New
research shows that more than one in three Scots with mental health problems
are bullied at work, with managers being the chief culprits.
The
study found that 38 per cent of people with mental health problems have been
bullied or harassed at work in Scotland and in two-thirds of the instances,
managers were responsible.
The
research forms part of the ‘See Me’ campaign in Scotland, which aims to help
managers eliminate the stigma and discrimination in the workplace associated
with mental health problems.
Linda
Dunion, campaign director of See Me, said the research showed that many people
who have experienced mental ill-health do not enjoy equal rights in the
workplace.
"People’s
attitudes and lack of awareness are at the root of the problem,” she said. “Losing
skilled and experienced individuals from the workforce is the last thing most
employers want at a time when organisations across Scotland are struggling to
recruit and retain staff.”
The
reports findings:
•
21 per cent had been verbally abused
•
16 per cent had experienced physical abuse or intimidation at work because of
their mental health problems
•
Of the 38 per cent of respondents who had experienced workplace harassment, 67
per cent said that managers were responsible and 32 per cent said that it was
colleagues who had behaved badly towards them
•
43 per cent of people with mental health problems had not applied for a job
because of how their mental health history might be perceived
•
57 per cent had concealed past or current mental health problems when applying
for a job
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•
30 per cent felt they were denied a job they applied for it because of their
mental ill-health
