Are We Ready to Stop Judging Mental Health Days?
In the UK, we’ll take a sick day for a migraine, a stomach bug or a high temperature without hesitation. But a day to rest an overwhelmed mind?
That still feels… questionable.
It’s strange when you think about it:
Why do we have to be physically ill for it to be “acceptable” to rest?
Why is exhaustion of the body legitimate - but exhaustion of the mind feels like weakness?
It’s not intentional. It’s cultural conditioning. We were raised on “keep calm and carry on,” which taught us grit - but also taught us to minimise anything we can’t physically show.
The Reality Behind Mental Health Days in the UK
75% of UK employees work while physically or mentally unwell.
Only 13% of workplaces offer dedicated mental health days.
63% of people don’t feel safe telling their manager the real reason for taking one.
Stress, anxiety and depression account for 55% of all lost working days.
Sick leave has risen to 9.4 days per worker, up almost 60% since pre-pandemic.
People aren’t taking “too much time off.”
They’re taking the wrong kind of time - when they’re already past breaking point.
Why the UK Hesitates (While the US Uses Them Openly)
1. Stoic messaging
"Push through" has been the default soundtrack of British workplaces for decades.
2. Legitimacy is still tied to physical symptoms
If we can’t point to it, we don’t feel we’re “allowed” to rest.
3. Fear of judgement
No one wants to be seen as unreliable.
4. Lack of leadership modelling
Policies exist - but leaders rarely use them openly.
Meanwhile, many US organisations talk openly about mental health days because the culture treats emotional wellbeing as real, not optional.
But… What About People Abusing It?
A common worry - but the data is consistent:
Most employees don’t misuse wellbeing policies.
Burnout, not rest, is what costs businesses the most.
The real problem isn’t people taking mental health days.
It’s people needing them… and pushing through until they break.
How We Make the Shift - Without Losing Trust
1. Leaders go first
Normalisation starts at the top.
2. Clear, simple policies
Uncertainty fuels misuse. Clarity builds confidence.
3. Manager training
A supportive, non-judgemental response shapes culture more than any policy.
4. Mental health days don’t need a confession
A simple: “I’m taking a wellbeing day” is enough.
5. Use patterns as insight, not suspicion
If someone needs frequent mental health days, it’s a signal - not a character flaw.
The Bigger Question: What Counts as ‘Real’ Rest?
Physical illness forces us to stop.
Mental strain quietly erodes us until we have nothing left.
Rest shouldn’t require visible symptoms.
Recovery shouldn’t require justification.
And wellbeing shouldn’t require bravery.
Mental health days aren’t indulgent.
They’re preventive.
They’re human.
And they make workers more capable, not less.
The shift isn’t just policy.
It’s perspective.
Because when we stop judging rest, people stop breaking.