Hey all, I see a lot of posts from people worried about how their anxiety will affect being able to keep their job. I am a fellow anxiety sufferer who also works in human resources and I just wanted to offer some basic information on your rights in situations like this in hopes it might help someone. I am located in the U.S. in a state without any additional provisions for leave beyond the federal; if you're someplace like California, they offer additional protections.

-If you go to a doctor or psychiatrist who is willing to document that you need specific accomodations for your medical condition, such as you suffer from depression and need a natural light lamp by your desk, you can bring this to your employer and request a reasonable accomodation. Most larger companies especially will try to honor these as long as they do not interfere with you actually performing your job as they do not want to tangle with the EEOC.

-If you work for a company with more than 50 people and have worked at a year minimum with at least 1,250 hours under your belt, you qualify for FMLA. This allows you up to 12 weeks unpaid leave per year, taken consecutively or intermittently.

-Additionally, many companies, mine included, have in-company paid STO and unpaid personal leave policies that may cover you in some of these instances.

If you are struggling at work, please talk to your HR department about your options, especially if your manager is not receptive or understanding. Managers can have their opinions on things like mental illness but HR is more concerned with remaining compliant with all federal and company standards and mental illness is a protected status. The key with all of this is documentation; I've had people end up no longer working with the company not because we weren't willing to assist them but because they did not provide documentation. I know the process can seem daunting, especially in the midst of a bad anxiety or depression spell.

Take care all.