Yes, you absolutely can take sick leave for anxiety and depression, as mental health conditions are valid reasons for time off, just like physical illnesses, and many countries protect this right under employment laws. You can use your standard sick days or paid time off (PTO) for mental health, often requiring a doctor's note (fit note) for extended periods, and employers are generally required to make reasonable accommodations for disabilities, including mental health conditions, notes nhs.uk and Mental Health First Aid Australia.
If your mental health means you aren't able to work or it is making it too hard for you to work full time, you might be able to get benefits to top up your income. Universal Credit is a benefit for anyone with low or no income.
Taking a few moments a day away from your work area may help with mood and give you fresh focus. If you need a “time out” and have the chance to walk away for a few minutes, then do it. Practice self-care: If you're working depressed, it takes a lot of energy to think about how to be good to yourself.
If you are an employee, and your mental health makes you too ill to work (for example, you experience an extended period of mania, making you unable to work), you will be entitled to statutory sick pay. You are not entitled to any extra sick pay for a mental health condition, even if caused by work-related stress.
So how long can you be signed off with depression? For as long as you need to get better. Some employees may need to take time off for treatment while others could just require a couple of days away from work. It's possible to return to work before a fit note runs out.
Under the FMLA, you may use available leave when you are unable to work, including being unable to perform any one of the essential functions of your position, due to a serious health condition, or when you are receiving treatment for that condition.
If stress becomes unmanageable, one can seek a doctor's note to allow for sick leave and should openly discuss their situation with their manager or HR representative to make arrangements for it.
If a worker has poor mental health, it's important their employer takes it seriously and with the same care as a physical illness. There are many types of mental health conditions, for example: depression. anxiety.
Five key signs of work-related stress include physical symptoms (headaches, fatigue, sleep issues), emotional changes (irritability, anxiety, mood swings), cognitive difficulties (trouble focusing, poor decision-making), behavioral shifts (withdrawal, increased substance use), and performance decline (lower output, errors, procrastination). These signs often manifest as a persistent feeling of being overwhelmed, leading to physical tension, mental fog, and strained relationships at work and home.
Contact your GP or a mental health doctor
During these sessions, you work with a therapist to understand the causes and triggers of your anxiety. You then learn and practise coping techniques to help you better manage triggers and symptoms going forward.
As a result, you might:
Major depressive disorder causes significant biological changes, including altered hormone levels, sleep cycles, and brain structure. These changes can stifle your energy levels, affect your ability to focus, make you lose your appetite, and cause you to sleep more or less than usual.
No, you can't be given the can for being off sick with depression, or any other mental health issue. Terminating an employee with mental health issues is illegal in the UK unless there is a valid reason. And this has to be a reason that you would fire any other employee for.
You can only be given medication after an initial 3-month period in either of the following situations: You consent to taking the medication. A SOAD confirms that you lack capacity. You haven't given consent, but a SOAD confirms that this treatment is appropriate to be given.
You can generally get disability for anxiety if your condition leaves you completely unable to work or unable to go through daily life on your own. However, the SSA has very strict criteria for who can get benefits because of anxiety or other mental health conditions.
Teas for stress and anxiety relief
What are the signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder?
Stage 3: Severe stress and anxiety level
Behavior typically becomes boisterous or disruptive. Communication may include shouting, swearing, argumentation, and threats. Physical indications include pacing, clenched fists, perspiring, and rapid shallow breathing.
Five common warning signs of anxiety include excessive worry or feeling on edge, physical symptoms like a racing heart or shortness of breath, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, and irritability or restlessness, often accompanied by an urge to avoid anxiety triggers. These signs can impact daily functioning, leading to fatigue, stomach issues, or trouble relaxing.
Feeling nervous, restless or tense. Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom. Having an increased heart rate. Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation).
Calling in sick can induce anxiety for workers who wonder when to call, what to say and how to say it. They may question whether they are truly sick enough to take the day off or worry that missing work will reflect poorly on them.
Need a sick note after seven continuous days of illness? Please contact the GP surgery as you normally would for a routine appointment as it may be necessary to arrange to discuss your request with a GP.
If you're signed off due to stress, you might be eligible for: Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): £116.75 per week (as of 2025) for up to 28 weeks. Company Sick Pay: Some employers offer enhanced sick pay based on your contract.
Taking Time Off from Work Due to Depression
Employees diagnosed with major depression are permitted to take time off work to get treatment and recover from depression. In addition to being protected by the ADA, employees are also protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).