This is far from being a new debate but it is one I feel strongly about. Mental health issues still attract scepticism and stigma - is this because mental illness cannot be seen in the same way that a physical disability can? Does that make it any less disruptive for the sufferer? I think not. Having worked with a number of people who have both mental and physical illnesses I would urge employers to take mental health seriously.
Statistics show that around a quarter of UK employees will suffer from mental illness, including stress, at some point in their working lives, costing around 91 million working days every year. Approximately 80% of employers say they have no formal policy for dealing with this and around 45% believe none of their staff suffer from mental illness. This suggests an alarming gap between reality and the perception of UK business.
The criteria for assessing whether an illness amounts to a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) is now the same for mental illness as for physical illnesses. The test is whether someone "has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities".
I am proud to know people who have battled with both mental and physical disabilities and gone on to have successful careers and be highly valued by their employers. It's time for change. I would like to see companies becoming more enlightened when dealing with such issues.
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