Challenges of keeping staff with mental health problems

An estimated 300 000 people with mental health conditions fall out of work every year in the UK. Personnel Today reports that this is according to Justin Tomlinson, the UK Minister for Disabled People, who said getting people with mental and physical disabilities into work was only half of its challenge and acknowledged that it needed to make sure that employees with conditions did not ‘crash out’ of employment once they were in a role. He claimed 404 000 more disabled people had entered the workplace in the past two years alone, however, retaining these staff would remain a challenge if organisations and the government do not do more to support their health. Tomlinson highlighted the tax incentives for smaller firms to invest in occupational health. Other proposals to support employees with disabilities that were put forward by a consultation included reforming statutory sick pay to allow more staff to access it and the introduction of a right to request workplace adjustments on health grounds.