"Mental Health Day"?

[AKL_Megs]

Do you use your sick time for them?

I've never "officially" taken a mental health day, but over the past four days, I have worked 50 hours on a total of 20 hours sleep. I am also scheduled to work another 14 hours tomorrow! I am thinking of calling in tomorrow, but feel guilty.

I don't know why I feel so guilty... I am so tired, I can barely type this!

 

[Daisybelle]

If it helps at all, I'm a manager over a couple departments at a medical facility, I would much rather an employee take a 'mental health day' if they were truly worn out, then become an unhappy employee. One day of rest might help you to be a more valuable employee. But that is as it applies to my world. I of course don't know what you do.

 

[Rora]

Take tomorrow off!!!!


I'm a huge supporter of mental health days-especially for students-can't learn if you're too exhausted. The same thing applies to adults and their jobs!

Call off and get some rest!

 

[DMickey28]

I don't remember what you do for work but I am a HUGE supporter of Mental Health Days!

 

[TinklednPants]

Health is health. Take the day.

 

[Micca]

DW and I were just talking about this the other day. Neither of us has ever worked at a place that had "mental health days". We only have "sick days". If you don't feel like coming to work, you take a sick day. It might be mental, it might be physical. Why differentiate?

 

[lovesmurfs]

I'm another one who feels guilty when I do that! I will usually start complaining of aches/illness the afternoon before I decide to take off (I haven't done it for my current job, yet) to make it more "believable". Probably doesn't make a bit of difference, but it assuages my guilt some....

Take the time.

 

[Pigeon]

Nope. Sick days are for when I'm sick or my kids are sick.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I'm another one who feels guilty when I do that! I will usually start complaining of aches/illness the afternoon before I decide to take off (I haven't done it for my current job, yet) to make it more "believable". Probably doesn't make a bit of difference, but it assuages my guilt some....

Take the time.

I used to do this too! It would start as a "headache" and turn to a "stomach thing" around lunch before it turned finally into a full blown out "stomach bug".

 

[Thumper_Man]

I'm all for mental health days. I would take one. Especially before you really get sick. Body needs its rest. No need to feel guilty for the rest your body needs.

 

[DebbieB]

My company doesn't have "sick days". It's Paid Time Off (PTO), same as vacation days. After 5 days in one occurrence, it goes to short term disability (with medical documentation).

 

[~disneydiva~]

Totally believe in mental health days....if you're exhausted you're not going to get much accomplished.

 

[ohiomom28]

DW and I were just talking about this the other day. Neither of us has ever worked at a place that had "mental health days". We only have "sick days". If you don't feel like coming to work, you take a sick day. It might be mental, it might be physical. Why differentiate?

I don't think any business actually has "mental health days", its just what some people call them when they want to take a day off...

 

[hiwaygal]

Do you use your sick time for them?

Yes.


And the fact that you feel 'guilty' shows that you certainly aren't the type of person who abuses that kind of benefit.

 

[Metsfan520]

I don't think any business actually has "mental health days", its just what some people call them when they want to take a day off...

and they don't want the third degree when they do. It used to be that way for me, my boss would want to know why I was asking for the day off. (it was when the economy was good, and she was afraid of losing people to new jobs). I usually would take the day off so I could watch my niece if my parents couldn't. When I mentioned that once, she was kind of annoying--asking me why my sister couldn't just pay a babysitter instead of me taking the day off. So I started calling in sick when she needed me for a day. Much easier to leave a message on the voice mail at 5 AM then to deal with the questions.

 

[mrs_hower726]

I totally believe in mental health days, especially when you're overworked/overstressed.

OP: Where are you working that you have those insane hours?

 

[supercarrie]

Yes, I would take it. My company quietly encourages these when necessary. You just call in sick as normal, or more often "work from home" and only deal with immediate needs, allowing yourself 3/4 of a day off or so.

I work for a management consultancy and our teams routinely work 60-70 hour weeks as a bare minimum, more often far longer than that. I know of no project team at the moment which is only working 5 days a week; even I end up working several hours every weekend and I am their in-house recruiter.

So occasionally, everyone needs a break for their own health.

 

[shellybaxter]

I believe it mental health days when mental health is at risk. People who suffer from mental illness (depression, anxiety, post partum, etc) need "sick" days like everyone else. If I'm not "sick", mentally or physically, then I ask for a day off from my vacation time. Vacation time is requested and can be disapproved but I would rather be unfront.

As a middle supervisor (I supervise and I have a boss) I understand how hard it is on the organization and the other employees when people are out so I try not to be a burden. And I HATE when people are "sneaky" and leave call in messages on the phone at 5 in the morning. Those are the people that I look to let go when we need to downsize.

 

[Judy from Boise]

Our employees have PTO that they can "spend" however the want, no questions asked. On the other hand we have an "unscheduled absence" policy that we strictly enforce. Call in more than 7 times in a year for unscheduled time off, and it is a terminable offense. So, we would much rather someone schedule a day off for whatever reason, than not show up when we were counting on you.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I'm on intermittent FMLA for depression, so all my sick days are mental health days. Just wish the powers that be were more understanding. They don't really see depression as anything other than laziness, or having the blues. It's still such a stigma. So frustrating.