Give Me A Break Before I Break Down

My job is very mentally taxing. I also have my own mental health issues so I try my best to balance, but I just want to help so I get caught up taking more responsibilities than I am actually able to.

A couple of weeks ago, I realized my mental health was in steep decline. I was ignoring the signs to push through, but anyone with mental health issues knows that you can only ignore the signs for so long. I tried to get ahead of a mental crash and talked to my two supervisors to tell them that I needed three days off (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday), and as I had the weekend off after the days I requested, I figured that might be enough to get a good rest and reset. I did tell my supervisors why I needed the days (burnout, mental health) and they said they understood and would get back to me.

When they did:

Supervisors: “We can probably give you Wednesday and Thursday, but we can’t give you Friday.”

Me: “Could we do Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, instead, and I can work Friday?”

I’d have my weekend and that should be fine.

Supervisors: “We’ll get back to you.”

I got a text soon after to ask me to help cover other shifts. I obviously couldn’t, so I declined.

They got back to me the next day.

Supervisors: “We can get your shifts covered for Wednesday and Thursday, but not Tuesday, and you have to make up the hours.”

That was the last straw. I just broke. I was asking for a break because I was working too much because it was hard for me to say no. I even called them (they had me on speaker) in tears and explained even further why I needed the days. I had been going through trauma therapy and my mental health had been declining. I told them that I had spoken to my doctor and that my doctor said I was showing signs of burnout and recommended some days off. All they heard was “doctor”.

Supervisors: “We need a doctor’s note.”

Me: “Okay, fine. Good thing I have another appointment.”

I had to work that day just defeated because they couldn’t find anyone to cover my shifts.

I talked to my doctor and he said that he could tell I was in distress. He put me on two weeks of leave immediately.

The supervisors did not look pleased when I handed in my doctor’s note.

That was two weeks ago. I went back to the doctor and he extended my leave for AT LEAST another month — the straw broke the camel’s back and my mental health just went down the drain.

When I gave the supervisors my doctor’s note with four weeks on it, one of them wouldn’t even look at me, and the other just said, “Oh, doctor’s note. Thanks.”

So that’s how I asked for three days off to try to rest and reset and ended up with at least six weeks, with no confirmed return date.