This was originally published on May 23, 2024 in Forbes.
Mental health-related leaves of absence have skyrocketed. New research from ComPsych, a mental health service provider, finds that mental health-related absences were up 300% between 2017 and 2023, and up 33% in 2023 alone. What's more, the research finds that this increase is largely driven by women. In 2023, 69% of mental health leaves of absence were taken by women.
In fact, time off for mental health is so essential that a Chinese supermarket recently made waves by implementing a policy that allows its employees to take up to 10 "unhappy days" each year. A better solution would be to create a culture and attitude toward well-being that the time off for mental health isn't needed. Until that happens, it's not surprising that companies continue to see an increase in mental health-related leaves.
Dr. Richard Chaifetz, a leading expert in mental health and the CEO of ComPsych, discusses the current state of mental health in the workplace, the unique challenges faced by women, and solutions companies can implement to better support their people.
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