Thursday 4th September | What are your legal obligations when it comes to mental health at work?
From the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Equality Act, to the forthcoming Employment Rights Act, UK employers face a growing web of compliance responsibilities around mental wellbeing. Failing to meet those duties is a legal, financial and reputational risk. With a growing number of employment tribunals finding in favour of employees who have been discriminated against due to a mental health-related disability, it’s never been more important for employers to reassess their procedures.
In this practical, compliance-focused session, we unpacked the legal duty of care towards employees’ mental health and explored what good support and reasonable adjustment procedures look like under UK law. We also looked at where things go wrong through case law examples involving stress, anxiety, depression, and disability discrimination.
What we covered:
• The legal framework: what the Equality Act, H&S law, and common law expect from employers
• How mental ill health can meet the definition of disability
• Key lessons from recent tribunal and court cases
• The line between performance management and discrimination
• Best practice for managing risk, supporting staff, and staying compliant
