Mental health at work

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects workers with disabilities — and mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and OCD can qualify. It applies to most employers with 15 or more employees. Under the ADA, you can request a reasonable accommodation: a change to how, when, or where you work that helps you do your job.

Examples of accommodations for mental health

• A flexible or adjusted schedule (e.g., later start after morning medication).
• Time off or schedule flexibility for therapy or psychiatry appointments.
• A quieter workspace, noise-canceling headphones, or fewer interruptions.
• Working from home some or all of the time.
• More frequent check-ins, written instructions, or clearer deadlines.
• A leave of absence for treatment, or a gradual return-to-work schedule.

How to request one

You don't need magic words — you just have to let your employer know you need a change at work for a health condition. It's smart to put it in writing. Your employer can ask for documentation from your provider, and then you have an "interactive process" — a back-and-forth to find something that works.

Subject: Request for a workplace accommodation

Hi [Name],

I'm writing to request a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. Because of a health
condition, I'd like to request [the specific change — e.g. "a start time of 9:30 instead
of 8:00" or "the ability to work from home two days a week"].

I believe this would help me continue to do my job well. I'm happy to provide
documentation from my health care provider if that's helpful, and to talk through
options that work for the team.

Thank you for considering this. I'd appreciate keeping this request private.

[Your name]

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) lets eligible employees take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leavein a year for a serious health condition — including mental health conditions — or to care for a family member. "Job-protected" means your employer generally has to give you your job (or an equivalent one) back, and keep your health insurance going during leave.

Who's covered

• Your employer has 50+ employees within 75 miles (this includes public agencies and schools).
• You've worked there at least 12 months, and about 1,250 hours in the past year.
• FMLA can be taken all at once, or intermittently — e.g., a day here and there, or a reduced schedule, when medically needed.

Here's the most important thing: you are almost never required to disclose a mental health condition to an employer.It's your private medical information. The main exception is that to get an ADA accommodation or FMLA leave, you have to share enough for them to process the request — but even then, you usually share it with HR, not your whole team, and you can often keep the specific diagnosis private.

Whether to say more is a personal call. There's no universally right answer — it depends on your workplace, your relationship with your manager, and what you need.

Even a good job can wear you down. Burnout — exhaustion, cynicism, and feeling ineffective — builds slowly, so catching it early matters. Some of what helps is on you, and some of it is on the workplace.

Small things that protect you

• Take your actual breaks and your lunch, away from your desk when you can.
• Set a real end to your workday — especially if you work from home.
• Protect one small recovery habit daily: a walk, quiet, a call with someone who gets it.
• Notice the early signs — dread on Sunday night, snapping at people, trouble sleeping — and treat them as data, not weakness.
• Use your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if your job has one — it usually includes free, confidential counseling sessions.

Meridian's free self-help tools can help you keep an eye on stress and steady yourself day to day:

• Stress thermometerRate your stress, see where your body holds it, and get coping ideas that match.
• Daily mood check-inNotice patterns over time so burnout doesn't sneak up on you.
• Guided breathingA one-minute reset you can do at your desk between tasks.
• Boundaries workbookPractice saying what you need at work, kindly and clearly.

• EEOC — disability & mental health rightsThe federal agency's plain-language guide to your rights with a mental health condition at work.
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN)FreeFree, confidential expert help figuring out workplace accommodations.
• U.S. DOL — FMLAOfficial details on who qualifies for family and medical leave and how to take it.
• Disability Rights Center – NHNH · FreeNH's protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities — free legal help.
• NH Legal AssistanceNH · FreeFree civil legal help for lower-income Granite Staters, including some employment issues.
• NAMI New HampshireNHSupport, education, and a help line for people living with mental illness and their families.