From the U.K., where they have something comparable to our A.D.A. when it comes to employment discrimination based on disability:
Cheltenham Borough Council has today lost its case to sue former employee Christine Laird for £1million for not disclosing her past experience of depression. Leading mental health charity Mind says the landmark ruling serves as an important reminder to employers about the importance of providing adequate support to people with mental health problems in the workplace.
Mind’s Chief Executive Paul Farmer said: “This ruling provides reassurance to the one in four people in this country who will at some point have a mental health problem that they will not be penalised by their employer for being unwell. Mental illness is an illness like any other and employers need to do more to understand the issues people face and provide reasonable adjustments that help people to stay in their job.”
“We know that less than half of employers say they would employ someone with a mental health problem (1) which means that people with experience of mental distress are often stuck between a rock and a hard place – disclose and face discrimination, or don’t disclose and run the risk of being ‘found out’ later and potentially sacked.”
Read more in Medical News Today. Photo credit: Paul Glover.