Mental

Advice for employers on workplace adjustments for mental health conditions
At any one time, one in six adults1 will be experiencing a mental health condition. It is crucial that employers are playing a full part in supporting job retention and return to work for people with such conditions. In this document we use the term mental health condition to refer to early signs of stress as well as medically diagnosed conditions such as depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. In many cases simple and cost-effective workplace adjustments can make a big difference and can allow people with mental health conditions to keep in touch with the working world and live healthy and productive lives. The adjustment needed could be a change in practice or workload. These guidance notes are intended to help employers think through the kinds of adjustments at work which they can make for people with mental health conditions. They include practical advice and links to other resources which might help them to support job retention and return to work. The key thing to remember is that everyone’s experience of mental ill health is different – so two people with a diagnosis of depression may have very different symptoms and need different adjustments. This may seem complex, but often the person will be the expert on their condition and know their own support needs.

Why should an employer make adjustments?
There are a number of reasons why employers should take steps to make adjustments for people with mental health conditions. From a regulatory perspective, the Equality Act (2010) outlines an employer’s duty to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities in order to ensure that they have the same access to everything that involves gaining or keeping employment as a non-disabled person. According to the Act a person is defined as disabled if they have a mental or physical impairment that has a substantial long term (i.e. more than 12 months) effect on their normal day...