In the stories I tell about disability, I often mention King Midas. He was the ultimate productive worker—everything he touched turned to gold. But his story ends in tragedy; he died of karōshi, the Japanese term for overwork-death.
Today, we have invited a new Midas into our workplace: Artificial Intelligence.
We were promised that AI would handle the drudgery, freeing us to be more creative. But for many of the clients walking into my office lately, the reality is different. The time between an idea and its execution has collapsed. What used to take days of drafting now takes seconds of prompting.
The result? You are making decisions faster than ever before. Your cognitive abilities—the very engine of your professional value—are being exhausted at an unprecedented rate. You are burning out faster and deeper. And in this high-speed environment, if you stumble, the dreaded Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is often waiting for you.
If this sounds like your life, I want you to stop asking the “Can I” questions. Can I keep up? Can I survive this PIP? Instead, I want you to learn how to use the laws of this land to take a break, rest, and heal.
The New Exhaustion: Decision Fatigue on Steroids
In my book, The Art and Law of Rest, I discuss the “Triangle of Definition” for disability: Illness, Work, and Income. In the era of AI, the “Work” angle has changed dangerously.
The mental labor of the past had natural pauses. You wrote a draft; you waited for feedback. Now, the feedback loop is instant. Your brain is forced to be in a constant state of high-stakes decision-making. This relentlessly drains your executive function.
This leads to what I call a “disability crisis”. You might find yourself staring at a screen, unable to process a simple email—a “functional limitation”. You might be experiencing panic attacks, insomnia, or deep depression. These are not signs of weakness; they are signs that your “biochemistry” is clashing with the “machine speed” of your workplace.
Don’t Quit—Take a Paid Medical Leave
When the PIP lands on your desk, or when the burnout becomes unbearable, your instinct might be to quit. Lord Lizard—that inner voice of guilt and shame—will tell you that you just aren’t cut out for this. He will tell you to run away.
Don’t quit your job!
If you resign, you lose one of the most powerful tools available to you: the paid medical leave.
A paid medical leave acts like a “time out” during a game. It stops the clock. You don’t get penalized for errors made while sick; you don’t get fired for the performance issues caused by your burnout. Instead, you enter a “dome of protections” where you can rest.
Here is how you do it, using the roadmaps I’ve drawn for you:
1. Secure Your Job (The FMLA)
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that protects your job for up to 12 weeks while you heal. It stops the momentum of the PIP. If your doctor certifies that you are suffering from a serious health condition, your employer generally cannot fire you for taking this time off.
2. Secure Your Income (Disability Insurance)
FMLA is unpaid, but you have roads to income.
- State Disability: If you are in one of the states with mandatory disability income protections (like California or New York), you have mandatory state disability insurance.
- Short-Term Disability Insurance (STDI): Many tech and corporate employers sponsor private disability policies.
These programs replace a portion of your lost wages while you heal. However, be careful: If the insurer tries to avoid liability by saying your claim is purely work-related and should be a workers’ comp claim, contact a lawyer immediately.
3. Hire Your Biographer (Your Doctor)
To access these benefits, you need a medical storyteller. This is your doctor. You must be honest with them. Do not say “I’m fine” or “I’m just tired”. Report your functional limitations. Tell them: “I cannot focus for more than 15 minutes,” or “I panic when I receive a notification”. These specific details transform your suffering into valid medical evidence.
Live Your Best Life with Love
The speed of AI isn’t going to slow down, but you can.
You do not exist solely to be productive. You are not a machine that needs to be optimized. You are a human being worthy of love.
Taking a leave isn’t just about fixing your ability to work; it’s about reclaiming your humanity. It is about answering the questions that actually matter: Who do you love? What do you want to do with your life?
Use your benefits. Let the FMLA and disability insurance form a shield around you. Step away from the algorithm. Rest. Heal. And when you are ready, you can decide—with a clear head and a healed heart—what your future holds.
Be brave. It takes guts to declare: “I have a serious illness. I need a medical leave.” But it is the smartest, most loving thing you can do for yourself.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is general in nature. Exceptions may exist. This is no substitute for the advice of a competent attorney in your jurisdiction.
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