Mental health conversations at work have come a long way — but for many organizations, the change is still only surface deep. A line in the policy document, a one-time awareness webinar, or the occasional hashtag isn’t enough. Employees don’t just need acknowledgment. They need action — especially when it comes to leave.
For a company that genuinely supports mental health, leave policies must be reimagined. It starts with making mental health days a real, no-questions-asked option. Just like we don’t question a sick day due to a fever, we shouldn’t demand justification for a burnout day. Mental health is health — full stop.
Employees should feel safe taking time off to reset, breathe, or seek help — without fearing judgment or risking performance reviews. That safety can only come from a culture where managers lead by example, HR backs up the policy with empathy, and peers don’t make casual remarks that undermine it.
Beyond the policy itself, how it’s implemented matters. Is the leave approval process simple? Are there follow-up check-ins to support returning employees? Is mental health support embedded in the performance management cycle?
When leave policies are shaped with genuine care — not just optics — they become tools for retention, trust, and long-term productivity. Because a rested mind is a resource. And supporting your employees through their tough days is how you earn their best on the good ones.
So if you want to support mental health at work, start with your leave policy — not your Instagram post.
Mental health conversations at work have come a long way — but for many organizations, the change is still only surface deep. A line in the policy document, a one-time awareness webinar, or the occasional hashtag isn’t enough. Employees don’t just need acknowledgment. They need action — especially when it comes to leave.
For a company that genuinely supports mental health, leave policies must be reimagined. It starts with making mental health days a real, no-questions-asked option. Just like we don’t question a sick day due to a fever, we shouldn’t demand justification for a burnout day. Mental health is health — full stop.
Employees should feel safe taking time off to reset, breathe, or seek help — without fearing judgment or risking performance reviews. That safety can only come from a culture where managers lead by example, HR backs up the policy with empathy, and peers don’t make casual remarks that undermine it.
Beyond the policy itself, how it’s implemented matters. Is the leave approval process simple? Are there follow-up check-ins to support returning employees? Is mental health support embedded in the performance management cycle?
When leave policies are shaped with genuine care — not just optics — they become tools for retention, trust, and long-term productivity. Because a rested mind is a resource. And supporting your employees through their tough days is how you earn their best on the good ones.
So if you want to support mental health at work, start with your leave policy — not your Instagram post.
