Businesses hit by mental illness

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/6035693.stm

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Employers in Scotland are losing more than £500m a year to mental illness, according to new research.

Disabled workers charity, the Shaw Trust, found people are taking more than six million days sick leave a year because of stress and depression.

One in four people in Scotland will suffer from a mental illness, it said.

Research by the charity claims employers are neglecting the recognition and treatment of mental health problems in their staff.

It found that one in three workers with a mental illness have been forced to resign from a job.

Support workers

The charity said there was a worrying lack of understanding as most bosses did not realise there was a problem.

Researchers also found the perception held by many employers was that people with mental health problems would be unreliable employees.

They said this meant businesses were in danger of losing valuable workers, and risk expensive discrimination lawsuits.

The organisation said businesses should be making the most of charities and offer support to workers.

The Shaw Trust is a national charity that provides training and work opportunities for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market because of disability, ill health or other social circumstances.