Yes, I strongly believe that having a mental health day can work. Sick leave centers on the physical well being, and not primarily on the mental health of employees. Mental health is part of our overall health as humans, mental illnesses leads to depression, anxiety, burnout, severe stress and many other kind of discomforts that can lead to lack of concentration at our work places, zero productivity, affects how we relate with others and triggers many other nonchalant attitudes, just like the physical illness , our mental health affects us in many ways that aren't always visible like physical illness.
And it's really sad that most people keep working even when they feel mentally drained, regardless of the struggles they pull through, and that's why mistakes and reduced productivity happen in our workplace more often than expected. A person could be physically healthy, but mentally unstable and a day off work like mental health days will help employees recover and relax, before issues escalate into more serious and dangerous mental challenges.
Our understanding of health should evolve, we should look and consider the well being of employees beyond the physical appearance, but also their mental well being . The effects of mental health can cause more harm. It's also an occupational hazard because it's destructive to be mentally ill. Our workplaces should offer a dedicated mental health day, apart from the traditional sick day leave.
Unlike physical health conditions, the emotional health conditions don't show physical signs. Employees who suffer depression, burnout, stress, anxiety, do not show visible physical signs and symptoms. There might be symptoms with conversation and attitude towards work, but management most times see these as negligence at work places.
Giving employees leaves to feel relieved will help you seek support and help.
A workplace that considers and acknowledges the mental health of their staff values their staff, and that's a safe place to work as an employee. Valuing the mental health of staff is healthy in many ways and even ensure a progressive and safe work place.
This can be very beneficial to many employees, because it builds their morale and increases productivity at work places .
One thing that's certain amongst humans is abuse. People tend to abuse privileges at work places. I believe if employers decide to give a permit for mental health leave, employers will see it as an opportunity to skip work. People do this all the time with physical health leave, so the possibility of giving mental health leave isn't very high. The chance will be abused to the point that everyone will become a victim of mental illness just to have an opportunity to take a paid day off. This is the reason most employers don't make work so flexible for employees.
If employers should implement mental health leaves, it should be done with proper investigation by the employee, and they should also recognize when it's becoming a pattern, when there are suspicious absences from a particular staff member. A longer period of leave might require some medical reports or evidence before it's granted.
Also, employees should have professional who will look into the employer's mental well being and recognize the signs of mental illness in staff.
It's also important to note that giving mental health leave isn't the final solution to mental illness in our work places. Most times, our workplace are the major causes of these mental illnesses. A workplace with an unrealistic workload with no regard for work life balance could cause serious mental illnesses for staff. Creating a healthy and convenient workplace for employers should be a priority.
I believe that with mutual trust and a positive workplace culture, the implementation of mental health days will work. Just like we encourage the physical well being of staff, we should also encourage the mental wellness of those who work for our organizations. Creating a healthy and more productive workplace for employers should be a top priority.
