Everyone knows that if you have the flu, you should stay home from work to recover and not spread the infection to your colleagues and friends. It’s also clear that giving birth requires time off from work. But what about stress? Can you take a “stress leave” from work?
You can, and sometimes taking a stress leave is the right thing to do. In a 2021 Gallup survey, some 44% of employees experienced a lot of daily stress the day before.
You may not see your situation strictly as needing a “stress” leave, but you may see it as experiencing burnout, anxiety, or depression. You need to apply for a leave of absence for any of these reasons in a similar way. Here’s how you should approach making the request for a stress leave from work.
Key Takeaways
- You are eligible for FMLA if you’ve worked at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months and your employer has at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius of the workplace.
- Once your FMLA leave is approved, you should not do any work other than answering a quick email.
- You can take up to 12 workweeks of FMLA leave for stress; these days do not have to be taken off consecutively.
Determine Whether You Are Eligible for FMLA
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) applies to companies with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius of the workplace. For FMLA eligibility, you must have been employed by your company for at least a year and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months. If you meet these qualifications, it’s possible that you are eligible for legal protection for your stress leave.
Go to your Human Resources department and let them know you would like to take an FMLA-approved absence for stress leave. They will provide you with the necessary paperwork that you must take to your doctor. Just saying you are too stressed out to work is not sufficient—your doctor will need to recommend that you take a stress leave.
Note
When you speak with your doctor, it’s important that you speak honestly and not downplay your symptoms. She or he can’t make a fair evaluation if you keep saying, “It’s fine. Everything is fine. I’m just a little stressed.” Remember, stress can affect you physically as well as mentally.
WebMD says “Stress seems to worsen or increase the risk of conditions like obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma.” Stress is not something you should ignore.
Your doctor will fill out the paperwork. To qualify for the stress leave, you must be suffering from a serious medical condition. Not all stress causes an FMLA-eligible condition. But, if your doctor agrees that you are suffering from a severe condition and that you are unable to work during this time period, you will be eligible for protected leave.
Note
You have 15 days to return the FMLA paperwork, so make sure you get it back into HR. It’s also okay to send the paperwork in with a spouse or a friend if your condition prohibits you from going into the office.
What Does a Stress Leave Look Like?
This will depend on what your doctor instructs you to do. It’s vital that you follow her instructions and don’t just treat this as a vacation. Even though you won’t go into the office, you are not on vacation.
If your leave is approved under FMLA, then you cannot do any work during the time you are off of work. Other than answering a quick question, you should not check your work email, participate in phone calls or meetings, or do any work. You should focus on your health and alleviating the stress which caused you to take the stress leave.
Note
FMLA is unpaid leave from work. Depending on your company’s internal guidelines, they may require you to use your paid vacation and sick leave upfront so that you receive a paycheck while you are on stress leave. Some companies require you to do so, while others do not. You may also have short-term disability insurance that will cover at least a portion of your pay while you are on stress leave. Check with your HR benefits coordinator or your benefits provider.
Can You Take Intermittent FMLA for Stress Leave?
Yes, you can. If your doctor feels that a shortened workweek or other accommodation is vital to help you with your serious stress condition, intermittent FMLA is possible. FMLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 workweeks off per year, and you do not have to take the days off consecutively. FMLA leave may be taken in increments of weeks, days, or hours.
What If You Are Not Eligible?
If your company isn’t large enough, or you haven’t worked there long enough, or your doctor doesn’t consider your condition severe enough to leave work, you won’t have a protected leave of absence. This doesn’t mean that your company cannot approve a stress leave, it’s just that they don’t have to guarantee you a position when you return.
Certainly, do ask about taking time off as an unpaid personal leave of absence to get the rest and treatment you need. Many companies will offer you unpaid time off even without the FMLA time off. Your state or region may also have different requirements for employers so ask your HR department.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I take FMLA for anxiety?
Yes, you can use FMLA leave for anxiety issues. However, you will need to speak with your doctor about taking the leave—the law doesn’t protect you if you simply call out for anxiety issues.
How long can you take FMLA for stress?
You can take up to 12 workweeks of FMLA leave. These days do not have to be taken off consecutively.
