Mental illness and work
Workplace opinions
More than 500,000 Queenslanders, or 1 in 5 people, will experience mental illness in any year. Employees with a mental illness and employers of people with disability have shared their thoughts about work in studies by SANE Australia and the Australian Government.
Workplace support is vital to help employees get the support they need. The next page in this guide includes information about support for employees and employers with their mental health.
What employees say
A study by SANE Australia, Working life and mental illness, asked employees with mental illness about their experiences with work. Of the people surveyed:
- 37% felt having a mental illness had been a barrier to them finding a job
- 62% disclosed having a mental illness to their employer, and more than half of the people surveyed—53%—said they had experienced stigma at some time at work
The employees said:
- fewer than half of their managers—43%—had an understanding of mental illness and how it affects people at work.
On this basis, 95% recommended employees and managers receive education on mental illness, and training on how to manage its effects at work.
Many of the employees had also not received support or help from government programs.
You can find out about support that is available with work—including government assistance—if you have a mental illness or disability.
What employers say
Employers shared their thoughts about recruiting people with a disability—including people with a mental or psychological disability—as well as about the role of Disability Employment Services, in the study, Employer perspectives on recruiting people with disability and the role of Disability Employment Services.
The findings showed:
- employers generally have a favourable attitude towards employing people with disability, and believe most people with disability have a strong work ethic
- honesty is appreciated by employers
- employment is all about getting the right person for the job
- employers that have used a Disability Employment Service are mostly satisfied—53% rated the service as ‘good' or very good', and one third rated it as ‘acceptable'.
More information about Disability Employment Services is available online.
More information
The Australian Government's Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations has completed research into employment and mental illness, including literature reviews and reports about related topics.
