WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A new study is putting a price on how much burnout, stress and depression is costing Florida workers.
Renaissance Recovery, an addiction recovery treatment center, polled 3,002 employees. The group concluded Florida workers stand to lose $10,120 per person over the course of five years for not seeking help for mental health or substance abuse issues.
The lost wages can be tied to missing work, reducing hours or "powering through" and not being as productive.
The study examined confusion around federal workplace protections as a catalyst for why many employees don't tap into resources for treatment. The poll revealed fewer than half of workers, 46%, are aware federal law allows eligible employees to take job-protected leave for mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Among the most common reasons employees said they continue to work during a mental health decline or substance abuse battle is the fear of losing their job, followed by not knowing taking leave is an option.
Respondents also say they don't step away because they can't afford to take time off or fear it will hurt their career in the future.
Read the full study here.
