A charity has called on the government to give greater protection to people with mental health problems when looking for work.
The Mental Health Foundation said workplace discrimination towards those with mental health problems could only be tackled by government enforcement.
Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development published this week revealed that one in five employers would not consider hiring an incapacity claimant with a history of mental illness.
Andrew McCulloch, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We know that many people with mental health problems want to work but are excluded from doing so. There continues to be a lack of understanding about mental health and many myths remain, leaving people ignorant and prejudiced, including employers.
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“It is no good just trying to change attitudes as this has been proven not to work. We need to change their behaviour. We need the government to enforce current strategies and legislation to make employers behave differently.”
The Mental Health Foundation will publish a report, Actions Speak Louder, about mental health and discrimination, at the end of the month.
