Employers urged to improve way mentally ill staff are treated

The government has used World Mental Health Day today to launch a new scheme to encourage employers to improve the way they deal with mental health in the workplace.

The three-year Action on Stigma campaign wants employers to sign up to a set of anti-stigma principles, such as showing they have changed their employment practices to ensure people with mental health problems are treated fairly and equally.

The Department of Health today published a document setting out the principles.

The campaign comes months after health minister Rosie Winterton launched a drive to help people with mental health problems get back to work

However, the government has come under fire for its previous efforts to tackle stigma, with experts claiming they have had little impact because they are not backed with enough resources

Mental Health Foundation chief executive Andrew McCulloch said the government would need to “substantially increase” its investment in anti-stigma measures for the latest campaign to be successful.

More on mental health
www.communitycare.co.uk/mentalhealth