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isnt that the point of FMLA - by law you can take up to 12 weeks unpaid to care for a family member or yourself. I dont know the specifics but i did have a coworker who used it when she had to go to court ordered rehab following a DUI. I dont know if you'll need a referral to qualify.

One of my coworkers took a leave of absence, and left the job a few months after returning - my understanding was that it helped while off, but not in the long run.

I did in in a backwards way to stay out longer while my son was in the NICU...so that I could actually take my sick pay. I had to go to a weekly group therapy session after an initial interview/counseling session. The people were out for all kinds of different reasons...

I wouldn't think more than one person would know why you were out...it could be for any health issue.

I took a 3 month leave of absence to go overseas to visit my dad who was very ill. The doctors faxed over the hospital paperwork showing what his complications were. Everything was in Vietnamese so I translated it to the best of my knowledge and had it notarized. I then submitted it to HR and got approved the same day. I came back to work without issues. Hope you get the rest you need!

@.twist.:

@.twist.: Well then its survival...and you have to look out for you first because no one else at work is going to...in a company that small you wont be able to avoid office gossip (I find it so pathetic that grown ups par-take in this type of behavior but its the sad reality)....but my approach would be f*ck 'em...look out for you. You'll be protected by your laws...take the time you need to recover/heal/regroup...

@.twist.: *hugs*

I have two friends who have taken stress leave (in Canada), both to deal with mental health issues, with varying results. One was able to spend the time getting help and finding a balance of medications that worked for her, and went back to work feeling really good. It helped that she really liked her job, I think. The other one did not like her job, her coworkers are horrible, and while she felt better after the time away once she returned it all pretty much went back to how it had been before, with the addition of her HR people having gossiped about her to managers so now she felt like people were talking about her behind her back.

I just reread what I've written and I'm not convinced it's at all helpful to your situation but I think that if you feel like you're at a breaking point you change what you can about the situation in the short term and then use that time to figure out what will help in the longer term.

@.twist.: I have a coworker who was gone for 6 weeks to do an intensive outpatient program for severe depression. And then she was back! I think everyone that knows her knows she made a good decision.

@.twist.: DH is going through a very similar situation right now. He is also in a field where there are very, very few jobs and many, many people applying for them. He is miserable in his current job and with his current boss, as a result he is really struggling with stress and depression. I am so sorry that you are in such a difficult place. Big hugs

We haven't considered a leave, but it is not a bad idea.
Here is what we are doing. DH is starting with therapist to help him manage the stress and emotions. We are also looking into meeting with a career counselor or manager who may be able to help him figure out what other industries or professions he could translate his skills into. We are also starting to think about what plan B for him could be if he leaves his field. He is attending some open houses for graduate schools and training programs and looking into things like web development bootcamps. The hope is if he does have to do some re-training that he will choose a field with lots of jobs and good earning potential coming out of it. None of these are quick solutions, but it seems like having some things to consider and working on an escape plan is helping both of us a little.

So the TLDR version is, perhaps if you do a leave you could use it to hatch your plan for how to move on to the next thing?

I hope one way or the other you can find some relief.

I would think there would be some sort of medical leave? Especially if you see some doctors about what you are going through.

Sorry, I don't know how the Canadian system works, but at least here in the U.S., when I've had to take short term disability, the only time my medical stuff was officially disclosed was in the form to the HR person who processed the information. My boss and coworkers were not privy to this information (although I told them what the issue was of my own accord). I understand its hard at a small company because people will want to know why, but legally it was made very clear that I didn't have to disclose anything to anyone and I have always submitted a memo to my bosses and HR with my paperwork that reiterates my legal rights to put them on notice and to let them know I know what my rights are. Granted, I'm an attorney, so I'm a little anal about it, but the memo usually has some legal trigger phrases in it like "pursuant to the Federal Medical Leave Act, I am invoking my right to medical coverage and my position protected until (insert date)" or "I have provided Human Resources with all confidential medical documentation required by the California Family Rights Act and having been informed of my privacy rights, would like to avail myself of all of the confidentiality provisions provided by that statute. Therefore, I appreciate your assistance in keeping my private medical circumstances confidential in the workplace during the duration of my leave of absence." I know people who have taken LOAs at my job who have just said they would prefer not to discuss their condition and have seen supervisors shut down nosy colleagues who want to know what's going on with a "I'm sorry, but that's confidential information that we're not privy to."

@.twist.: Look very carefully at the laws - usually the rules are very different between a small employer and a large employer (usually its like 50 employees or more). For example, in the US, FMLA laws don't apply to small businesses!

@.twist.: hugs

Hugs! I think stress leave is a very valuable thing, and I hope you're able to take it and that it helps. I am in the US, but I assume if a doctor signs papers that it's for a medical reason, it would be treated like any other illness?

I begged my OB to do something like that for me at the end of my second pregnancy. My stress was 90% work related and I was desperate. Unfortunately she shrugged me off, but my wonderful boss let me take a long maternity leave and I feel like a different person now. I'm getting back on the work treadmill next week, but now that I've had a chance to step back for the first time in ten years, I see how much anxiety my job was causing and will try hard to keep it to a minimum, even if it means doing a less than perfect job somewhere...