I recently had to leave my full time job due to it causing issues with my depression/anxiety and causing a major mental health spiral. After seeing a walk-in doctor (because my own was away) I received a note saying I was unfit for work. My workplace "wouldn't accept" it saying they needed more information. No, actually... you don't need more information. That's a violation of my privacy and the Canada Human Rights Act. But I got your form filled out by my family doctor anyway. Then I applied for the insurance program for those who can't work due to illness. I was told that since I got paid 2 sick days, I wouldn't have to wait the two weeks... but now turns out that's wrong. At any rate, I haven't had any income at all since before Christmas and no one seems to be able to tell me when I will be able to get some money.

I went back to work recently, because I needed to be able to pay my rent and such... but after a couple shifts, I realized that I just can't do it. Hence, I'm now out of money and I've made too much to qualify for the insurance (which, btw, if I rely on solely, works out to 5.5$/hour which is less than minimum wage and in no way is enough to reasonably pay basic living expenses—how are they allowed to do this?) Why isn't there more being done to help those who can't work due to mental health reasons? It's stressful enough trying to prove you are sick when you aren't coughing/puking... now you have to add in additional stress as to whether we qualify for insurance? Some days it's all I can do to crawl out of bed, I certainly am not well enough to wait for hours at your office for someone to tell me that they don't know what to tell me.

Oh, and to all you employers out there: when someone is out sick due to mental health reasons, and they are medically required to cut back hours—accommodate them. Forcing me to quit my full time job and pick up casual hours "as they are available" isn't helping me... now I am anxious about whether I'll have enough shifts to pay rent, and since working a full 8 hour day puts me over the income level to qualify for insurance, I'm screwed if you don't let me work half days. —Attempting to heal myself