The cycle of being off work with mental health problems

[Jhr299]

Many employers including mine don’t offer full sick pay, mine does half pay for 2 weeks then nothing (other than SSP) and I know people who only get SSP (£80 a week or something?)

Now this seems to make recovering from a mental illness while keeping a job pretty impossible. I’ve recently been off for 2 weeks due to depression and I’m now forcing myself to go to work despite feeling on the edge of a breakdown because I’ve used all my sick pay. If I have more time off and lose more money how will I pay my rent and other expenses that while working I normally have plenty of money for? By getting into debt? Which is a huge cause of depression so for someone already suffering, already having suicidal thoughts daily, that’s a total nightmare right? So I (and I’m sure loads of others) keep working, forcing ourselves through the day. Probably not doing a great job.

How can anyone recover and properly get through mental illness when they are either forcing themselves to go to work and ignore it, or off sick and losing money and potentially getting into debt or worse losing their home? I guess this is probably a similar situation with physical serious illness which causes people to be off for a long time but when money issues and depression/anxiety are so closely linked surely there’s got to be a better way?

Just something that is weighing on my mind as I try and get myself out of bed to get to work. And wanted to hear others opinions

I think it’s a real vicious circle. I’m fortunate in that I’ve always been paid for sick leave - when my mental health has deteriorated I’ve taken 7/8 weeks off which has helped get me back on an even keel again but if I hadn’t been getting paid there’s no way I could have done that.

In the past I’ve worked with staff I’ve managed to try an suppprt them in work by agreeing a reduced work load, restricting duties, flexing their working hours and offering weekly support (ie a chance to talk through the particular work stressors and look for solutions). I’ve alao supported apple to use workplace counselling services, helped identify external supports and relieved as much pressure at work as possible.

It’s hard, and relies on having a flexible workplace and a good manager who has some understanding of mental health issues.

Very often it’s not so much that work is the cause of the mental illness but it’s usually the only place that can be shifted enough to relieve pressure on the person as a whole. If absence isn’t possible, reducing overall stress in the work role and wider life can help make a different but I agree it’s very hard going.

I am a small business owner and my manager suffers from depression. I simply can't afford to pay her full pay when she's not in. A day here or there is fine, but when she is off for a week or two I have to get in temporary staff to co et her roles so it ends up costing me more in training them and paying them. I wish I could help more but I simply can't afford to.

So I don't think the problem is with companies and businesses - they pay people to do a job. If they have the resources to pay for long term sick pay and maternity etc, then that's great and very supportive. The problem is SSP simply isn't enough.