Mental Illness in the Workplace? Consider Yourself Fired!

Although the stigma that surrounds mental illness has decreased due to its spread of awareness through celebrities and social media, it still exists. Not only is this stigma prevalent in society as a whole, but also it is especially prevalent in the workplace.

Due to this stigma, many people with mental disorders choose not to disclose such personal information, but rather, keep it to themselves in order to avoid any possible consequences. Why would they suffer from a consequence, one may ask? Well, the reality is, they shouldn’t. The Americans with Disabilities Act has enforced regulations stating that no person should be fired for having a mental disorder, given that they are fully capable of performing the tasks required by their job. You would think that would be enough to stop an employer from firing an employee solely for having a mental illness, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

A recent New York Times article directly discussed the problems associated with this stigma and how it has affected many employees. For example, one woman working in the field of childbirth chose to keep her mental disorder to herself. She simply requested that her employer allow her to Fridays off and when asked why, she responded saying that she meets with a group every Friday. Over time, the employer’s curiosity increased, thus, peaking her interest as to what sort of group the employee was participating in. Eventually the woman told her employee that the group she attended every Friday was a support group consisting of other bipolar members, such as her. Soon after, the employer fired the employee from her job, stating that her mental disorder had interfered with her tasks at her job. The employee did not understand how this could be the case, given that she was receiving positive comments left and right not only from her coworkers, but also her employer.

It goes to show that this stigma has a clear and defined negative impact on the many people who are associated with it. Because so many people are fearful its consequences, they stay quiet and secretive, when instead, they could reveal a very important and beneficial piece of information that may improve the communication between the employee and the employer.

The question still remains though, “Should an employee make his or her illness known in the workplace?” Well according to Susan G. Goldberg, a psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at Duquesne University that understands the issue very well, has five suggestions before an individual decides to disclose an illness.

- How supportive is the person you are disclosing to likely to be?

- What type of culture does the company have? Sometimes big companies are more open, sometimes it’s mom and pops, she said.

- Do you have a proven track record?

- What is happening in the society as a whole? “You probably don’t want to disclose after a mass shooting,” she said, when people tend to connect mental illness with violence.

- Do you need to disclose everything about the condition, or would it be better to be selective?

The National Institute of Mental Health found that more than 18 percent of Americans struggle with the diagnosis of either a behavioral, mental, or behavioral disorder. With so many people diagnosed with mental disorders, why wouldn’t society want to remove this stigma and make the world more welcoming?

In addition, as more and more people reveal their mental disorders in the workplace, the stigma will continue to decrease. As awareness in the workplace is increased, opportunities to help employees will be made available. Employers will also be more understanding of a person’s inevitable symptoms due to their mental illness. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/your-money/disclosing-mental-disorders-at-work.html?ref=health