To think that allowances should be made for mental health conditions and neurodiversity in the workplace?

[FromTheSoul]

I have complex mental health problems and am ND. These things are known about at my place of work but I don't think allowances or considerations are made in the same way they would for a physical illness perhaps. Even though many mental health conditions can also present physically.

I feel like when you say to someone that you suffer with anxiety, SOME people will not take it seriously or will be dismissive. At my workplace I've told a couple of trusted people how bad my mental health can be. For example, recently it's been very bad. I've lost weight, had to increase my meds, seen a private psychiatrist. I have a mix of health anxiety, ocd, ptsd, pnd and a history of panic attacks. As well as that I'm neurodiverse. These things have been clinically assessed which my medical notes will show. So it's not just anxiety at a lower level, mine can be severe.

Up until the last couple of years, post having my children, I've masked these problems at work but it's become harder to do that. I feel that I can do my job, I want to do my job but every so often, I might need allowances to be made. But does this mean I have to let everyone know? I don't really feel comfortable with that. As it is, I have about 5 people at work that know. I also don't want management thinking I'm not up to doing my job because I can do it.

I don't want to say what the type of workplace this is as it could be outing. But the pressure is on in the type of work.

But I just wonder if mental health and ND was better known about (still!... in 2023) and considered in the workplace generally, then things would be different.

@Ameanstreakamilewide not ok id agree. Quite clearly she's not ready to be back at work. But also an employer has a right to say that sick leave has to end at some point.

This is really common these days and I think a lot of people are just losing their patience with it now, to be honest. I certainly am.

I have empathy because I’ve been there and I know how debilitating MH issues can be, but

It isn’t anyone else’s responsibility to pick up my slack.

It has to be something that works for everyone involved. As an example- say I don’t like doing presentations because of my anxiety, someone else will have to do more because of that. However, I need to have a strength where I can take the workload off that person in the other regard (ie I’m good at doing research). I can’t just offload work onto others and do the bare minimum while being paid the same wage. That isn’t fair.

Ultimately people need to come in with reasonable expectations of what adaptions need made to support them in work, but they still need to do the job. They need to put in place measures outside of work that continue to support them on their journey so they do get better. And, if things are still too difficult, then they need to look for work that is better suited.

There are an increasing number of individuals who want adjustments made, to barely do their job, get paid the full amount and be able to use their diagnosis as a get out of jail card for every single thing they either

• don’t want to do
• don't like doing
• haven’t done
• have no intention of doing

I think ultimately that is why people aren’t interested in hearing about other people’s health problems to be honest. It’s not for a lack of empathy, but simply that whenever people mention that they’re struggling with x or y, it’s always with an underlying explanation of why they haven’t done their job properly, or trying to guilt trip others into offering to do work for them.

This is exactly why I think people should keep their health concerns to themselves in work and only mention it to their line manager, HR and OH. Talk to those about it who need to know, agree adjustments and then get on with your job. All your colleagues don’t need an excuse to why you aren’t going to meet your deadlines every week.

And legally, the adjustments aren't there to take workload off people, but to adjust arrangements for work, so that they can do their jobs. THe point is "reasonable."

This principle makes sense, and it's why the experience of @jessieminto is so shocking : it's unfair and also shooting the management/business in the foot. Accommodations would have enabled her workplace to keep her productive - they've lost someone who sounds like a very productive employee.

The problem we hit with a colleague with a mental illness (as opposed to a physical disability) was the denial (even when they were sectioned), the covering up, the refusal to engage, and the lack of acknowledgement tht others were having to take up the work they dropped.