Your Workplace Rights If You Have a Mental Illness

Note: There is one profane word in the episode.

Snap Out of It! The Mental Illness in the Workplace Podcast with Natasha Tracy is talking to lawyer Julia Stephanides (@legally.holistic on Instagram). She’s schooling us on the rights people with mental illness have at work and how you can use those rights to better navigate working with a mental illness.  

Learn things like:  

• Are all mental illnesses really considered disabilities? 
• Can an employer not promote you because of your mental illness? 
• What do you do if you think your employer is discriminating against you because of your mental illness? 
• Do employers have to accommodate your needs because of a mental illness? 
• What is a “reasonable accommodation” at work for a person with a mental illness? 
• Do you have a right to paid medical leave? 

All these questions and more are addressed by Julia. Plus, we're answering your questions. 

See snapoutofitpodcast.com for the transcript.

About Julia Stephanides  

A graduate of Berkeley Law School, Julia Stephanides practiced corporate law for Silicon Valley startups before becoming an employment lawyer. She has represented workers facing discrimination, harassment, and other wrongful employment practices, with a focus on women’s rights cases. As part of this work, she represented many people with health issues. She counseled and advocated for clients who were denied medical leave or retaliated against for taking it, and clients who needed accommodations in the workplace. Now, she works for a labor union in Los Angeles.  

For most of her career, Julia has had health issues of her own. Her experiences in the conventional medical system were challenging and left her without sufficient support, so she dug into the research and various healing modalities and created her own roadmap for folks with health challenges. The first step on this roadmap is advocacy–knowing your rights and becoming empowered to stand up for yourself at work, at home, and with your doctors. The roadmap also includes things like eating in a way that supports your body and mind, connecting with the right doctors, nervous system support, and community.  

This is how Julia’s consulting practice was born. Legally Holistic serves as a home base and navigation system for people facing health challenges. Feel free to follow along for free resources or reach out for personalized guidance: @legally.holistic and legallyholistic.com.