- Conference
- 2024 National Disabled Members' Conference
- Date
- 5 July 2024
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes that mental health is consistently one of the most pressing issues cited by young workers when surveyed about their experiences of work.
A 2022 survey of young UNISON members found that 80% of young workers had experienced a mental health problem in the last year.
Similarly, in 2023 the Mental Health charity Unmind found that 56% of 16–24-year-olds have taken time off work due to stress, anxiety and depression.
While mental health problems may not necessarily be defined as disability under the terms of the Equality Act 2010, many are, as an ‘impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities’.
People with mental health problems may qualify for reasonable adjustments in the workplace, or disability leave related to their mental health problem.
However, many young workers may not be aware of the full protections under the Equality Act to be protected from disability discrimination and to have reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
Conference welcomes the UNISON National Young Members Forum’s new campaign, Young Members’ Mental Health Matters!
Conference believes the new campaign materials and videos are helpful in educating young and new members on the successes that UNISON has in supporting members with mental health problems in the workplace, including in negotiating reasonable adjustments and bargaining over issues shown to negatively affect mental health.
Conference asks the National Disabled Members Committee:
1)To promote the NYMF’s campaign Young Members Mental Health Matters! to disabled members and activists in UNISON, and to encourage regional Disabled Members groups to promote the campaign;
2)To work with the National Young Members Forum to campaign on the importance of UNISON and trade unions in securing reasonable adjustments and other support for workers with mental health problems;
3)To publicise and promote UNISON’s other resources on mental health, such as the Bargaining on Mental Health Policies guidance;
4)To work with the National Young Members Forum to inform and educate young UNISON members about their employment rights regarding mental health problems and all forms of disability, including the Proving disability and reasonable adjustments guide and the Reasonable Adjustments bargaining guide;
5)To share best practice in negotiating policies and achieving individual support for members with mental health problems;
6)To continue campaigning for improvements to mental health provision and funding on the NHS so that help is available more quickly and in more areas.