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Local Practice
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North East Mental Health and Employment Local Study Thematic Report: Private Sector Employers Report Background The geographical areas of Durham City, Sedgefield (inclusive of Aycliffe industrial estate) and Newcastle upon Tyne (West) were used as a basis for this small scale investigation which will endeavour to provide an insight into knowledge, attitudes, values and competencies of employers in relation to the recruitment and retention of individuals with mental health problems. Resulting recommendations will be made about the changes necessary to address the potential contributions of employers to the employability agenda. Individual interviews were carried out with staff members of the participating organisations, Ethical conventions were maintained through out the interview process. The group of companies used as a basis for this research was formed from 3 private sector employers within each of the geographical areas stated in the above paragraph. Control questions were used to demonstrate reliability and validity as well as consistency. The business focus of the companies interviewed includes manufacturing, retail and service sectors and are a variety of size of working population from LCU’s (Large contracting units-large companies) to medium and small enterprises SME’s and micro businesses. Profiles of each of the participating businesses are provided at the end of this report. Key Themes and Trends Knowledge of Mental Health There were varying degrees of understanding what mental health meant, both generally and specifically in relation to employment. Generally people’s knowledge of mental health came from personal experience i.e. what they knew through self, family and/or friends and the media. Stress was not seen in the way that apparently more serious mental health problems were. All organisations were aware of stress at work and the availability of stress management programmes and courses. Stress it seems is firmly on the agenda as there are also issues to do with the company being potentially liable for causing the stress. Mental health problems outside of this seem to be a grey area when it comes to employment and those interviewed had varying degrees of knowledge on the disability discrimination regulations. There were two main concerns identified in respect of what were perceived as mental health issues – Firstly that people who suffer from mental health problems can be unpredictable and act in a disturbing way which could frighten staff and customers Secondly that people with mental health problems would under perform compared with colleagues and yet be on the same salary. There is therefore a culture of mistrust, avoidance and fear associated with possible change in legislation where employers feel that employees with mental health difficulties could be imposed on them. Employers, interviewed, felt they wanted competent and capable people. Concern was commented upon in the form of people who experience either visual or hearing impairment/difficulty or have a physical disability and whether they are suitable for a wide variety of working practices. One person interviewed said in their opinion “it was easier to get a job if you were an ex offender than to put on application form that you had had mental health problems”. Mental health issues, for most employers interviewed, were seen as more threatening than physical health problems. Although politically and legally employers generally realise they cannot discriminate against individuals with mental health problems the avoidance culture leads to them trying to ignore the facts and hoping the situation will not affect them. The focus applied by government in relation to raising awareness has been primarily aimed at disability and equality of opportunity, in relation to access to employment, prejudicial behaviour and accessibility within the workplace, with less emphasis being place upon diversity, inclusivity and strategies for cultural change. In order to change this emphasis a more structured programme to move organisational culture is required The respondents had little knowledge of what constitutes mental health and little experience of this applied to their workplaces. Some employers claimed that stress was a more easily identifiable condition however, limited understanding of the diverse nature and subtlety of difference experienced within the various mental health issues was apparent. Employers were aware of terms such as depression and stress but are unclear of the range of mental problems and demonstrated poor understanding by using terms such as Downs Syndrome in the context of mental health conditions. Both opticians interviewed said that as they had to ask about medication in relation to eye tests etc they were aware of a rise in people taking anti depressants. This is reflected in the trends demonstrated in recent government reports. Respondents generally referred to mental health within a clinical model (i.e. people suffering mental health problems) rather than a social model expression (i.e. what the person brings to the workplace arena-Inclusively) Interestingly one business, interviewed, stated that they had mental health patients as customers and that they always came with a carer so there were never any difficulties. As such they felt that they had more awareness of mental health as an organisation. Support for Employers. The research demonstrated that none of the businesses interviewed knew what help was available (if any) but said they could access information if they had to, especially in relation to employment law and rights. This was accessed by a range of information available from a variety of