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Discrimination in the Workplace Due to Short or Long Term Depression It is painfully to witness a recent consistent trend in Europe and the US that is neatly characterized by Phyllis Gabriel and Marjo-Riitta Liimatainen as the alarming increase of short term and long term absenteeism due to mental health problems, depression in particular. According to the accounts offered by Frederic J. Zimmerman and Wayne Katon, the average continuance of absence due to depression was 95. 2 in 2002, compared with 65. 6 days. What makes the situation more dangerous is that mental illness contributes to poor physical health, and women are estimated to be in more jeopardy in this respect. The concern of employers, governments and social organizations has increased, as the adverse effects on society have grown. Depression at work cause short term (up to 7 days), long term (7 - 21 days) and very long (over 21 days) absenteeism and, subsequently, lead to lower productivity, reduced income, reduced social networks, loss of self-esteem and social exclusion.
More employees claim incapacity benefit. More people have to reduce work to provide care for their relative. As a result, both social and economic costs are high. Although general employment rates in the US are highly variable at the moment, people with depression are at a high risk of discrimination. In the conditions of laser-faire market, that entails job insecurity, short-term contracts and time pressure, most people find it difficult to cope with personal or / and professional challenges. Once retired due to disability, they are classified as economically inactive rather than unemployed.
In the society with well-developed barriers to employment individuals, who are attached with such a stigma, are most vulnerable to permanent exclusion from the labor market or may in fact develop any work history. Most employers are reluctant to hire a person with a mental health problem because they are deterred by additional expenses. As no universal benchmarks have been worked out, the economical evaluation of interventions aimed at promoting mental health in the workplace is relatively limited. Still rehabilitation is reported to decrease the pecuniary and personal costs of the disease. Against the research, carried out by Frederic J. Zimmerman and Wayne Katon, people with mental problems are eager to return to their workplace.
Evidently, work brings something more than money, and these people are deprived of a sense of belonging, a social contact, a purpose and self-esteem. To urge a shift from train and place to place and support, the Disability Act was passed in 1995 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in terms of employment, opportunities and treatment. All the people who have a disability, that is a substantial physical or mental impairment, where depression is included, are proved to be significantly restricted in major life activities and, therefore, are protected under the ADA. Major depression is a brain disorder characterized by fatigue, indecisiveness, difficulty concentrating, accentuated changes of emotions for no apparent reason, and is mostly caused by unemployment or work-relate stress.
Proceeding from this, I find it rather important for employers to take preventive measures and head for a healthy working environment, if they wish to have high productivity, high profits and high turnover rate. The Disability act presupposes the arrangement of reasonable adjustments to the working conditions to enable employers with disabilities make their full contribution. The reasonable accommodations are suggested to be supervised by a rehabilitation co-coordinator or a manager, if a small company, and should include making modifications to premises, arranging a transfer of some duties to colleagues, arranging meeting more suitable engagements, diminishing the working hours, assertiveness training, acquiring new equipment or altering existing one, modifying procedures, providing active support. I support the anti-discrimination policy in the US that makes the level of long term depression lower through enabling employees with disabilities to be retained as a productive member of human resources. I do not exclude the possibility of some people to make use of the supported employment system, e. g.
to sign on for incapacity benefit being in full capacity. Work Cited Zimmerman, Frederic J. and Katon, Wayne. Socioeconomic Status, Depression Disparities, and Financial Strain: What Lies behind the Income-Depression Relationship? Health Economics, Forthcoming Articles Pages n / a . John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2005. 24 Nov. 2005. < web > Gabriel, Phyllis and Liimatainen, Marjo-Riitta.
Mental Health in the Workplace: Introduction. International Labor Office, Geneva, October 2000. ISBN 92 - 2 - 112223 - 9. 24 Nov. 2005. < web
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