Mental health charity tackles workplace discrimination

The initiative helps and supports employers in making changes to their work practices, to improve the working lives of employees with mental health problems.

It also encourages organisations to take steps to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace.

Local Ceartas manager, Sharon Bairden, recently travelled through to Edinburgh for the first meeting of the See Me in Work programme to highlight the work undertaken by the organisation.

She said: “As See Me in Work Partners we are committed to taking steps to continually improve the working environment to ensure that our staff feel supported in their role and have access to support to help them deal with any challenges they face.

“Given the nature of our work there is already an openness about discussing mental health and wellbeing and becoming partners has served to augment this further”

As a See Me in Work Partner, Ceartas are in good company with other partner organisations

such as HMRC Aberdeen, Standard Life, and The Royal Society of Edinburgh, all making positive changes in their organisations.

See Me Programme Director, Calum Irving: “The employers who have become See Me in Work partners are real leaders in Scotland, taking the initiative in tackling mental health discrimination at work. Last year a YouGov poll commissioned by See Me found that 48 per cent of Scottish workers say people don’t tell their employers about mental health problems for fear of losing their job. By supporting workers who are experiencing problems with their mental health and having an open culture where it is okay to talk about mental health it is likely to save employers money as absence rates may be reduced. We are delighted to have our first See Me in Work partners and would urge other organisations to look into their workplaces.”