Barriers to finding and maintaining employment faced by people with mental health problems
- 1. Barriers to finding and maintaining employment faced by people with mental health problems Rebecca Storer – interview for Job Retention Specialist – 24 April 2018
- 2. The facts ‘Disabled people with long term depression and particularly those with mental illness or phobias are under-represented in employment. 45.5 per cent of disabled people with health problems lasting or expected to last more than one year who had depression and anxiety as their main health problem, were in employment (471,725 people). Just 26.2 per cent of disabled people experiencing long term mental illness or phobias as their primary, or most significant, health issue, were in employment (118,342 people). The employment rate for non Equality Act disabled people in Q4 2016 was significantly higher at 80.4 per cent’ TUC report - ‘Mental Health and Employment’ May 2017
- 3. Social model of disability ‘... proposes that what makes someone disabled is not their medical condition, but the attitudes and structures of society. It is a civil rights approach to disability. If modern life was set up in a way that was accessible for people with disabilities then they would not be excluded or restricted. The distinction is made between ‘impairments’, which are the individual problems which may prevent people from doing something, and ‘disability’, which is the additional disadvantage bestowed by a society which treats these ‘impairments’ as abnormal, thus unnecessarily excluding these people from full participation in society. The social model of disability says that it is society which disables impaired people.’ Mental Health Foundation
- 4. Symptoms of mental health conditions Including: Fatigue, lack of energy, poor motivation Anxiety – eg. unfamiliar situations or people, cleanliness, food Lack of confidence, negative thinking Cognitive - ‘fuzzy’ thinking, difficulty concentrating, intrusive thoughts and feelings, dissociation, poor short term memory Physical – eg. feeling sick, light-headed, racing heart Mood/energy changes – significant fluctuations in productivity Also medication side effects
- 5. Example job requirements ‘attention to detail’ ‘team working’ ‘organising own workload’ ‘managing conflicting priorities’ ‘deadline driven’ ‘delivering consistently’ Attending long meetings Sitting at a desk all day Focusing on lots of data
- 6. Personal barriers in seeking work Fear of failure / fear of rejection / feelings of inadequacy Lack of qualifications Lack of job experience Daunting job descriptions and person specifications - ‘essential / desirable’ Worry about losing support strategies – eg. drop-ins, gym, therapy Concern that work may negatively affect mental health Previous bad experience in employment ‘Do I disclose?’ Financial costs – eg. travelling to interviews
- 7. Work related mental health ‘A majority of employees have been affected by symptoms of poor mental health. 77% say they have experienced symptoms of poor mental health at some point in their lives and 29% have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.’ - Mental Health at Work Report 2016 ‘62% of employees attributed their symptoms of poor mental health to work or said that work was a contributing factor’ - Mental Health at Work Report 2016 ‘One in three men (32 per cent) attribute poor mental health to their job, compared to one in seven men (14 per cent) who say it’s problems outside of work. Women, on the other hand, say that their job and problems outside of work are equal contributing factors; one in five women say that their job is the reason for their poor mental health, the same as those who say problems outside of work is to blame (19 per cent).’ - It’s Ok to Cry research 2015
- 8. Management in the workplace May take more days off sick (but may not say this is due to mental health) May be subject to management under attendance, performance or disciplinary procedures ‘9% of employees who experienced symptoms of poor mental health experienced disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal’ - Mental Health at Work report 2016 ‘300,000 people with a long term mental health problem lose their jobs each year, and at a much higher rate than those with physical health conditions.’ - Thriving at Work report 2017 Illegal employment practices in some organisations, in others ‘robust management’ responding to pressure to deliver ‘more for less’
- 9. Line management Line managers are key to a supportive work environment May have a stigmatised view of how mental health problems affect people May not be aware of their duties under the Equality Act Don’t know where to find information about mental health or how to support their team member Lack confidence in discussing mental health ‘Only 22% of managers have received some form of training on mental health at work’ - Mental Health at Work report 2016
- 10. Just talk about it! ‘35% of employees did not approach anyone for support the last time they experienced poor mental health’ ‘Only 25% of employees approached someone at work for support (rising to 26% when including those who contacted an Employee Assistance Programme)’ ‘Only 11% of employees discussed a recent mental health problem with their line manager’ ‘86% would think twice before offering to help a colleague whose mental health they were concerned about’ ‘60% of board members and senior managers believe their organisation supports people with mental health issues’ - Mental Health at Work report 2016
- 11. Tackling discrimination in employment Not in a good place to stand up for themselves Concerned about job security so may put up with it Feel ‘trapped’ in a job – concerns about future references Culture of silence – no-one talks about mental health Issues with access to justice if needed – eg. higher proportion of people with mental health problems have a low income
- 12. Thanks for listening! References: TUC report - ‘Mental Health and Employment’ - May 2017 Mental Health Foundation webpage - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/learning-disabilities/a-to- z/s/social-model-disability Business in the Community with YouGov report - ‘Mental Health at Work 2016’ Mind research - ‘It’s Ok to Cry’ – September 2015 Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer - ‘Thriving at Work: a review of mental health and employers’ - October 2017 _ x 0 0 5 F _ x