Employment and mental health

Is work good for our mental health?
What can make work bad for our health?
Warning signs of workplace stress
Looking for stress triggers
Bullying
Having to stop working because of mental health issues
The benefits system if you are unable to work
The Disability Discrimination Act

Is work good for our mental health?


Some recent research has shown that work actually is good for our physical and mental health. (1)

‘Good work’ should be healthy, safe, and allow us to have some control over how our work is done and will give us self-worth.

Work is more than financial security it can also give us some structure to our time, it can give us a sense of purpose and the chance to make friends and get support.

1. Is work good for your health and well-being? Waddell,G and Burton AK (2006)
Link: www.workingforhealth.gov.uk

What can make work bad for our health?


Workplace stress is a problem for one in five of us and can result in us being unable to work. Workplace stress can be caused by such things as:- bullying, poor communication between staff, a bad working environment, or unreasonable demands on your time and skills. A recent national review of NHS staff found that more than a quarter of absences were due to stress, depression and anxiety.

Problems away from work such as money worries, divorce, illness, bereavement are likely to increase your stress levels.

Although stress is not a mental illness if it’s ignored it can lead to anxiety, depression and numerous physical health problems.

Warning signs of workplace stress


There are lots of symptoms which can be caused by stress but common ones are:-

Looking for stress triggers


What triggers stress will depend on the individual, but it can be helpful to watch out for what things cause you stress, some people find keeping a stress diary useful for a couple of weeks noting feelings at the start of the day, what happened during the day and whether feelings changed after different events.

Once you know what your stress triggers are it can help you to take steps to sort out your stress.

If fear of redundancy is making you stressed you could ring the NHS Credit Crunch Stressline on 0300 123 2000 lines are open from Monday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm for advice and support.

Links: Health and Safety Excutive website and Mind website

Bullying


Feeling bullied at work can be very stressful and can lead to mental health problems.

Some examples of bullying are:- being picked on, made to feel small in front of other people, treated unfairly, people swearing at you, or hurting you, or always threatening you with the sack.

If you think you are being bullied it’s a good idea to talk to someone about it and get advice.

ACAS – The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service offers free, confidential advice on all employment rights issues, their helpline number is 08457 474 747

The local Citizens Advice Bureau can also give you free advice or you can try their website www.adviceguide.org.uk

Having to stop working because of mental health issues


For some of us the symptoms of mental health problems make it difficult to work and we will need to get signed off work by our GP. There is no time limit on how long it can take to recover from mental illness it is dependent on the individual, but if you have a supportive employer it can really help you return to work. Although work may have been the contributing factor to becoming unwell it is important to keep some links with workplace friends and management. This can help you cope with the stress of returning to work. Research suggests that the longer someone is off sick the harder it is for them to return to work, for someone who has been off for a year or more the likelihood of returning to work is greatly reduced.

The mind booklet ‘Staying in employment’ has lots of information and advice on how to manage work when you have a mental health problem –
Link: Mind website

The benefits system if you are unable to work


In October 2008 Incapacity Benefit, which was for anyone unable to work because of an illness or disability, was replaced by Employment and Support allowance. During the first 13 weeks that you are on Employment Support Allowance you will be asked to go through a work capability assessment. If, after this, you are thought to be able to work, you will have to take part in work-related activities, if you don’t there is a risk that your benefit may be affected. If they decide your illness would make it hard for you to work you may be able to get more benefit.

From April 2009 people who were on Incapacity Benefit before 2008 are gradually being transferred onto Employment Support Allowance, and from April 2010 will have to have a work capability assessment.

If you do get a letter to say you have to have a work capability assessment it is a good idea to contact your mental health worker about it and ask them to support you through the process. If you don’t have a mental health support worker you could contact Shaw Trust or Building Bridges for advice and information.

The Pathways to work scheme offers support to people on benefit to help them back to work. After you have been claiming benefit for 8 weeks you will have to go to six work-focused interviews, you can see a personal advisor, you could go on a work programme and get some information on how to manage your mental health issues when you are in work. When you find a job if it pays £15,000 or less you can get £40 a week return to work credit, you may also be able to get support from a job coach, financial and debt counselling and support from the Jobcentre Plus Access to work teams.

(source of information for above – Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health Briefing 40)

For more information about Employment Support Allowance you can go to the following websites:
www.benefitsandwork.co.uk this site has a guide to help you with the Employment Support Allowance process.
www.direct.gov.uk
www.dwp.gov.uk
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
www.mentalhealth.org.uk
www.mind.org.uk

The Disability Discrimination Act


Mental health issues are seen as a hidden disability and so are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. Under the Act it is illegal for employers to discriminate against anyone because of their disability. Employers have a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for your disability; in terms of mental health issues these may be being flexible about your hours, giving some of your work to someone else, moving you to another job or work base, offering training or retraining if you can’t do your job anymore.

Through the Access to Work scheme run by Jobcentre Plus employers can get advice about reasonable adjustments and may be able to get some financial help towards them.

Because of the prejudice that is still around about mental health issues people are often reluctant to tell employers that they have had a mental health problem at interview, however, now with the Disability Discrimination Act lying about your mental health issues could be grounds for dismissal.

For more information on the Disability Discrimination Act – www.tacklementalhealth.org.uk
www.nidirect.gov.uk
www.direct.gov.uk
www.mind.org.uk

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