Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Commission, called for a ‘radical rethink’ by employers to unleash the talent of people with mental health conditions in a speech for the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health today (Wed 7 May). He called on employers to 'create a workplace which cultivates openness, provides support and promotes mental wellbeing.'
Read Trevor's speech in full
‘By shutting people with a mental health condition out, we turn our back on enormous talent and potential,’ he said.
He went on to point out that less than forty per cent of employers are willing to hire someone with a mental heath condition. The cost to the economy is around £10 billion a year.
Mr Phillips indicated a range of practical measures to help employers create a level playing field for staff with mental illnesses. These include:
• more support
• flexibility at work, for example to allow people to attend healthcare appointments, or work outside normal office hours
• a buddy/mentor scheme to provide support day to day
• flexibility around sick leave and unpaid leave.
He went on to say: ‘We need to approach the issues of mental health at work not just from the point of view of a medical strategy.
We also need an equality strategy.
‘Individual employers need to be aware of the reasonable adjustments they could make to the workplace so that it is feasible for people with mental health issues to stay in employment.
‘The Government is right to raise expectations of people with mental health problems leaving Incapacity Benefit and moving into work, and critically not leaving work and going onto incapacity benefit in the first place. But we need to up our game if we are going to make any real difference. We must redouble our efforts to support people not just to find jobs but to also develop in and keep jobs.’
Angela Greatley, Chief Executive of the Sainsbury centre for Mental Health, which is organising the event, said: ‘We are delighted that Trevor Phillips has highlighted the need for all of us to tackle the ignorance and prejudices that reduce the life chances and potential of people with mental health problems.
'Mental distress is a fact of life. It can affect any of us at any time. Ignoring mental ill health at work is a false economy. Mental ill health costs UK businesses £1,000 a year for every person they employ. Instead of running away from it, employers need to embrace the issue and create workplaces that promote mental wellbeing.'
Read Trevor's speech in full
____ ENDS_____
For more information contact the Equality and Human Rights Commission Media Office on 02031170255, out of hours 07767272818.
NOTES TO EDITORS
• See the Social Exclusion Report http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
• Mental Health and the UK Economy, Oxford Economics March 2007 www.oxfordeconomics.com
• The speech will be at the Royal College of Physicians, Regents Park.
• The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health is a charity working for better quality of life for people with mental health problems. Its work focuses on enabling people with mental health problems to improve their lives through employment and on tackling the high rates of mental ill health in UK prisons.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a statutory body established under the Equality Act 2006, which took over the responsibilities of Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and Equal Opportunities Commission.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is the independent advocate for equality and human rights in Britain. It aims to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people, and promote and protect human rights.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission will enforce equality legislation on age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status, and encourage compliance with the Human Rights Act. It will also give advice and guidance to businesses, the voluntary and public sectors, and to individuals.