Mental Health at Work & School

What Short-Term Disability Pays During Mental Health Leave

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There is no universal rate. FMLA itself is unpaid, so pay comes from a separate short-term disability policy that sets its own wage-replacement percentage, cap, and waiting period. Your plan's summary plan description holds the actual number, which HR can send you. Ask about the percentage, the cap, and the waiting period.

Last updated: July 2026

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Does short-term disability pay a set percentage of your salary?

There is no universal figure, because short-term disability is not a government program. It is insurance your employer buys or you elect. Each policy defines its own wage-replacement rate, weekly maximum, and rules, so two people on mental-health leave can receive very different amounts. That is different from FMLA, which the Department of Labor describes purely as job-protected, unpaid leave; FMLA guarantees your position, not a paycheck 1. Because the replacement percentage lives in the plan rather than the law, the honest answer to how much is always what does your specific policy say. The rest of this page is about finding and reading that number rather than guessing at an average.

Where do you find your actual benefit rate?

Your real number lives in a few predictable places. The plan's summary plan description or benefits booklet states the wage-replacement percentage, the weekly cap, and how long payments last; your HR or benefits team can send it if you cannot find it. It is worth asking three concrete questions: what percentage of pay does the policy replace, is there a dollar cap that could lower that percentage for higher earners, and what counts as wages for the calculation. Getting those in writing beats relying on a coworker's memory, since plans differ even within the same company. If the leave is unpaid FMLA with no disability policy behind it, how pay actually works during FMLA covers how time off and disability get stacked, since FMLA is otherwise unpaid 2.

What is the elimination period, and when does pay start?

Most short-term disability policies do not start paying on day one. Many include an elimination period, a set number of days you are out before benefits begin, sometimes bridged by accrued paid leave, which the FMLA lets you or your employer apply during otherwise-unpaid leave 3. The length varies by plan, so it belongs on your list of questions for HR. This gap matters for budgeting a mental-health leave, because it can mean a stretch with no disability income at the start. Knowing your elimination period lets you plan how to cover it, and how long the benefit itself lasts rounds out the timeline. The plan document states the exact waiting period and when the first payment should arrive.

Will short-term disability payments be taxed?

It depends on who paid for the coverage, which is a detail worth confirming rather than assuming. Whether benefits are taxable generally turns on whether the premiums were paid with pre-tax or after-tax dollars, so the take-home amount can differ from the headline percentage. Your plan administrator or a tax professional can tell you how your specific benefit will be treated and whether taxes are withheld. Building your budget around the after-tax figure, not the gross, avoids an unpleasant surprise mid-leave. Because mental-health conditions already account for substantial disability days and cost, getting the tax question answered early is part of planning realistically 4.

When a clinician helps

Sorting out the money is easier when your care is already in motion, because disability approval depends on a provider documenting that you cannot work. A clinician who knows your situation can complete that paperwork and adjust treatment toward recovery at the same time. If cost is part of what is making leave feel out of reach, what short-term disability does and does not cover for therapy and what a psychiatrist costs without insurance can help you see the fuller picture. The benefit exists to buy you room to get well; the clinical care is what makes the leave worth taking.

Common questions

No. Short-term disability is insurance, and each policy sets its own wage-replacement percentage and cap, so there is no single rate. Your plan's summary plan description holds your actual number, and HR can send it.

FMLA is job protection, not income; the Department of Labor describes it as unpaid, job-protected leave 1. Pay during that time comes from other sources like short-term disability or accrued paid leave 2.

After the elimination period, a set number of days you are out before benefits begin. The exact length is in your plan, and accrued paid leave sometimes bridges it, which the FMLA lets you apply during otherwise-unpaid leave 3.

It depends on whether the premiums were paid with pre-tax or after-tax dollars, so it varies by plan. Your plan administrator or a tax professional can confirm how your benefit is treated before you budget around it.

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When to reach out sooner

  • —Financial stress that is worsening your sleep, mood, or ability to function
  • —Symptoms lasting more than two weeks that keep you from working
  • —Turning to alcohol or other substances to cope with the strain
  • —Any thoughts of self-harm or that you would be better off gone

This article is general information about how short-term disability works, not legal, tax, or financial advice; benefit rates, waiting periods, and tax treatment vary by plan, so confirm specifics with your plan administrator, HR, and a tax professional. If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), free and available 24/7.

References

  1. 1.U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (2023). Fact Sheet #28: The Family and Medical Leave Act. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. link ✓fmla-basicsfmla-eligibilityworkplace-mh-leave
  2. 2.U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (2024). FMLA Frequently Asked Questions. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. link ✓fmla-faqfmla-eligibilityworkplace-mh-leave
  3. 3.U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (2023). Family and Medical Leave Act Employee Guide. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. link ✓fmla-how-to-requestfmla-basicsworkplace-mh-leave
  4. 4.Jha MK et al. (2025). Mental Health-Related Disability Days and Costs Among Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression Initiated on Esketamine Nasal Spray and Conventional Therapies in the USA. Drugs - Real World Outcomes. doi:10.1007/s40801-024-00478-3 ✓esketamine-coveragedisability-and-costtreatment-resistant-depression-costinterventional-access

4 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — every citation independently verified. Editorial policy

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