Employees of Thomson Reuters are encouraged to use their designated mental health days to practice whatever methods they prefer to help them cope with emotional and physical pressures, although they can actually do what they like on these days off, which are additional to their paid annual leave entitlement. It’s really up to you whether to allow your employees to take a designated day (or two) off each year as a mental health holiday, taking into account that it’s effectively extra paid time off work on top of existing holiday rights, but if you do, you should put in place a policy setting out how your scheme works. For example, covering:

• whether the policy is discretionary – although this may not prevent it hardening into a contractual entitlement over time
• how many days per year will be designated
• clarification that the designated day(s) are additional to, and separate from, paid annual leave entitlement
• whether there’s a minimum service requirement before employees will be eligible
• how it will apply to part-time employees
• confirmation that if the employee doesn’t take time off on the designated day, they can’t take an alternative day off, carry it forward into the next year or receive a payment in lieu.