is for me to take a leave soon.”
For those anticipating a less understanding response, Cheng suggests a simpler approach: “State that you need medical leave. You require time to recover,” he advised.
Legally and ethically, there’s no obligation to disclose the specific reasons for your leave to all colleagues.
“Your coworkers do not require detailed explanations,” Seth Turner, Co-founder of AbsenceSoft, a leave and accommodation management solutions provider, pointed out. “They simply need to know your period of absence and expected return date.”