Scots employers partner up with mental health programme to end stigma

0 Tamar Tammes, managing partner at Burness Paull A group of major Scottish employers is taking action to tackle mental health stigma as part of World Mental Health Day today.

Scotrail, Apex Hotels, engineering company Babcock and commercial law firm Burness Paull have partnered with the “See Me” programme to highlight the potential impact of mental health discrimination in the workplace.

The organisations, which employ a combined total of more than 8,000 people, have signed up to an eight-month process with See Me that will analyse their policies and practices in relation to mental health, challenge discrimination and improve the working lives of employees with mental health problems.

In 2015 See Me, the national programme to end mental health discrimination, conducted a survey of Scottish workers which found that 48 per cent of people thought that someone in their work suffering with a mental health problem would be unlikely to disclose the fact for fear of losing their job.

See Me workplace manager, Dr Patty Lozano Casal, said: “The workplace is one of the main areas in Scotland where people with mental health conditions are unable to live fulfilled lives.

“As Scotland’s mental health strategy highlights, not having a job is the single biggest inequality that people with mental health problems can face.

“So it’s vital that employers in Scotland take action to ensure that people struggling with their mental health are treated fairly and are fully supported to stay in work.”

Tamar Tammes, managing partner at Burness Paull, added: “We are delighted that See Me has invited Burness Paull and other major employers in Scotland to help highlight the potential impact of mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace.”