Mental health is just as important as physical health, so you have a right to take time off if you're unwell. What makes the conversation with your manager even easier is you don't need to provide details as to why you're taking the leave.
Calling in sick for mental health reasons is perfectly valid. A sick day can give you time to practice self-care, allowing you to return to your day-to-day life feeling calmer and refreshed. Not all employers may see it this way as stigma against mental illness is still rife.
Although stress is a mental condition, it's legally treated the same as physical illness and if you're feeling unwell or unable to cope owing to stress, you can approach your GP and seek time off work to help you recover.
If you're feeling constantly crabby, irritable, and not feeling like yourself, it's probably time for a mental health day. If you have anxiety or depression, you may feel overly anxious or more down than usual. There's no need to push through the pain and suffering.
In other words, it should be okay to take days off when you need them. You need to if you're going to bring your best self to work each day. And if you're taking off for that reason, that it's not so much a lie as it is a different kind of sick day.
The average number of paid sick days is as follows: 8 days per year for full-time workers. 6 days per year for part-time workers. 8 days per year for workers who received a fixed number of paid sick days after 1 year of service.
Full-time employees are given an average of 7 days of sick leave. Part-time employees get an average of 6 sick days per year.
Using a personal or vacation day for mental health or self-care is generally accepted. Some employers may also consider sick days appropriate to use for emotional wellness. They might compare feeling depressed or highly anxious to having a headache or stomach problem. Other employers may be more strict.
“Recently I've been having a hard time with my [condition] and am going to take a sick day today to try and rest up. I'll be back tomorrow.” “I'm feeling burnt out, and am planning to take a sick day today to take care of my mental health. I'll be back in the office tomorrow, thank you for understanding.”
Call in sick.
You can say, "I'd like to use my remaining sick day this month," and not specify why you're using it. Or you can say, "I am not feeling well today and I need to take the day off," without adding anything further. In this case, your mental health day is taken as a sick day.
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can be used for mental health leave like any other medical leave you might need to take for yourself or your family. Whether you yourself are eligible to apply for FMLA and use it depends upon whether you meet the FMLA requirements. It also depends on the size of your employer.
Anytime you need to call out you should give your supervisor as much notice as possible before your shift begins, when possible you should contact your employer at least 2 hours before your shift so that they can plan and prepare for your absence.
The next time you wake up ill, the best practice is to call in immediately and request a sick day. It is up to you whether you choose to disclose brief details upfront. If your employer asks, you should provide general details, unless your illness is protected by the ADA.
If you're experiencing chronic insomnia and you repeatedly feel unable to work because of sleepiness then it's perfectly justifiable to take sick leave. Your employer may expect you to be actively seeking treatment for you sleep problems or for the medical conditions that may be disturbing you sleep.
Simply saying you have to deal with a personal matter should do the trick. However, if you're comfortable telling your supervisor or HR department why you're taking the day off, you can! It helps to plan what you would like to say to your supervisor beforehand, so you are clear about what you're asking.
In short, you could require an employee to provide evidence of why they took a sick day. However, you shouldn't press the employee for the specifics of their mental health. Some employers may ask for a medical certificate to prove that you took the day off work for legitimate reasons.
When should someone take time off work for mental health? Someone should take a mental health leave from work when they feel overwhelmed due to stress and feel that they can't function properly. The time off can be used to take a breather and focus on self-care, while getting away from the source of the stress.
Anxiety Can Cause Feelings of Illness
Feeling sick may be a sign that you've fallen ill, but it can also be a sign of anxiety. While feeling sick may be the only physical symptom of anxiety, there are often others including breathlessness, dizziness and fatigue.
If you have an unexpected illness and have to give short notice that you won't be in, be sure to text your boss immediately and do your best to provide a solution to your absence. If you are a salaried employee with no major deadlines, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.
It's important to clearly tell your employer that you're taking sick time and for how long so they know how to meet your usual responsibilities and when they might expect you to return. If you've taken a day off already and now want to ask for more time, you may follow up on your first message to ask for an extension.
Traditional sickness explanations
Men, the theory goes, are more likely to go into work when they are sick – whether or not that may be a good idea. The second is that women tend to be the main carer for children or elderly relatives, and are therefore more likely to take sick days to deal with emergencies.
It's better to simply say you won't be in and leave it at that. It is good form to explain why you won't be coming in, but you don't necessarily have to share any specifics of your illness. Providing lengthy explanations as to why you can't come to work also might give the impression you are exaggerating or lying.