I know we have to be aware of peoples mental health issues but you can’t carry other people forever.

I share a role that requires two people full time, with someone who suffers with depression. She’s very sensitive to relationship and social problems and as such she has extra time from work for it.

The difficulty is she can be gone from her desk for up to an hour at any time and calls in sick about once every 3 weeks.

Now the work falls on me. I work extra hours to get the work done with no pay or recognition, I’m regularly late picking my kids up from a rural school that isn’t on a bus route, I have no down time because even at home I’m working on my laptop and frankly months of me doing all the heavy lifting is burning me out.

At what point is someone going to do something? Is she capable of the work? Will they replace her or hire someone else?

Am I still going to be carrying someone else’s mental health issues beyond developing a few of my own? This situation is unsustainable. 🙁

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BrokenAbyss

I have been in both situations…

As the one covering for others, it was usually because they were lazy, but I would gladly cover for someone if I knew it was health related. Mental or otherwise.

However, as the depressed person, I couldn’t carry on knowing I wasn’t being part of the team. But also, I applied for disability with a slew of mental and physical conditions and was denied any help. No insurance, no short term, nothing.

After my parents passed away I was able to quit working for awhile thankfully.

But most people are stuck and because society won’t acknowledge that we aren’t machines, we all suffer the burnout.

If it is affecting your life so strongly, especially making you late to pick up your kids, that is a big, unfair problem and your boss needs to know this other employee isn’t able to do their job and you can’t carry hers and yours effectively. I’m sure to a kind heart this feels yucky, but you do have to care for yourself and your family.

Also, if she gets fired, perhaps she can collect unemployment for a bit and get back on her feet.

You are right, you can only go so far for people before it turns toxic for both of you. She needs to care for herself and it is unfair to expect others to cover for her. I quit working until I was better. It was important to me to not drag anyone down with me. It’s honest, and basic respect for others 🤍🖤