Analysis
By s1jobs
The deadline for larger companies to report on their gender pay gap is on the horizon, though at present there is no clear guidance on whether this will be mandatory after compulsory disclosure was suspended last year in the face of the Covid pandemic. Meanwhile, there is growing consensus that similar reporting requirements should be introduced for ethnic minority pay.
Against this backdrop comes new evidence of income disparities for workers suffering from mental health conditions. According to the recent report from the Mental Health and Income Commission, the median income for workers with common illnesses such as anxiety and depression is about two-thirds that of other workers, equivalent to an annual earnings gap of £8,400.
This shortfall is said to be the result of “entrenched barriers to jobs and workplace progression” for those with mental health conditions, who are far more likely to be in lower-paid roles. Often they also face significant challenges in gaining higher-paid employment.
The research combined ONS data with dozens of interviews with people affected by mental ill health. Of those surveyed, 64 per cent had asked for reasonable adjustments to accommodate their condition, and of those, a fifth were rejected and 48% only had their request met in part.
One major stumbling block to income parity is sick pay coverage, which is not designed with the complexity of absence linked to mental health in mind. When contractual sick pay entitlement runs out, or is not offered in the first place, Statutory Sick Pay of £95.85 per week kicks in. More often than not, this falls far short of covering basic living expenses.
Regular absences from work are also a barrier to promotion. Given the choice between two candidates with the same qualifications, employers are more likely to choose those with fewer gaps on their CV or a better attendance record.
READ MORE: Budget boost needed to revive apprenticeship levels
With the pandemic taking a widespread toll on everyone, the time has come to help those who are suffering to succeed, rather than putting up barriers and adding to their worries.
This should start with a review of absence policies to ensure they aren’t unnecessarily punitive to those coping with anxiety and depression, quickly followed by the implementation of processes making it easier to request reasonable adjustments to working patterns.
Recruitment bias also needs to come under the microscope, as only then will workers’ fear begin to ease about the stigma of mental health conditions.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel