NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm a big believer in them...I'm taking one today in fact, (though I risk this day being counterproductive the longer I stay on NS).

I know that some people (usually people of older generations, but not always) really object to the concept of a mental health day. For me, it allows me to get back into the necessary frame of mind to go back and do my job (or studies, or whatever) much better than if I didn't take that break.

My last employer was quit cognizant of the importance of taking a day just to get 'settled'. We didn't need to call in an pretend we were horrible ill. "Mental Health Day" was a valid reason for not coming in. Of course, they were still 'sick days' and we didn't get extra ones, but that didn't really matter.

What are your thoughts on taking days off for mental health, or whatever you might call it?

Of course, they were still 'sick days' and we didn't get extra ones, but that didn't really matter.

At the risk of going a bit off-topic, I don't understand the idea of having a set number of "sick days" that are allowed. It's not really a predictable thing.

Say I get five sick days per year, but I'm not ill. Have I wasted five days I could have had off?
But what if I'm in an accident, and need a fortnight off to recover? Do I get fired?

'Tis odd.

When I was working as the managing editor for a monthly magazine, I used to take the day off after we sent an issue to press. I needed it. And the EiC understood completely.

At the risk of going a bit off-topic, I don't understand the idea of having a set number of "sick days" that are allowed. It's not really a predictable thing.

Say I get five sick days per year, but I'm not ill. Have I wasted five days I could have had off?
But what if I'm in an accident, and need a fortnight off to recover? Do I get fired?

'Tis odd.

Well, generally you can 'bank' sick days, but that depends on your contract. As a teacher, sick days were paid days, and you only had a certain number of those. Past that, you had to take unpaid leave. If, however, you suffered a serious illness, there was also a specifically insured disability/illness leave. Not sure how much it was for...perhaps four weeks of paid leave? Something like that, maybe more. But those were are negotiated benefits.

So basically, it depends on your situation. And when it comes to being sick, or seriously ill, union jobs tend to protect you better than non-unionised workplaces. Unless you're in Alberta during this mad construction boom where even the non-unionised companies are advertising 'family friendly workplaces'.

When I was working as the managing editor for a monthly magazine, I used to take the day off after we sent an issue to press. I needed it. And the EiC understood completely.

I think it's a good business practice, to be aware of the specific stresses your employees are under. Every once in a while, when things really got messy, our boss would send us home an hour early, especially when we knew the next day would be just as bad. It did two things, first it validated that stress and let us know our boss gave a shit, and two, that little extra time off helped us get out of 'work mode' and just recharge our batteries.

Whereas, I've been in other situations where burnout was common, but totally ignored. And if you needed a sick day, you practically had to pretend you were on death's doorstep. I think that's silly.

I don't have a problem with the principle, but I really doubt many employers over here would think likewise.

What are your thoughts on taking days off for mental health, or whatever you might call it?

As long as it's used responsibly and not abused, I think it's a-OK! :)

Mental health is itself not generally accepted in society.

If I say I have a broken leg, no problem. If I say I have clinical depression, I get funny looks, like I'm weak or stupid or whiny or malingering.

I don't have a problem with the principle, but I really doubt many employers over here would think likewise.

Well here's the thing.

I assume that employers endeavour to hire capable, mature people. Part of that is finding someone who knows when they can handle a situation, and when they need a break. You don't need an employee that pushes themselves to come into work, so sick they can't actually function, so why would you need one that pushes himself through extreme stress to show up? Most likely, that person isn't going to be very productive either.

As mature, capable employees, we need to make judgment calls like, 'I'm too sick or too stressed to be of any use today'. If we only give credence to those who are physically ill, and make everyone lie in order to get a day off...then we don't really think our employees are capable of making that judgment call. So why the fuck did they get hired in the first place?

Mental health is itself not generally accepted in society.

If I say I have a broken leg, no problem. If I say I have clinical depression, I get funny looks, like I'm weak or stupid or whiny or malingering.

Also true, and I've probably belittled true mental health issues with this particular label.

My boss insists upon us taking these types of days off. It's better as a whole to go home and rest up for a day, as opposed to forcing yourself to work and making costly mistakes because you're too tired/depressed, or trying to interact with clients.

So I'm all for it. :)

Mental health is itself not generally accepted in society.

If I say I have a broken leg, no problem. If I say I have clinical depression, I get funny looks, like I'm weak or stupid or whiny or malingering.

Very, very true.

Well here's the thing.

