Can I take time off work for depression? What will happen.

[Grendel]

I've suspected for a while that I am depressed. It's staring to get pretty bad and I'm really stressed out at work. It's affecting my quality of life and the quality of my work (I work for the federal government). Can I take time off because of this? Will I have to tell them why? I'm worried that there will be a stigma if I take time off and I'm worried about how it will affect my career.

Who should I talk to? Should I find a counselor or see a medical doctor? I don't have a family doctor. Thanks everyone for the advice.

[paul m]

Hello Grendel and Welcome. There is no easy answer to your questions. Major Depression is a recogonized illness and one can generally take time off of work with a Doctor's note or certificate.

The key is getting a doc to say that you are sick enough to warrent taking time off, which usually is not a problem if things are bad.

Most employers will accept only a G.P. or psychatrist although some will also accept a psychologist creditentials if they have a PHD. Usully R.N.s therapists, RSW, MSW (master social work) won't cut it when it comes to an employer accepting a note.

In regards to telling them the reason, perhaps some who works for the gov't can say better than I.

If you are a member of the Union, then they should be able to give you all of the info, if not then your local human resources dept can tell you.

I understand your being afraid of the stigma and the need to tread carefully. Take Care. paul m

[Froggie]

Hello Grendel,
I don't know the workings or politics involved working for the Fed gov't, but you are right to be concerned about stigma. However, if things are bad you need to get help. Start by seeing your GP and explain your symptoms. He may refer you to a pdoc like mine did. Either one can give you a diagnosis. They can also give you advice on the best course of treatment, whether that may mean taking time off work etc.
If you do need the time off work, do you have a short term disability plan?
In that case you would ask your HR dept for the forms for disability (but you do NOT have to disclose why!). Fill them out and send them to the insurance company. THe insurance company will take it from there and the employer never has to know the reason and you dont have to tell them. You can tell them you have a medical condition that you are receiving treatment for and your goal is to get back to work asap - or something to that effect.
Good luck!
And welcome here!

[Woody]

Hi Grendel and welcome

I would start by talking to your GP.
He might want to run some tests to make sure that there is not anything else going on before getting into treating you for depression

As for time off, again speak to your doctor. When my doctor gave me a note for time off, all it said was 'unable to work because of medical condition' you do not need to explain why you are taking time off to your employer. The employer might ask how long you will be off for so be prepared for that one but he has no right to know why you need time off for only that it has been prescribed by a physician.

As for STD and LTD, you will have to check your contract to see what is specified. All employers are different.

[AJ]

Welcome Grendel. I had to have my P.doc write all the details on my disability forms at my last job. All the info went to the office, a stone throw away from my depart. It was really hard to do all that. The office staff were very supportive, but I'd rather not have to 'share' all that personal stuff with them.

[paul m]

Hello Everyone . I did not answer part of Grendel's question because I have no idea as to what the correct answer is. Grendel has no family doctor and I take it no shrink.

Grendel's question probably (and mine too) is can a doc at a walk in clinic fill out the note or would one have to go to emergency. It's a good question that I hope someone may know the answer to, further to that if one does go to a walk-in clinic and ends up being off long term, who would fill in those papers( its a very long wait for a shrink in Ontario at least). Take Care. paul m

[Froggie]

Oh! sorry Grendel I didn't read that correctly. I didn't realize you do not have a family doctor. I am not sure what the answer is. It is a long wait in Manitoba for a pdoc. (I was referred and it still took 3 months-but once I started to see him, I was able to see him as often as needed). Not sure what the answer is, maybe a walk in clinic.... anyone else have suggestions?

[uni]

Hello Grendel, and welcome.

Good move, coming here to ask questions. Wish I'd had that opportunity. Everyone so far seems to be giving some pretty good suggestions. I can only tell you what happened in my case, and hope it may help you I can relate to your feelings and questions, because I have been in a similar place.

I work for a Federal Crown Corporation. I was able to get a note from a doctor at a walk-in clinic stating that I needed to be off work for health reasons. That was enough for starters. Because I was off work for a number of months, I eventually needed more info from a psychiatrist.

The people at my workplace received no more information than that, but because they knew me so well and I'd been fairly open about my depression, they unofficially did know. Stigma? Yeah, pretty hard to get away without it, unfortunately. So it can be a tough call, depending on the individual situation. In my case, a surprising number of co-workers were pretty supportive, with the odd ignorant person thrown in. (Ignorant in both senses of the word.) My attitude is to err on the side of caution when it comes to disclosing much in the workplace.

I thank my lucky stars that I had tremendous backup from my union representatives. It was necessary to call on them more than once, and they've been life savers. Not everyone is so lucky, however.

Any personal support people in your life, like family or friends, can really help a person get through a lot. Although a counsellor/therapist/psychologist may not be necessary for documentation, they can be a great help in dealing with the whole depression issue.

I hope this has been of some help. Although depression can feel very lonely at times, you are not on your own in this, rest assured. All the best to you.

[paul m]

Thx Uni. You provided a lot of info I had no idea about. Take Care. paul m

[Woody]

Sorry I missed the no family doctor thing ...
As much as I hate going to ER, I would go to the ER first. Chances are they will have some Pdoc on staff or on call that you will be able to talk to.

[edmbigrl]

Hi Grendel,

Thanks for posting your question.

I work for govt and I have gone through the process a few times. Uni's post is right on. I might repeat it a bit.

First of all, any medical doctor's note will suffice. It has to say that you are unable to work.

The feds have a program where you can access services to a counsellor (social worker, psychologist....). It's usually called Employee Assistant Program or something similar. There should be a phone number you can call. You can be completed honest with these people because they do not report back to your work any details. They should be able to help you get ongoing medical help (family doctor and psychiatrist if needed). If you can't find the phone number ask the Union or HR.

If your depression/ stress is affecting your quality of life and work then it's time to get help. That could include taking time off work, especially if your work is contributing to your stress.

Your workplace and other employees will not find out about your situation unless you tell them. My experience is to share as little as possible at work. However, there needs to be people you can share with. Friends and family outside of work or a professional.

Affecting your career....I struggle with that too. I am off work right now. I try to think of it like this...If I stay at work and continue producing work that is not up to par I risk losing my job. If I remain at work and snap (crying uncontrollably, yell, say something I regret) this too could affect my career. Finally, and most importantly, what is more important your health or your career?

Best of luck. Feel free to ask more questions and to share.

[uni]

Hello Grendel. I`m just wondering how things have been working out for you regarding the depression and work stuff. All the best.