Free Confidential Support

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Remploy provides a free and confidential service in partnership with Access to Work, to support individuals with common conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues affecting their work. To be eligible for this service you need to be in permanent or temporary employment (attending work or signed off) and have a mental health condition (disagnosed or undiagnosed) that has resulted in workplace absence, or is causing difficulties to remain in work. You can call 0300 4568114 and speak to one of their friendly advisors or email vocationalrehabilitation@remploy.co.uk

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The Legal Stuff

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Employers have a duty of care to their employees, which means that they should take all steps which are reasonably possible to ensure their health, safety and wellbeing. The Equality Act protects people from discrimination. It brings together the law that was found in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), the Race Relations Act, and the Sex Discrimination Act. It protects people from being discriminated against because of certain characteristics, such as gender, age or disability. You might not think of yourself as disabled, but if your mental health condition has a serious impact on your day-to-day life over a long period then it might be considered a disability under this law. Some of the most important things to know are:

• An employer must not treat a disabled person less favourably than another employee because of disability.
• It is wrong for your employer to treat you badly because they think that you have a disability
• It is wrong to treat you unfavourably where this is linked to disability.
• Employers must make reasonable adjustments to work practices, and provide other aids and adaptations, for disabled employees.
• The law covers you during recruitment, employment and if you are being dismissed for any reason, including redundancy
• Employers are not allowed to use ‘ pre-employment questionnaires‘ to ask about your health before you are offered a job

Mind’s legal advice service and legal unit
Mind’s legal advice service – 0300 466 6463 –legal@mind.org.uk This provides legal information and general advice on mental health related law covering mental health, mental capacity, community care, human rights and discrimination/equality related to mental health issues.

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