When is stress considered a 'disability'?

According to a new Gallup poll, U.S. employees are reporting their stress levels are at an all-time. And the percentage of workers who feel strongly that their employer cares about their well-being has sunk to 24%, the lowest in almost a decade.

If employees cite stress as the reason for leave or another accommodation, are you legally obligated to provide it? It depends. But the more serious/debilitating the stress and anxiety, the more likely you'll need to accommodate it.

The FMLA lets employees take job-protected leave for serious conditions that make the person unable to perform the job's essential functions. Stress or anxiety may be severe enough that it could rise to the qualifying level of a hospital stay or requiring incapacity or ongoing treatment.

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