How will taking stress leave affect my job prospects?

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THE QUESTION

I am beyond burnt out from work. I have a doctor’s note and approval from my director to take a two-month stress leave, which I’m planning to do. But I’m worried about how this leave will affect my future job prospects, both at the company I currently work at and if I choose to move on elsewhere. How can I ensure that taking this stress leave won’t harm my potential for promotions at my current company if I decide to stay? And if I leave, should I disclose that I’m burnt out? How should I explain the difficult relationship I have with my current employer when I’m trying to find a new job?

THE FIRST ANSWER

Jenny Chen, chief executive officer and founder, Catalais Consulting Ltd., Ottawa

Take the leave. I say that not only as someone who advises organizations on workplace culture, but as someone who has experienced burnout myself. I was a high performer and one of the top employees in a huge corporation. At 38, my blood pressure reached 185/135 and I had a seizure. On paper, I was succeeding. My body was telling me something different.

Burnout can feel like death by a thousand paper cuts, especially in workplaces (and frankly, a society) that reward overwork and mistake it for ambition. One of the biggest things I’ve learned since then is that sustained psychological and emotional stress can activate our body’s threat response even when there is no physical danger in front of us. You don’t need to be running from a bear for your body to feel like it needs to protect you. Eventually, that takes a toll.

So take the time you need, but also use the distance to ask yourself: Am I burnt out from working or am I burnt out from working here? If the workload, culture or relationship with your manager contributed significantly to your burnout, leave may help you recover, but returning to exactly the same environment may prolong the problem.

If you decide to leave, you don’t owe your next employer your medical history. If the leave comes up at all, you can simply say you took an approved leave for health or personal reasons and are ready for your next opportunity.

And don’t walk into an interview angry and bash your previous employer. I’ve interviewed many people throughout my career. Your former employer could have been the worst human in the world, but how you speak about them often tells the interviewer more about you than it does about them. An interview is about where you’re going, not litigating where you’ve been.

Finally, taking leave doesn’t erase the body of work that came before it. A two-month leave should not become a two-year apology. And employers who support medical leave on paper but quietly penalize employees for taking it should examine whether their culture is actually as psychologically safe as they believe it is.

THE SECOND ANSWER

Luki Danukarjanto, career coach, Focus Inspired, Toronto

First, great job in prioritizing yourself! That’s not a small thing, so give yourself credit for it.

If you leave and a new employer asks the common “Why are you leaving your current role?” question, keep it simple. Something like, “I’m always looking for growth and this role lined up with where I want to go.” It’s positive and consider making it true. You don’t owe anyone a detailed report of a difficult work relationship.

For future opportunities in general, the same rule applies. There’s no need to disclose the leave itself. What matters more is the value you provide in the new role. Also, consider talking to a therapist or a coach while you’re off, so the stress doesn’t follow you into the next job as unwanted baggage.

Now, for promotions, ask yourself: If this situation is genuinely difficult, do you actually want to stay and climb higher here? Sometimes the leave is the universe telling you to pause and check. If the answer is yes, look closely at your manager. Were they supportive during this process? Do they seem like someone who will work with you on a smoother return? Or are they part of the stress itself? That answer shapes your next move.

For your other co-workers, you can’t control who talks or what they assume. What you can control is having one calm, consistent narrative. Something like, “I had some things going on and needed time to deal with them properly. I’m ready now to take on this promotion.” Share it confidently. No details are needed.

Hopefully you can use this time to deal with the root of the problem, not just the symptoms that showed up at work.

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