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A lot of people go through mental health struggles but are not brave enough to speak up and ask for help.
Pat yourself on the back for taking the time you need. Go back to work with your head high and keep delivering like you never would.
You could even use your position to be an advocate for Mental Health in the workplace!
I took two years “off”. I now call it my self-funded sabbatical. I came back in
the same role and in a much better place mentally and physically.
Strong relationships with key people who will help facilitate your re-entry is crucial though. I intentionally and strategically natured those and maintained them during my time off so when I was ready to come back I had help/supporters with influence.
Same role /different company & client.
But through relationships and support from people in both my old & new company I had worked with in various capacities and places. So really my industry relationships that evolved bigger than my old agencies.
Why would you tell them it’s a mental health leave? You don’t have to disclose the reason. HR doesn’t even have to know.
I took a month off cause I had a nervous breakdown. And I would have to say it was the best thing for me. I had a great manager who saw I was breaking down and told me to go home.
When I came back a month later I expected to be fully sidelined only to find I wasn’t. I was respected better by my peers and was able to get back to work more focused and way better than I ever was. If you have that support take it.
I took leave for MH. My manager made my life bell when I came back and I got zero support, but I was glad for it- it gave me the kick in the ass to leave the toxic hellhole that made me so anxious in the first place.
Hell*
The world is struggling. You are not alone. Let someone give you a hand to hold and listen to you. Sometimes, we lock ourselves in a box and self-denying. In reality, we are stronger than we only visualize. We, as female bosses, can give each other a platform where we can help with mental health. Be each other's support.
I’ve taken a few leaves. Most recently, I took a 4 month mental health leave and was laid off after coming back. I still don’t regret it. A firm won’t protect our health, so why risk our health on their behalf.
If you’re feeling unwell mentally, go to a psychiatrist/psychologist ASAP and get a diagnosis. Then work with your doctor to get a protected leave of absence from work. When you’re diagnosed, you are then protected under the ADA. Your firm will know when your doctor completes the leave paperwork. Any backlash or retaliation from the job/coworkers regarding your time away is considered discrimination.
The truth is you may experience some challenges around taking leave for MH reasons (especially because very large companies tend to have a very conservative internal perspective regarding MH and work/life balance). Still, it is better for you in the long run to get in front of it. Whether it’s apparent or not, your MH is impacting your performance and relationships at work. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Communicate strategically regarding intentions and timeframe. Otherwise, you may put yourself in a position of having to do it involuntarily.
If you’re taking it as disability then only the benefits administrator has to know why you’re taking the leave.
Not at all. Landed an awesome role where I am showing up as my best self every day.
If you need it, please take it
I respect the importance of mental health needs. However, it's important to consider that taking a sudden leave of absence may result in additional workload to cover your role or have a negative impact to results, in either case, you’ll never be trusted again. While I understand discrimination laws, in high-stakes executive leadership, the competition is intense, making it difficult to solely attribute not getting promoted to discrimination. Also, if results tank, leave or no leave, you get fired. Ultimately, it comes down to priorities. If you are confident in finding a similar opportunity elsewhere, it may be worth prioritizing your mental health, taking the leave, and seeing what happens. It's possible that everything will turn out fine. However, if you cannot afford to lose or replace your job, consider finding ways to develop your resilience.
You 100-% should take a leave… it’s no one’s business why you can call it medical leave and move on if they have problems or issues that’s their issue!!
not owe anyone an explanation of what the medical concern is and if they have a problem with it, that’s on them!
Can you just call it a sabbatical and attach some sort of research/learning label to it?
Ah, that makes sense.
Subject Expert
In a toxic workplace scenario, they are trying to get you to leave so they don’t pay severance. So, you’ll see a pink slip either way. But taking the mental health sabbatical will leave you in better spirits when that day comes.
If you are in a healthy environment, sometimes your whole team needs it. That is why you see some European cultures take a week or more in the summer and there is usually another between Christmas/new years. Healthy environments will treat it like a sabbatical and welcome you back on the other side.
Your brand will survive and probably will completely thrive when you are refreshed and know the tools to mitigate it in the future.
These days with everything going on in the world seems like everyone needs a mental health break at one point or another. I would definitely take the break despite what people have to say if you feel like you really need it. it would certainly be better than making yourself sick or becoming to the point where are you going to lash out someone from the stress. Even if you feel like you have to go out on leave for some other reason, or under some other circumstance, do it for yourself.
Mentor
Thejobdoctor on tik tok shares a really eye opening and personal story about this, the time you need.
I did not take official leave but I took a few days to recover from an issue where a medication I was taken rose to toxic levels in my body because when everything went telehealth at the start of COVID I was not properly monitored on a drug that requires frequent bloodwork. Right when things started to open back up I went through a nightmare and having known my boss for over a decade with stellar work regardless of what I was going through personally and mentally I felt I could share WHY I needed a few days off still. I had everything covered and there were zero problems opening back up but once my boss knew of my issue and that I needed those few days I was seen as weak. I’m still here unfortunately but my role and responsibilities have been greatly reduced. I was even specifically told I can not handle the workload I once did. All because of those few days. I do know that this is probably considered retaliation or discrimination being in a protected class since I notified him but with over a decade and a half here of my life invested, enormous care for my employees and a mortgage to pay I have not spoken up for myself. I wish I just told him I had covid or something. I wish I never disclosed something that I now feel is embarrassing and has weakened me.
Never regret taking time to tend to your well-being. The show still goes on with or without you. If things do change- hopefully, it's for the best and they have seen thier ill causing ways - how they might have taken you for granted during your absence and are now enlightened by how they undervalued you and underappreciated your skills...... If not - I highly recommend you consider taking an additional week off so you can update your resume and find an employer who values you being healthy. Hope this helps.