sources including via electronic media. One respondent interviewed identified the Industrial Federation and general law advice centres as being a possible source of information. It was felt that organisational priorities were their primary concern rather than sourcing information on this subject. Reasonable Adjustments Most businesses interviewed, stated that they were familiar with the terms ‘need to make reasonable adjustments’ for people with disabilities at work - employer legislation was described as a’ minefield’ and “this is one extra thing to be concerned about”. All said they thought it would mean taking a more flexible approach with staff, being understanding and giving extra support. Although this was the theory, all thought giving that extra support and time would be difficult and could also cause issues with other employees as well as having a financial/resource impact upon the business. Employment of People with Mental Health Issues Only two businesses stated that they had employed people with mental health issues. One was on a work experience programme but they did not keep that person on as they couldn’t work at same level as other employees. One business had employed someone with a mental health issue because that individual (they chose the right of self disclosure), was capable to do what was required and keen to work, although the position was later terminated due to reasons of a confidential nature. The organisation had put this down to experience, however it has made them apprehensive about doing it again. Stress is firmly on the agenda and certainly the larger businesses have occupational assistance available and take the issue seriously particularly in respect of possible litigation. This creates a pressure to prioritise the issue of conditions such as stress, rather than take a proactive perspective and determine coping strategies within the workplace for a range of health conditions. Stress Related Absences Three companies said they had experienced staff absence due to stress (despite only two thinking that they had employed individuals with mental health problems). One company that had dealt with a stress related illness had given a lot of support through the line managers as regards work load, the occupational health provider and the HR manager. Another had offered understanding, support and a stress help line number and the other company had given time off and then had a discussion about workload levels to try and reduce stress. All companies indicated they had offered support but were unable to substantiate this information. There was no mention of the real cause of the stress and no understanding of the influence of personal stressors on workplace performance. Government Support In general the organisations felt that people with mild problems would probably not pose a difficulty but more serious mental health issues would require possibly a higher level of staff supervision which wasn’t always possible. Most of the companies interviewed thought a subsidy or incentive of some sort from the government or government allied departments would not help. This is seen as only a part measure and that more in the way a support framework where the company and its staff were actively involved managing change cultures would be much more effective. The response from companies indicated that they felt that this would be another program by the government that would fade with time and some sense of continuity and partnership was required and necessary in the form of education and training to raise awareness of risks to organisation and to individuals. It was thought that a program of education and mind set change would be the most effective way to progress this area. Site/Organisational Comparisons There are no major differences in responses from the organisations based on geography or organisational type, all displayed a distinct lack of knowledge and a fear factor. Key Messages (M) and Recommendations (R) (M)There is a general lack of understanding of mental health and the different levels and what exactly constitutes mental health. Unpredictability of behaviour and absences was a problem but most companies said as long as an individual was capable of doing the work and had support mechanisms this could be coped with although it could be difficult. However, taking on someone with a history of stress related illness might be more problematic as they wanted economically active people not people who they felt might be taking time off. They also worried that other staff might object if one person was doing significantly less for the same pay, if they had mental health issues. Companies did not mention the possibility of an employee with mental health problems actually doing more than a fully fit employee. The perception is that if they have a mental health problem then work will be of a lower standard. (M) Mental health issues are misunderstood by the general population, aided by the media, therefore there is a lack of understanding of how people with mental health issues can contribute to the wellbeing of the business. The culture appears to be one of avoidance, lack of understanding and dismissal. Concerns about changes that the government might impose on them, lack of suitable support in smaller businesses, concerns about the views of other staff and/or customers as well as concerns over relative skill levels were all present. For example recruiting someone known to have had time off in the past with stress would pose many issues for an employer, rather than having an understanding of the nature of causes of stress and coping strategies, for both the company, co-workers and the individual concerned. (M) In effect the whole area of mental health and employment doesn’t seem at all clear to