Is stress covered under FMLA?
Stress is covered under FMLA, but you will have to speak with a doctor about taking time off work. You aren’t protected if you call out for stress without a medical recommendation.
Stress is inevitable, no matter how well you balance work and your personal life. Studies show that work can cause the highest amounts of stress in a person’s life — this stress can stem from an upcoming major deadline, disagreement with a co-worker, or riffs with a manager. Sometimes, the workplace environment itself can also pose a serious threat. But that’s where stress leave can help.
What is stress leave?
Stress leave is an extended period of time that an employee takes off work to deal with or recover from stress-related illnesses, injuries, and other predicaments. Laws regarding stress leave vary from country to country, but the US has a law called FMLA, or “family medical leave act,” which can “guarantee certain employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave each year with no threat of job loss.”
Stress leave is required when the situation is so serious it can’t be fixed by a few days break or short vacation. Some of the signs that may require stress leave include:
- Inability to perform your duties
- Stress levels affecting your ability to work effectively
- Work-related stress affecting your personal life or home
- Symptoms of depression or anxiety, as confirmed by your doctor
Why do employees apply for stress leave?
There are many reasons why employees apply for stress leave. And some are more common than others:
1. Too heavy of a workload
It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out when you have too many things to do. The pressure of maintaining good performance at work, and the inability to say no to a colleague or boss, is oftentimes a trigger for stress.
2. Lack of work-life balance
Emails, phone calls, and texts all disrupt the work-life balance. Checking emails from work first thing in the morning and before you sleep at night isn’t unusual, but are not helpful if you’re striving for a balanced, healthy life.
3. In-office issues
Office politics, gossiping, bullying, and harassment are just some of the many conflicts that exist in the workplace. Most of the time, our happiness at work depends on the people we are dealing with. If you constantly deal with toxic individuals, then chances go up that you’ll be increasingly stressed.
Steps on how to get a stress leave
Stress leave is a significant period of recovery and must be used carefully. Below are the steps you need to take in order to successfully file for a stress leave at work:
Step 1: Consult your doctor
Many employees procrastinate seeing their doctor. Don’t be one of them. Waiting until your stress escalates could affect your ability to recover. So, if you think you are experiencing symptoms that may require a stress leave, then go and book an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can.
During the consultation, be 100% honest about what you are feeling. This will help the doctor make the right diagnosis and recommendations for your recovery.
Step 2: Get your doctor’s note for stress leave
Many feel uneasy about asking their doctor for time off from work. Don’t be. Remember that your doctor is here to help you. They have the experience and training to deal with situations like this. Below are some key points to remember when talking to your doctor about stress leave:
- Be open about your symptoms
- Be upfront about your feelings. Don’t leave out any details.
- Listen to your doctor’s advice
- If needed, book follow-up appointments
- Explain your situation clearly and what you feel triggers your predicament
Step 3: Tell your employer
By this time, you should have a note from your doctor stating that you qualify for a stress leave at work. How will you tell your employer?
Many employees don’t feel comfortable explaining to their employers why they need some time off work. Remember that stress leave is a very common situation in the workplace. And chances are, it’s not your employer’s first time dealing with it. So, go ahead and speak directly with your HR team or manager and explain:
- Your stress levels are preventing you to work effectively.
- A doctor has given his recommendation for sick leave.
- Key details about your condition (you don’t have to explain everything).
Many employees find it easier to speak with a close friend or family member first before speaking to their manager. We actually recommend this, as it will help you verbalize what you are feeling.
Don’t feel intimidated when talking to your manager face to face. Remember that your wellbeing is much more important than work. After explaining your situation, discuss with your employer the amount of time you need for time off and the sick leave note from your doctor.
A lot of employees worry about the impact of stress leave on their job. But remember that legally, employers are obligated to care for your wellbeing in the workplace. Even more, good managers should see the value in you taking time to recover and focus on your health. After all, you cannot be an effective, engaged employee if you aren’t taking care of yourself personally first.
Laws about stress leave vary from country to country. To minimize the impact of sick leave on your job security, consider these:
- Communication with your employer to help manage their expectations.
