
People with mental health problems frequently suffer discrimination in the workplace and unemployment affects those with long-term mental health disorders more than any other group of disabled people. Equality legislation makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with mental health problems.
The term mental ill health covers harmful levels of stress, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder (manic depression), psychosis, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and is often associated with drug and alcohol abuse and eating disorders (e.g. anorexia nervosa and bulimia).
Resources, guides and podcasts
We provide advice and information on employment issues relating to the mental ill health of NHS staff. Our managers’ guide on supporting workplace mental health has been divided in to two sections to help managers provide support to their staff:
- Section one focuses on creating and supporting a positive culture around mental health and wellbeing in the workplace
- Section two looks at how to support staff that are experiencing mental health problems.
- Guidance on the prevention and management of stress at work. This guidance aims to help managers throughout the NHS reduce stress in the workplace and better support staff who experience it.
- Mental health infographic - which highlights key facts and figures regarding mental health.
- Our first podcast on the subject, 'Soon rather than later' talks about the importance of talking to your manager, how individuals can stay mentally healthy at work and what reasonable adjustments can be put in place to aid transition back to the workplace following a period of sickness related to mental health.
- The second podcast, 'The human approach' is aimed at managers in the NHS and encourages them to approach mental health conversations as a human rather than a clinician. There are tips on how wellness action plans can help, how to implement 'team temperature checks' and the importance of leading from the top.