{"id":120018,"date":"2025-10-13T20:45:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T20:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/120018\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T20:45:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T20:45:12","slug":"should-mental-health-leaves-be-treated-separately-from-sick-leaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/120018\/","title":{"rendered":"Should mental-health leaves be treated separately from sick leaves?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades, sick leaves have been the universal safety net for employees\u2014covering everything from seasonal flu to chronic illnesses. Yet, as conversations around well-being deepen, the boundaries of what counts as \u2018sick\u2019 are being redefined. The pandemic and growing dialogue around burnout, anxiety and emotional fatigue have pushed organisations to confront an uncomfortable truth: while mental health is championed in corporate campaigns, it still lacks a structural place in workplace policy.<\/p>\n

Unlike a physical ailment, mental strain often goes unseen, unspoken and\u2014too often\u2014untreated. Most companies today allow employees to take sick leave for mental exhaustion, but this reactive approach doesn\u2019t recognise the unique nature of psychological distress. Many argue that emotional well-being deserves its own category\u2014one that validates mental rest as a legitimate need, not an indulgence.<\/p>\n

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However, others believe the challenge isn\u2019t about creating a new type of leave but addressing the cultural discomfort that still surrounds mental-health conversations. Is India Inc. truly ready to make this shift? Should policy evolve before mindset, or must mindset change first? Let\u2019s hear what the next-generation HR leaders have to say.<\/p>\n

Ashish Sharma, chief human resources officer, Kenstar<\/p>\n

Separating mental-health leaves from sick leaves is not just advisable\u2014it\u2019s necessary. Both require fundamentally different approaches and recognitions. Employees need the explicit right to take time off to strengthen their mental fitness. This is a vital investment in long-term productivity and emotional resilience.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ashish Sharma, CHRO, Kenstar<\/p>\n

However, before introducing such leaves, organisations must first build psychological safety. While people are increasingly vocal about mental well-being, stigma still persists. The success of any mental-health policy hinges on creating an environment where employees feel safe to express their struggles without judgment or fear of repercussion.<\/p>\n

Rather than directly labelling such time-offs as \u2018mental health leaves\u2019\u2014which may unintentionally carry negative connotations\u2014these could be reframed more positively as \u2018wellness leaves\u2019 or similar terminology that normalises taking a break for emotional well-being. Leaders must create space for people to open up. Psychological safety is the true foundation of mental fitness.<\/p>\n

Takeaway:\u00a0Mental-health leaves should be introduced with sensitivity, leveraging a shift in language and leadership mindset to make them truly acceptable and effective.<\/p>\n

Shashank Teotia, Chief Human Resources Officer, Paras Healthcare<\/p>\n

Employees absolutely need time off to navigate stress, burnout and emotional exhaustion. But the reality is far more nuanced. While 40 to 80 per cent of employees grapple with some form of mental concern, only about five per cent actually utilise assistance programmes or mental-health support tools.<\/p>\n

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\n\"\"Shashank Teotia, CHRO, Paras Healthcare<\/p>\n

This gap stems entirely from stigma and fear. Even in India\u2019s corporate world, we haven\u2019t overcome the deep-rooted inhibitions people carry about acknowledging mental challenges. When you label leave as \u2018mental-health leave,\u2019 you inadvertently expose employees to judgment. You\u2019re asking them to be courageous enough to declare, \u2018I have a mental health issue\u2019\u2014but that remains extraordinarily difficult.<\/p>\n

Organisations frequently begin with genuine intentions, launching dedicated mental-health leave policies, only to reverse course due to mistrust and perception issues. Too often, we scrutinise employees with suspicion, questioning whether they\u2019re truly struggling or simply unable to handle pressure. Changing nomenclature from \u2018mental health\u2019 to \u2018well-being\u2019 leaves won\u2019t address the underlying problem. We must transform our mindset first.<\/p>\n

The real onus falls on leadership. Until organisations genuinely accept that mental-health challenges are legitimate, not indicators of weakness, these policies will remain ineffective. The imperative is to normalise conversations, guarantee confidentiality and distribute responsibility across the organisation\u2014not burden the individual or external providers alone. We need transparency, candour and acceptance. Only then will such policies create meaningful impact.<\/p>\n

Takeaway:\u00a0Mental-health leaves are essential, but India Inc. lacks the cultural readiness to implement them effectively without dismantling stigma, ensuring confidentiality and fostering authentic dialogue.<\/p>\n

Manish Kathuria, Head \u2013 HR, Honda Cars India<\/p>\n

While mental-health leaves can serve as an important intervention tool, the overarching goal should be weaving mental well-being into the everyday fabric of organisational life\u2014so employees never reach a breaking point in the first place. The focus shouldn\u2019t be limited to creating another leave category but on building an environment where employees naturally feel supported, balanced and energised.<\/p>\n

\"\"Manish Kathuria, CHRO, Honda Cars India<\/p>\n

When organisations proactively nurture mental wellness through flexible work arrangements, regular check-ins and open communication channels, the need for formal mental-health leaves often diminishes. If an organisation genuinely invests in emotional resilience and empathetic leadership, employees feel comfortable pausing, reflecting and recharging\u2014without guilt or formal labels.<\/p>\n

Leadership plays a pivotal role in normalising these conversations. When leaders themselves model balance and self-care, they send an unmistakable message. The objective should be embedding mental health into daily dialogue, not treating it as an exception requiring policy intervention.<\/p>\n

Takeaway:\u00a0Prevention is better than policy\u2014embedding mental well-being into daily culture through empathetic leadership and proactive support can reduce the need for separate mental-health leaves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For decades, sick leaves have been the universal safety net for employees\u2014covering everything from seasonal flu to chronic…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120019,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[275],"tags":[1067,10016,18,2007,5573,37514,3794,4282,233,13408,135,475,474,1736,19,17,25297,5657,73288,73289,73290,3796,3797,1424,2480,20828,2481,8972],"class_list":{"0":"post-120018","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-culture","9":"tag-diversity","10":"tag-eire","11":"tag-employee","12":"tag-employee-benefits","13":"tag-employee-engagement","14":"tag-employees","15":"tag-employer","16":"tag-employment","17":"tag-engagement","18":"tag-health","19":"tag-health-care","20":"tag-healthcare","21":"tag-human-resources","22":"tag-ie","23":"tag-ireland","24":"tag-mental-health-at-work","25":"tag-mental-health-day","26":"tag-mental-wellness","27":"tag-point-of-view","28":"tag-pov","29":"tag-productivity","30":"tag-recruitment","31":"tag-skill-development","32":"tag-training","33":"tag-work-from-home","34":"tag-workforce","35":"tag-workplace"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}