I assume that employers endeavour to hire capable, mature people. Part of that is finding someone who knows when they can handle a situation, and when they need a break. You don't need an employee that pushes themselves to come into work, so sick they can't actually function, so why would you need one that pushes himself through extreme stress to show up? Most likely, that person isn't going to be very productive either.

As mature, capable employees, we need to make judgment calls like, 'I'm too sick or too stressed to be of any use today'. If we only give credence to those who are physically ill, and make everyone lie in order to get a day off...then we don't really think our employees are capable of making that judgment call. So why the fuck did they get hired in the first place?

Oh, I agree with the sentiment and it sounds logical to me. That doesn't really mean anything to employers though. I couldn't say to my boss "I'm too stressed to work today". I would be told "Yeah, right - get in here or you can forget about showing up on Saturday too." Only physical illness, or a death certificate from someone in my family would suffice...and even then, I have difficulty, and nearly missed out on taking time off to travel interstate for my grandmother's funeral a couple of years back. I imagine (but can't be sure, since obviously I only have experience with my current "fake" job) that most bosses are much the same - it could however be that i'm not exactly skilled labor and can be replaced on short notice. So yeah, what I think is fair and what actually goes on are two very different things...

I do, however, take single days off from my annual leave when I feel I need a break - but of course, I have to give a month's notice.

Well, generally you can 'bank' sick days, but that depends on your contract. As a teacher, sick days were paid days, and you only had a certain number of those. Past that, you had to take unpaid leave. If, however, you suffered a serious illness, there was also a specifically insured disability/illness leave. Not sure how much it was for...perhaps four weeks of paid leave? Something like that, maybe more. But those were are negotiated benefits.

Ah, righto. Probably a difference between Canada and the UK then; I've never noticed a limit on the number of sick days allowed, but after you've been off for a certain length of time you need a doctor's note. There's Statutory Sick Pay if you're not paid by the company when you're off (I think KFC had some funny system when I worked for them, but I can't remember; usually you're just paid as normal, I think), and I've only needed one sick day so far so I've never really been interested - I'm very rarely ill.

Certainly...I'm known to pile the world upon my shoulders, and eventually I crack. I usually need one perhaps once a quarter.

My sick days have generally been taken to take care of sick kids.

One thing I like about being able to be honest and call it a mental health day...when you fake being sick, you pretty much need to hide out at home or risk being seen not-sick.

Compulsive...there are specific labour regulations provincially that deal with regular benefits. Those benefits are pretty sparse though.

Well here's the thing.

I assume that employers endeavour to hire capable, mature people. Part of that is finding someone who knows when they can handle a situation, and when they need a break. You don't need an employee that pushes themselves to come into work, so sick they can't actually function, so why would you need one that pushes himself through extreme stress to show up? Most likely, that person isn't going to be very productive either.


Unfortunateley, that doesn't happen all too often with employers. Most employers SAY that they don't want you coming into work sick, but if you do call in..it goes against you. Even if you have sick leave. I have worked at quite a few places and only one of them allowed you to use your sick leave and not have it against you. Hell I work in healthcare right now where people tend to get sick alot and we get docked for it.
Most places don't care if you are sick. They just want the man-power.

I've always liked the idea of Personal Leave Days where you don't have to give a reason. That way if you have to stay home to take care of a sick child, your stressed out or just don't feel like going to work, you can just do it. Of course to stop abuse, there would have to be a limited number of them per month, year or whatever.

Also true, and I've probably belittled true mental health issues with this particular label.
Hardly, preventitive approaches to mental health no more belittle mental health issues than preventitive approaches to other aspects of health belittle other aspects of health.

Mental health days cannot eliminate mental health problems, anymore than having an appropriate vitamin C intake will eliminate health problems in general, but in both cases it is a valid and worthwhile preventitive measure that increases the liklihood of continued good health.

Unfortunateley, that doesn't happen all too often with employers. Most employers SAY that they don't want you coming into work sick, but if you do call in..it goes against you. Even if you have sick leave. I have worked at quite a few places and only one of them allowed you to use your sick leave and not have it against you. Hell I work in healthcare right now where people tend to get sick alot and we get docked for it.
Most places don't care if you are sick. They just want the man-power.

Yeah, I agree. Just trying to convince those bastards of the error of their ways:)

My last workplace was a special case...we had two women recovering from cancer, and one woman who was married to a man recovering from cancer. That meant if we came in sick, there was a possibility of us compromising the immune systems of people who really could not risk it. The 'no coming in sick' rule was strictly enforced for that reason. It was very different.

