ITA - DD has ADHD, depression, anxiety and OCD, as diagnosed by the NHS. She took the ADHD meds and antidepressants to enable her to work. She was the only graduate at her grade in the department and HR admitted she was the best; their key employee at her level. She was the most conscientious and the only one, who did her job properly - all her colleagues resented this, because they did the bare minimum, turned up late, didn’t comply with the official procedures, etc. DD asked for a few reasonable adjustments. The major company’s initial response was:
”This is not how we conduct our business!”
When she pointed out these were reasonable adjustments for a business of their size, as per The Equality Act, HR agreed to them. However, her manager would say after three weeks:
Why can’t you do this task, like everyone else?”
Her manager then wrote nasty emails about her to senior management - she told her colleagues subsequently, in her view, she could write whatever she liked about the staff, whether it was true or not! Everyone in the department, including her manager subjected DD to two years of workplace harassment and bullying, until she left. Basically, the manager was afraid to manage her team. (I know, because I supported DD in meetings with her manager, HR and the area manager, and read all the paperwork on DD in a subject access request)
Two years after leaving, with more severe mental health problems, including an admission as an inpatient, DD has been diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder over the workplace bullying, the most common cause of it apparently. She is awaiting an inpatient bed again, costing £500 a night - having been suicidal every day for the last 9 months. She’s on an antipsychotic (to relieve the anxiety), an antidepressant, a benzodiazepine (for the anxiety) and a beta blocker (to stop the physical symptoms of panic attacks).
She says there are structural barriers to employment for people with ADHD and/or mental health problems - the stigma, and companies don’t want to employ them, and can’t be bothered with reasonable adjustments. Until, the government enforces The Equality Act and sets quotas, instead of leaving the most vulnerable to enforce it individually at the employment tribunal, it is pointless people bleating on about people with mental health problems on benefits.
All the other patients in the inpatient unit, are there after being sectioned for psychosis. They are revolving door patients - they stay there for a few months until stable on regular medications, food and drink and are discharged. They are not even under The Community Mental Health Team on discharge - they don’t take their meds, eat or drink properly, and self neglect generally, until they deteriorate enough in a month or two, to be sectioned again. Then the whole cycle starts again. It is ludicrous to suggest these people could work reliably enough for an employer.