Employees who suffer from mental health issues are too frightened to speak out about it due to concerns over the stigma commonly attached to such illnesses, it has been said.
Staff well-being may be affected, with Rethink stating many UK adults avoid talking about their mental health because they are worried it could lead to them losing their job or being labelled as “mad”.
Furthermore, 59 per cent of employees revealed they would feel uncomfortable talking to their line manager if they suffered from a condition such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Furthermore, 18 per cent felt their manager would think they were “mad”, while 17 per cent believed such an admission would lead to them being overlooked for a promotion.
Antonia Borneo, Rethink’s policy manager, said: “Even when employers have mental health policies in place, line managers often feel ill-equipped to deal with mental health issues among staff. However, line managers have a huge role to play in tackling workplace stigma.”
Meanwhile, the Department for Health has announced that six government departments will sign an agreement with Employers for Carers on how they will work in partnership developing and promoting the support of carers in the workplace.
Posted by Colette Paxton
