Mental Health Days

[frugalone]

I was just reading the "case of the blahs" thread and I can definitely identify with it!

I feel just crappy today. I am tired of telling my spouse (and everyone else) every day, "I'm just so tired." I suppose that part of it could be menopause, and part of it diabetes, and another part being in graduate school.

I'm thinking of taking a mental health day tomorrow. Or the next day. Or both. Yesterday, we had to make a difficult decision and put one of our beloved fur babies to sleep. Two weeks ago, my husband was taken to the hospital in an ambulance (he is OK now, thankfully) and he still isn't up to 100% yet. There are two weeks to go in the semester at school, and I am exhausted at the thought of writing two 10-page papers to finish up (they aren't research papers; one is fiction and the other nonfiction). So I'm thinking of taking a mental health day.

Trouble is, I never know what to say on the phone. I have a bad headache? I "just don't feel well" (i.e. it's really none of their business why?). I'm hoping one day will be enough. I don't expect it to cure anything, of course. Also, is it really dishonest?

What do you think?

[ApatheticNoMore]

If you felt too bad about it maybe you could take a vacation day. The thing is some companies will allow a vacation day with little notice even that day and some will be like: you must give 2 weeks and preferably a month notice to take a single day off, which kind of limits the options shall we say.

[goldensmom]

I had a supervisor who understood 'mental health days' so we would just call and say we are taking an mental health day. My employer at that time required a reason on the sick leave slip we filled out when we returned to work. There were a lot of 'headaches', some would simply say 'none of your business' or more crudely describe their ailment. Eventually the reason line was deleted. I'm not feeling well is fine and not dishonest because you really aren't feeling well and need a mental health day. I always wanted to say 'I have 'I' problems today..... 'I' don't want to go to work'.

[frugalone]

Can't do a vacation day on such short notice.

We don't really have to give a reason. I just always wonder if it seems more legit if you do.

[pinkytoe]

I need one too. I rarely call in sick but if I do, I keep it vague so that I don't feel deceptive.
I'm not feeling well this morning etc...because it's the truth.
I also tell myself that a few weeks from now no one will even remember that I called in sick.

[herbgeek]

My company doesn't call it "sick time", its called personal business allowance, and its to be used for sick days, kid sick days, personal appointments, waiting for the cable company to show up. etc etc. So people just say "I'm taking PBA today", mostly without an explanation. When I started, my boss said, "its your time, and I expect you to take every day of it ". A most enlightened attitude, imo, and definitely something the company gets right. We get 2 weeks of that, and 2 weeks of vacation, unless you're a manager where you get more.

Having said that, I rarely am sick, and am rather old school and try not to leave my co-workers in a jam with an unplanned day off. So most of my "sick" time is planned well in advance.

[KayLR]

I take mental health days because my job can be a soul-suck. When I do, I just say I'm not feeling well. I take sick days so rarely (I've been maxxed out on accrual for almost a year) that no one bugs me about it or questions it.

[Zoe Girl]

sounds like enough to make you tired. I am planning a day off after I get done with this jury trial.

[Tussiemussies]

You have been through so much...putting your beloved pet down and having your husband sick enough to go in an ambulance is so much stress, I can totally understand why you are so tired and need to relax your body and mind. School will be over soon. Just take a lot of Vit C right now with zinc and the herb Echinacea which should help your immune system. As much as you might want to grab some junk food don't have any size is a stressor on the body. Or soda, especially diet soda but any soda is toxic. This should help you stay healthy as . You go through the last weeks. Also you may want to take some American ginsing, only the American, it may boost your energy. Sleep as much much as you can. You have had some big stressors and the best thing right now is to support your immune system...best wishes.

[Tradd]

I've had coworkers who seem to take mental health days just when we are the busiest and other people are off as well. Which means the rest of us are really left in a jam. Please consider how you taking the day affects your coworkers.

[Miss Cellane]

Most managers don't want to hear the gory details of why you aren't coming in. A simple, "I'm not feeling very well today and I'm staying home," should be enough.

But I've had employees who called at 5:30 in the morning to leave a message on my voice mail that they were sick and not coming in. I never called them back to get details. Is that an option for you?

