RBC employee suffering burnout, anxiety and depression loses disability claim

An RBC financial planner says his high pressure sales environment contributed to burnout, severe anxiety and depression. When he asked RBC for a mental health break, he says his manager urged him to keep working and Manulife denied his disability claim.This RBC financial planner has been diagnosed with burnout, generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive episode — but Manulife says he doesn’t qualify for disability coverage.

The employee has been off work without pay for four months. RBC told him he had to get back to work last week or he'd be fired. "We have not prioritized mental health sufficiently in the workplace," said Michael Cooper, a statistician and vice-president of development at MHRC.One Toronto psychologist — who says her practice is seeing a growing number of people suffering from burnout — also says employers are not doing enough to address the issue.

"We live in a culture that interprets burnout quite lightheartedly … rather than a way for us to consider that a person is far beyond their capacity right now."Manulife initially rejected the employee's request for short-term disability because because the company doesn't recognize it as a condition that's covered.

Among other things, Manulife said his condition was not severe because he was not prescribed medication, only therapy — an argument which frustrates Alani-Verjee, who says using psychotherapy as a first line of treatment is common and recommended. Manulife also cited the fact that the employee said he could watch TV, visit his parents once a week and go to church as evidence that he does not have a "totally disabling condition."

Thousands of bank employees past and present described relentless pressure to meet sales targets, sometimes unethically, or risk losing their jobs. Instead, he says, she encouraged him to get back on track, saying she had confidence he could do the job.

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