Related Posts
Chief
Visual Storyteller
On the wrist (hard to see clearly) — Longines Legends Diver? Thoughts?
Sidenote, if you’ve never seen this man play tennis before… Tremendous feet of human athletic ability. He uses a wheelchair and has won multiple medals in the Paralympics!
https://instagram.com/dylanalcott?utm_medium=copy_link
Bowl Leader
a High School Special Education Teacher
More Posts
Conversation Starter
Has anybody got Covid again in a month?
Can someone recommend a good dentist out here?
Monday Morning Motivation:
Hi all , please help in getting 11 likes! Thanks
Additional Posts in Big Law
Coach
Subject Expert
Burnout is faster career suicide. Take the leave.
Colleague of mine took leave. Didn’t specify why (to us, no idea what partners were told), was perfectly upbeat about it, made partner a couple years later. To this day I have no idea if it was burnout or just funemployment or what, and it’s not my business.
Subject Expert
Could you submit a different reason for the medical leave?
Enthusiast
Definitely reach out to HR and ask for information on your options. They’ll have a leave package available to explain your benefit options and what documentation is required. It’s significantly less than you’d think.
Enthusiast
I feel like you’re getting some really crappy advice here. I took leave during my divorce and it was fine. I’m still here and it’s been 4 years. I know of two partners that also took leave, one for burnout/anxiety issues and one for some serious mental health issues that came up during a major trial that he was the lead partner on. Neither told me what was happening at the time. They were both communicated as leave and more than anything, we hoped they were okay. I found out about the reasoning for their leave when I told them what was going on with me.
You don’t have to walk around and say “I’m taking leave because this job is destroying me.” You go to HR, get set up for leave, and say you’re taking leave to deal with medical issues.
Mentor
If it’s considered career suicide in your firm then I suggest you find a different firm.
It can be career suicide, yes, if your partners think you are supposed to work through mental health issues. But I'd suggest that you make a nonspecific request for medical leaf. Back it up with a letter from your doctor recommending medical leave (without being specific to mental health) if you need it.
Enthusiast
Agreed.
Honestly, do what you need to do. You can always get another job. But your mental and physical health is not so replaceable.
Enthusiast
It should not be viewed as a career suicide (and probably a smart choice to last longer in this profession) but I am a mere associate so I wouldn’t know… Maybe the current employer might remember this later when you’re up for partnership review, but it should at least not matter if you were to lateral to another place and rebuild your reputation.
Doubtful. If yes, only in the USA.
I took mental health leave and it has had no discernible impact on my current job. The leave was about a year ago. People go on leave for a variety of reasons and for the most part people do not remember it.
Not if you have a good relationship with your supervising partners/group leaders. If they were going to let you go anyway, they might not ask you back. I’ve seen it go both ways.
Mentor
My admittedly small sample size (anecdotal evidence from what I’ve seen) suggests yes, and that you’ll have to lateral to get a fair shake post medical leave.
Mentor
A5, I’m glad you’re at a firm where your medical leave did not negatively impact your career prospects. At the 2 biglaw firms I worked in, I witnessed the opposite.
Assuming that you’re at a big law firm because you’re in this bowl. (If you were at a small shop without a real HR department, you would have to talk directly to the partners about this, but big law allows you to use HR as a sort of buffer.)
The only folks who need to know the reason you’re taking leave are the HR folks making sure you can use whatever benefits you have for it. For everyone else, feel free to be as vague or detailed as you want depending on your relationship. The only things the partners *need* to know are (1) that you will be out on leave between X date and Y date; (2) if there are any work streams on your matters that will need attention during that time, (3) where the materials/work product are that relate to those matters, and (4) (in an ideal world) what other associate(s) on the team can pick up those work streams. Worst case, they can figure out (4) on their own, but it’s always appreciated when an associate finds coverage for a planned (versus emergency) leave.
Coach
Do it then lateral. I know several people who have don’t this with no consequences
I took leave for mental health, burnout and severe anxiety issues. Things aren’t perfect but I felt I’ve come back in the over 1+ years since performing much more strongly/and mentally in a much better place. Firm required a form signed by the doctor but didn’t need details and only those I work with closely and like are aware of why. Had no issues when coming back and feel like this has added 2-3+ years of tolerating biglaw or more whereas before I don’t think I would have lasted even 6 more months without the leave.