“Society teaches us that, having feelings and crying is bad and wrong. Well, that's baloney, because grief isn't wrong. There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown.”
Well, there may not be such a thing as “good grief,” but grief and family issues do have an impact on employees in the workplace.
Just like calling in sick with the flu, many employees use unplanned absences for mental health days, according to a recent survey by ComPsych.
What exactly is a mental health day? When “you have no physical ailment but you know you can’t focus on the job” and need a day to re-energize, according to David Campbell, senior VP of quality and customers at ComPsych.
Generally, mental health days are unplanned and in response to a crisis at home or to prevent burnout at work.
Campbell advises employers to create a culture where it’s acceptable and encouraged to take vacations and unplug from work. Employees with too many vacation days saved up should raise a red flag and that the employee may not be taking needed time off.
“If you take regularly scheduled time off … it’s going to keep you sharp all the time,” Campbell said. “Take more than a day [at a time]; take those vacations on a routine, regular basis.”
Remember that having a healthy workplace environment includes mental health. Not all workplaces are the same, and you should implement policies and practices regarding mental health days that fit your situation.
What is your opinion on mental health days? Do you think it’s a legitimate excuse to take time off work, or just baloney?
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