Mental Health Days: Necessary or Easily Misused?

I know there was a time when people saw workers taking a day off as lazy workers, especially when they didn't see them physically ill; taking a day off was assumed to be laziness, but I'm glad that things have changed over the years.

Most firms now, including some private firms, give their staff work leave annually. Even today, sick leave has become obtainable because we find it necessary. But then, what about when a worker is mentally down yet he or she is not physically ill for a fellow worker to even detect, yet the person is slowly dying and gradually becoming unproductive?

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You know, from my experience doing my 9-to-5 job those years, being mentally exhausted can be far worse than physical sickness that everyone can see. It's bad because no one sees that yet; you are totally drained inside of you, with no motivation to do your normal work, no focus, and you get pissed off by any little thing around you, yet no one sees your struggle. I think this is why people discuss mental health leave at workplaces nowadays, and yeah, there is some sense in this idea, but my fear is the possible misuse of it.

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Surviving the struggles of life is quite demanding. Lots of responsibilities to deal with each day, coupled with pressure here and there. You will find out that sometimes, the workload in your office isn't even the thing breaking you down, but a lot outside your work environment.

One of those days during my 9-5 job, I remembered being so overwhelmed at a point with things happening around me, yet I managed to report to the office daily to avoid a query, but deep down, I knew I wasn't giving my best, like, before. Obviously, my body was in the office, but my mind was far away from there.

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Imagine having a few days of leave to take care of my mind; I may have returned refreshed and more productive. However, there is also a concern in this idea, and that's the fear of abusing the system. It won't be long and people will take leave for vacation or a wedding or a party, or whatever, that's humans for you.

Yeah, it's hard to get everyone to be honest about this initiative, so it becomes difficult to implement without it affecting the company. But looking at it closely, anyone genuinely having mental health issues deserves good attention and care if we must protect the productivity level of that organization and protect the interest of the said worker as well.

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Maybe organizations may consider flexible working arrangements or employ professionals who will always supervise the workers and detect when anyone needs mental health days off so the person affected at the moment can go off and return back better and more productive.

Overall, when the mind is healthy, everyone benefits.

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Finally, I will throw the question back to you: Do you think every workplace should offer mental health days to their employees?

Image is mine !