Watering Down Of Equality Bill Means Continued Misery For Job Applicants With Mental Illness

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 30 Nov 2009 - 0:00 PST

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Mental health charity Rethink has expressed its disappointment following the government's decision not to introduce a clause in the Equality Bill to stop employers asking job applicants about their medical history before deciding whether to invite them for interview.

After years of campaigning, Rethink was hopeful in July when the Solicitor General Vera Baird indicated that the government might introduce a clause to the Equality Bill which would ban employers from asking job applicants about their health history until after a job offer has been made. However, government amendments published show there is no commitment to following through and ending this discriminatory employment practice which deters so many people with mental health problems from applying for jobs.

Under the current system, employers can ask job applicants whether they have a medical condition or disability before deciding whether to invite them for interview. This has led to shocking discrimination towards people with "invisible" health conditions such as mental health problems. In the United States and a significant number of EU member states it is against the law to ask pre-interview health questions.

Paul Corry, Rethink's director of public affairs, said:

"The government's decision not to introduce the amendment is a massive disappointment not only for Rethink but for the thousands of people who have experienced mental health problems and who want to work. Job applicants with a history of mental illness will have little choice but to continue to lie about their health on application forms just to get an interview.

"Employer discrimination is a real problem. People with mental illness can have fulfilling careers and be an asset to any organisation yet too many employers are unable to see past their own prejudice. By failing to address this in the Equality Bill, the government has condemned job candidates to a future where they will continue to be judged on their diagnosis, not their ability."

Research shows that one in ten employers has withdrawn a job offer from someone who lied about their health on their job application, and seven per cent of employers have dismissed an employee for this reason. However, many of Rethink's members say that being honest about their mental health history on a job application form is tantamount to writing themselves out of the job.

Andy Harley, 36, was a successful banking analyst before he became ill with depression. He says:

"I had worked in a bank for years and everything was going really well but then depression struck and I had to take almost a year off. Fully recovered and ready for work, I found that organisations didn't want me. I was honest and ticked the box on application forms that asked about mental illness. It took two years and more than 150 applications to finally get a job at a much lower grade than my qualifications and capabilities."

Source
Rethink