Also true, and I've probably belittled true mental health issues with this particular label.

Speaking as someone with significant mental health issues - nah. :) I'm a big fan of the "mental health day," largely because I suspect that if the idea that sometimes one really needs a day to relax and recharge becomes widely accepted, it will be a big step towards getting the idea that sometimes one really and truly is too depressed to get out of bed accepted. (I suspect, too, that it would be nicer for my employers to know what's actually going on with me, since then I can give them more accurate information - for example, I know with complete certainty that I am never, ever functional on the anniversary of my assault. However, instead of being able to tell my bosses/instructors/etc. in advance that I won't be in that day, I currently have to assign a friend or family member to call in that morning and explain that I am too sick even to come to the phone, but not so sick that I won't be in tomorrow. It's dumb.)

Speaking as someone with significant mental health issues - nah. :) I'm a big fan of the "mental health day," largely because I suspect that if the idea that sometimes one really needs a day to relax and recharge becomes widely accepted, it will be a big step towards getting the idea that sometimes one really and truly is too depressed to get out of bed accepted. (I suspect, too, that it would be nicer for my employers to know what's actually going on with me, since then I can give them more accurate information - for example, I know with complete certainty that I am never, ever functional on the anniversary of my assault. However, instead of being able to tell my bosses/instructors/etc. in advance that I won't be in that day, I currently have to assign a friend or family member to call in that morning and explain that I am too sick even to come to the phone, but not so sick that I won't be in tomorrow. It's dumb.)
Fucking ridiculous!

It's so very much in your employer's interests to know ahead of time that you wont be in on that day, yet it's probable that if you act in your employer's interests accordingly, your interests will be compromised (and certainly you believe as much). That's so unnecessary and is negative to the interests of everyone involved, which in itself is justification for a major society-wide change in the prevailing attitudes toward mental illness.

I'd probably need a mental health year.

So, what do you do on a mental health day?

Winter...I like to take a long bath, take a nap, watch a movie I normally don't get to, usually something subtitled. Or read, uninterrupted. *sigh* The best part is no kids running around...

For me, it allows me to get back into the necessary frame of mind to go back and do my job (or studies, or whatever) much better than if I didn't take that break.


isn't that what your holiday allowance is for?

I support the idea in principle, so I would vote on the first option with the caveat in bold.

There's a problem when the stress is work-generated - if people take a day off, it may not help in the long term, particularly if the duties pile up in the meantime. In this situation, it would be better to revise the workflow and resourcing rather than for employees to have a mental health day every month.

The other issue is that it's kinda hard for an employer to check against abuse... I had a flatmate once who used to regularly call in sick (several times a month), referring to them (to me) as mental health days, but personally I think she just liked to sleep in occasionally.

I'm a big believer in them...I'm taking one today in fact, (though I risk this day being counterproductive the longer I stay on NS).

I know that some people (usually people of older generations, but not always) really object to the concept of a mental health day. For me, it allows me to get back into the necessary frame of mind to go back and do my job (or studies, or whatever) much better than if I didn't take that break.

My last employer was quit cognizant of the importance of taking a day just to get 'settled'. We didn't need to call in an pretend we were horrible ill. "Mental Health Day" was a valid reason for not coming in. Of course, they were still 'sick days' and we didn't get extra ones, but that didn't really matter.

What are your thoughts on taking days off for mental health, or whatever you might call it?

I think it's a good idea.

I suppose if it is only like once a month tops.

isn't that what your holiday allowance is for?

That requires that you give notice. For me it's only a week, but Kanabia's is a month. You don't know these things in advance.

Besides, you might only get 20 days holiday a year, and if you've already spent them...

Remembered: I've heard these mentioned over here, called "duvet days"; they were like holiday allowance, but you didn't get as many and you just had to call in on the morning and say you wouldn't be in.
Working like that, it sounds perfectly fine to me. A good idea.

Mental! Mental! Mental!!!

how did I miss this thread?

I need a mental health week!

I fully support the idea and that isn't just to get in your pants.

I hope you can get some of your sanity back Sinner!

wow, a month's notice seems a little extreme for a day off! I think you definitely need to be able to take time out with less notice than that - maybe some of your holiday allowance (say 5 days out of 20) should be no-notice required?

Mental health days? Ah yes... I used to have the privilege in high school of using those. My dad would let me and he would call the school and tell them I was sick. Of course, he was worse than me, and was the king of mental health days, having taken a great number of them himself... though not any more. Retirement is the ultimate mental health day.