[Blackdog Lin]

I wish my job of 32 years had had that option. I agree it sometimes seems necessary, but.....


Please consider how you taking the day affects your coworkers.

I had occasions during those years (not many, but some), where I went to work, or stayed at work, puking. Because not being there and getting the work done just wasn't an option.

What Tradd said.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Well if your coming into work puking (or even just sniffling or sneezing or coughing) can I just speak for everyone who has ever worked in sick central and say: YOUR COWORKERS WOULD RATHER YOU STAY HOME!!!!! But that's not a mental health day of course.

[Tradd]

Please note that I'm not referring to calling in sick when you really are sick, but the "Oh, I think I need a break today" but not considering what else is going on in your department/area that particular day.

The person in my department who resigned at the end of August had a particular talent for calling in "sick" on the first day when someone was off for a week's vacation. It happened repeatedly. I just returned to work today after a day's vacation. Another coworker is abroad for three weeks, dealing with the aftermath of a relative's death overseas. I was off beginning Wednesday, coworker was off beginning Friday. I can guarantee that the recently-left coworker would have taken Friday off. It was as if she planned it for maximum effect.

[iris lilies]

I stopped accumulating sick time at work decades ago, having reached the ceiling. I seldom get sick.

I assume that employees who report to me will use all of the sick days they are awarded. That's just a safe assumption reflecting today's values expressed here about mental health days. Note that I will reserve comment on that notion.

And when some of them do not use all of their sick leave, it's great. But with the 100% sick leave use pattern comes erratic use of other leave. They start wanting to take "vacation" days with no notice because they've run out of sick leave (doh!) That's when we start documenting their attendance, docking pay, and moving them toward termination.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I've never worked anywhere where sick time has accumulated after that year. If not used in the year it's gone. Vacation time accumulates not sick time.

[Float On]

I only work part-time 20 hours a week but I do get 2 weeks vacation, 24 hours of sick time, and 7 or 9 holidays, plus I can bank extra hours I work (usually I end up with 1-4 hours a week extra during the school year) and I can transfer everything to the next year or borrow from the next year. That came in really handy when I was home on bedrest for 6 weeks. I never missed a paycheck. I only wish there were a retirement plan or health insurance available through my work but otherwise it's a good deal.

[Float On]

I meant to add in that I am also given a personal development day every month....but I've never taken it.

[rosarugosa]

My company has a Flexible Time Off policy. We accrue days that are used for vacation/sick/whatever; it's all part of the same time bank. I almost never take an unplanned day and I would not do so without a good reason. I'm fortunate to earn a lot of time off due to tenure in job (I get 7 weeks plus 3 personal holidays). So I pre-schedule what could perhaps be considered "mental health days." I schedule a long weekend for myself at least every third week.

[Miss Cellane]

I've never worked anywhere where sick time has accumulated after that year. If not used in the year it's gone. Vacation time accumulates not sick time.

One place I worked let you accumulate sick days. But we had only three sick days a year. If you didn't use them, you could let them roll over to the next year. I think they topped off at 10 sick days--after that it was use it or lose it. That was done to give an incentive to people not to use the sick days for every little thing they came down with.

At the same job, if you didn't use your vacation days, they paid them out at the end of the year. So if you took no time off whatsoever, you'd have more sick days the following year and one or two weeks extra pay at the end of the year. You'd also be a bit burned out, but it was your choice.

[pinkytoe]

I now have something like 450 sick days accrued which I can use to "buy" service credit when I retire. We can also donate any amount of our sick hours to someone else who needs them during a catastrophic illness. I would never call in sick if I felt it would be a burden to other staff. The funny thing is that most of my supervisors are never here more than 10-12 hours a week. With the advent of email and texting, it seems that higher level stuff can justify their absence by being "available". I have heard some elaborate excuses from one in particular but I'm on to her game.

[Gardenarian]

Hi frugalone,

I'm so sorry to hear about your pet - and your dh's illness as well.
When I need a day off, I will just usually email my boss that I'm not feeling well and will not be in - no questions asked. I do try to give as much notice as I can, though of course when you have the flu or something that's not usually possible.

You might want to try changing something in your schedule, like making it a point to go for a short walk after work, or doing something different during your breaks at work. For me, a little change can help me get new perspective on things.