the companies and their workforce. Whilst large companies can afford specialist support in house, smaller ones cannot do that. Certainly this research has demonstrated that all the companies within the research groupings would welcome some information, training and advice on how to address the issue the issue (R) The responses demonstrated by this research indicate that there is a significant issue relating to the need for support for employees to develop strategies to aid cultural change within their organisations, related to mental health awareness and assisting companies to focus on individual potential (R) A process of education and development is required within all organisations able to make a contribution to the employability agenda- this will give everybody the same framework to work to effectively address employability. It will ensure a combined understanding of mental health, the issue of mental health in relation to employability and make clear to all partners the contribution that they are required to make. (R) The development of a forum where relevant legislation (EU/National) and information and support is made available would also be welcomed Employer Profiles: (Large Company over 250 employees) The organisation is a world leader in the design and manufacture of a broad range of customised RF, microwave and millimetre wave components and subsystems. The company's products are used in wireless communication infrastructure equipment, electronic defence systems, and point-to-point communication systems. These products filter, amplify and transmit and receive RF signals. The organisation can supply products for every significant transmission standard and modulation system in the world, operating at any frequency. The organisation’s customers are leading international original equipment manufacturers together with prominent defence contractors. The Company has achieved a pre-eminent level of engineering expertise and currently employs over 400 engineers, many of whom hold PhDs. These engineers operate from sites in Europe, North America, Australia and China. The strategic objective of the organisation is to become the world's leading RF electronics company by utilising its proprietary technologies and engineering expertise throughout the world and applying these competencies to markets which offer opportunities for sustainable and exceptional rates of growth and return. The organisation addresses these opportunities by designing and supplying sophisticated and customised RF microwave and millimetric products to meet its customers' requirements and by continuing to develop its global relationships with these customers. (Medium SME: 50 -250 employees) The company is 100years old and started as a family run business. It was bought out by the management and now is run by 3 directors and a chairman. They are a print and design company pricing brochures for football clubs, GNER and many other national, regional and local companies. They have permanent staff and agency staff working for them (Small SME: 10 – 49 employees) A family based business for over 30 years with one centre in Aycliffe and another in Washington Tyne and Wear. The business has recently moved into new premises in Newton Ayclife and has seen a large rise in business as a result. (Medium SME: 50-250 employees) The restaurant has a chain with 2 restaurants and a third planned – one is in Durham and one in Jesmond. The owner is now diversifying into wine marketing for a South African project and also for a new business. The restaurant employs over 50 staff in total and focus on local organics produce as a feature of their restaurants. There is a regular turn over of staff due to the nature of the business. They often employ students for example to wait on tables or behind the bar. They have an active recruitment policy (Large Company: over 250 employees) This organisation is the global leader in non-destructive X-ray metrology systems for 90nm technology nodes and below. They deliver dramatic yield enhancement through the absolute measurement of semiconductor material properties. These include not only thickness, but also measurements of structure, roughness and composition that are crucial for new materials and processes. They have centres in Europe, North America and Asia (Micro Business: less than 10 employees) An optician that now has a based in Durham that does home visits and corporate visits for eye tests and eye care. They work throughout Co. Durham. There are 3 people in the team and they have been established for 2 years. (Medium Size SME: 120 employees) This organisation regard themselves as a very forward thinking organisation, they have sales of over £50m and have achieved some rapid growth in recent years. The organisation prides itself on “Employee care”. They have a fully functional human resource department and carry out reviews in relation to legislative requirements and internal policy on a regular basis. (Medium Size SME: 42 employees) This organisation are a “typical” manufacturing outfit who have no real processes or procedures yet still make a healthy profit on a year to year basis. They have 42 employees and have a “do it now” attitude. This is a very pressurised environment who do not work to the weakest link. (Medium Size SME: Floating amount of employees) This organisation is a well renowned organisation who have a “floating” number of employees. This is a notoriously difficult environment to progress in. Thompson’s have a turnover in excess of £25m Thompson’s prides itself on delivery on time.
This Report was submitted by Ian Mcdonald of Infinite Resource Ltd Research Associate Ms J Mardon. Research Associate Mr T Spellman. Research Associate Mr S Farrier
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