Employment
More support needed to get people back into work
For years Rethink Mental Illness has campaigned to improvement employment for people living with mental illness, including:
- Calling for an end to legal discrimination against people living with mental illness.
- Shining a light on how the welfare and employment system is failing.
- Rallying people with a mental illness to use their voice and shape the welfare system.
But more support is needed. In 2022, the Office for National Statistics said 2.5 million people reported long-term sickness from work with a 22% increase in mental illness since 2019 being the reason.
In our response to the government, we argue the need to reframe the issue from a problem to a chance to step in and improve people’s lives, including access to services like Individual Placement and Support.
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I cannot count the times I have been anxious at work due to lingering glances, comments under people’s breath when you walk into a room after extended sick leave, avoiding small talk. These concerns include the fear of opening up and disclosing information to colleagues that may be helpful and result in supportive adjustments being made.
Alice Alice
Building communities that care
A community that provides support for people severely affected by mental illness - such as employment, supported housing, debt advice, advocacy – gives everyone the chance to thrive, not just survive.
A survey in 2019 revealed only 23% of people with a mental illness were offered support finding a job or staying in work.
Our Building Communities that Care report outlines a blueprint for best supporting someone with a mental illness within their own community.
Holding the government to account
The 2023 Budget recognised how poor mental health stops a huge number of people with a severe mental illness from working. It’s great to see issues like this being raised, but suggestions of stricter sanctions from the Department for Work and Pensions will be a worry for a lot of people.
There was also no reassurance of how mental health services will be supported to meet the rise in demand for mental health care.
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Back to Work Plan
"People living with mental illness can work with the right support, when they feel ready to do so, bringing positive benefits to their mental health and opening up a world of opportunities."
Read our thoughts on the Back to Work Plan Read our thoughts on the Back to Work Plan
Working with a mental illness
Your rights at work
This guide helps people living with a mental illness think about what changes they can request as an employee, and how to go about it.
Read the guide Read the guide
Work, bipolar, and me
“I love my job, but I’ve found that Bipolar Affective Disorder is complex to talk about when it comes to the workplace and employment; even the description of your condition is complicated.”
Read Alice's story Read Alice's story
Not fit for work
Rethink Mental Illness commissioned research on the experiences of people living with mental illness going to through the Work Capability Assessment for Employment.
Read the findings Read the findings