- Always be clear and upfront in your communications
Step 4: Focus on your recovery
Now that your stress leave is approved, it’s time to talk about recovery so you can get back to health in no time. Below are some of our tips:
- Switch off from work – answering work emails and phone call whilst on sick leave is not advised. Remember that this is a period of recovery, so keep your work-related communications to a minimum (preferably to occasional updates about your condition to your boss). You can relax by streaming movies or videos on Netflix, Kodi, or another entertainment platform. To ensure your network is protected, learn how to setup VPN for Kodi.
- Address the root cause of your burnout – is it the lack of sleep? The absence of entertainment? Whatever your problem is, it is best to identify the root cause of your burnout and then resolving them. Remember, burnout in the workplace doesn’t get better on its own.
- Take care of your body – stress can affect you physically. While you are on stress leave, take good care of your body. Exercise lightly, eat balanced meals, drink lots of fluid and eat nutritious foods.
- Be patient – if recovering from severe stress, you might feel that you’re never going to live a normal life again. But just be patient. You will eventually recover, but there is no guarantee as to when. Keep in touch with your doctor and keep an open line of communication with your close family and friends.
Step 5: Returning to work
Returning to work after a stress leave can be an overwhelming experience. When returning to work, we advise a “phased return.” It’s easier to ease back into things, and start working a few hours a week, then move on to a few half days. Monitor what you are feeling and make adjustments as necessary. Work closely with your doctor and employer during this period of transition.
As you’re getting back into the swing of things, you can also try working remotely for a few days a week, which will be easy with a project management tool like Hive. Hive will allow you to communicate and collaborate with your colleagues from the comfort of your own home as you ease your way back into working.
How about dealing with your colleagues? Getting questions about why you took stress leave from your co-workers is inevitable. You are not obliged to explain everything in detail to them. You know who you work with, so we’ll leave your response up to you.
Step 6: Managing stress at work
Again, stress at work is inevitable. Because prevention is better than curing it after the fact, we’ll talk about how you can minimize the amount of stress you feel at work:
- Talk to your manager about how to improve your work situation.
- Ask your employer to reduce your current workload by temporarily reallocating tasks you find stressful, switching to a less demanding position, or reducing your work hours.
- Changing your lifestyle — exercising, meditating, improving your diet, reducing the time you spend with electronic devices, avoiding toxic relationships, etc.
- Working from home — As we previously mentioned, working from home can be a great way to mediate work stress by helping regulate your environment. Remote work tools like Hive enable successful WFH experiences and allow you to stay connected with your coworkers, even if you’re not sitting beside them in an office.
- Acknowledge that you will have rough days. Not everything will go according to plan. Just take a step back, relax, and accept things as they are.
If your condition doesn’t seem to improve, it’s probably best to look for a new employer.
The Role of HR Software in Requesting Stress Leave at Work
HR Software, like CakeHR, is designed to make time-off requests easier for you. Without the hassle or spreadsheets and paper forms, you can use HR software to apply for leave on the web, CakeHR’s mobile app, and even from Slack! This self-service feature also enables your HR team or manager to approve your request in real-time without dealing with piles of paperwork.
Conclusion
Love yourself first. Remember that at the end of the day, it’s your wellbeing that matters first — not your work. Stress leave is crucial recovery period designed to help you maintain your health. If you feel you a need for a stress leave, don’t forget these steps:
- Consult your doctor
- Get your doctor’s note for stress leave
- Tell your employer
- Focus on your recovery
- Return to work gradually
- Manage stress at work more effectively
- Use an HR Software to ease out your leave stress application process
- Use a project management software to enable WFH when necessary
This article was written as part of Hive’s Mental Health Week initiative to celebrate World Mental Health Day. Hive hosted a panel all about mental health at work, and these complementary articles touch on different topics in an effort to open and improve dialogue around mental health.
This post was written by rCake HR, an HR company with an easy-to-use tool for keeping track of your businesses challenges. This piece is written by Lenmark Anthony Baltazar, a chemist-writer hybrid who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship and HR whenever he is not tinkering with chemicals in the lab. Today, he is part of the content management team at HR software company CakeHR.
