Why some workers are afraid to take time off for mental health reasons

With the Covid-19 epidemic, the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine, many factors have increased anxiety in the workplace. So much so that mental health has become a priority for human resources managers. But it remains a taboo subject for many employees.

The mental health app Wysa surveyed more than 1 000 US employees to get a snapshot of their state of mind after two years of the pandemic. It found that most of them show symptoms of psychological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, stress or even burnout. 

This phenomenon is particularly widespread among younger generations, as revealed by the Wysa survey, seen by Fast Company. For example, 47% of Generation Z workers say they suffer from anxiety issues. This unhappiness has consequences on their professional life: only 18% of the 25–34-year-olds surveyed say they are not too stressed by their work. This figure rises to 41% for their colleagues aged over 55 (the famous Boomers). 

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While companies are becoming more and more aware of flagging morale among their employees, they are faced with a major problem in dealing with it. Psychological disorders are still misunderstood and even taboo. People who are mentally ill are often afraid and ashamed to talk about it, especially with their colleagues or supervisors. Four in ten American employees say that their management does not know that they suffer from anxiety. Almost as many hide their depression from their employer (38%). 

This silence prevents them from taking time for themselves, which reinforces their initial psychological suffering. Only 14.4% of Americans surveyed play it straight with their managers when they need to take time off to take care of their mental health. In comparison, 25.6% of them take time off work claiming to be suffering from an everyday ailment (cold, flu, sore throat, stomach bug, etc.), rather than a mental health issue; and 31.6% continue to work regardless.

It is a vicious circle that needs to be broken urgently, since the World Health Organisation estimates that depression will be the leading cause of disease burden globally by 2030. Faced with the scale of the situation, some companies are offering their employees days off to prioritize their well-being. 

For Ramakant Vempati, co-founder of Wysa, these initiatives will not have the desired effect unless mental health issues become less taboo in the workplace. “As it stands, too many people feel compelled to lie about taking time off when their mental health is affecting their ability to work,” he told The Fast Company. “Even those suffering symptoms of moderate anxiety or depression don’t feel comfortable letting their managers know. We can’t let this continue to be the elephant in the room, it’s time to start talking about it.”

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