SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION? CA LAW SAYS THAT YOUR EMPLOYER MUST RECOGNIZE YOUR DISABILITY AND CANNOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU
If you are clinically depressed, your employer must respect your condition and cannot discriminate against you because you suffer from depression. Depression is more than a passing mood. It’s more than momentary sadness. Depression is a is a mental health disorder that can affect the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. Depression cannot just be “willed away” and is in fact a medical condition with a clinical diagnosis that deserves serious attention.
How do you know if you are depressed? Some symptoms vary according to the person and can change over time. Several symptoms include:
- Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed
- Decreased energy and fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, and/or making decisions
- Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
- Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
- Restlessness, irritability
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
Fortunately, there is help for you if you suffer from depression. This includes psychotherapy and counseling as well as anti-depressant medication. If your depression is shown to be a disability, an experienced employment lawyer can help you make sure that your employer does not discriminate against you. If you live in California and you feel your employer has discriminated against you as a result of your depression by not allowing you to take time off work for counseling sessions or medical appointments, or not providing you with reasonable on-site accommodations for your disability, call the experienced employment attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and to hear how one of our experienced employment attorneys may be able to help you. Your call is completely confidential, and we are here to help.
