My Employer Is Ignoring My Mental Health Concerns

Make the concern and requested support clear

If your employer is ignoring your mental health concerns, put the work impact and support you need into a clear written request. Ask who will respond and when. Depending on the circumstances, the employer may have health and safety, contractual or Equality Act duties. You do not need to resolve the legal label before asking for practical help.

If symptoms are affecting you, seek appropriate healthcare support as well as raising the workplace issue. This article concerns employment steps and cannot diagnose a condition. You can explain what is difficult at work without sharing every detail of your personal life or medical history.

Describe the barrier rather than only the diagnosis

A manager may not understand what a general statement such as I am struggling means for your role. Explain the relevant difficulty: concentrating through a long meeting, coping with unpredictable instructions, managing an excessive workload or attending appointments. Then identify a change that might help.

For example, an employee could explain that conflicting verbal instructions make it difficult to prioritise tasks and request written priorities with a regular review. Another might need shorter meetings with breaks. These are discussion examples, not a promise that the employer must accept every request exactly as proposed.

Distinguish support from a legal adjustment duty

A mental health condition can meet the Equality Act definition of disability where the legal requirements are satisfied. Relevant questions include the effect on normal day-to-day activities and whether it is long term. Symptoms can fluctuate. Not every short period of stress automatically meets the definition.

Where the duty to make reasonable adjustments applies, the employer needs to consider appropriate changes. Its knowledge of the disability and disadvantage can matter. Employers can also discuss supportive changes where the legal disability test is uncertain or not met. You can request help without presenting an unverified diagnosis as a legal conclusion.

Make a focused written request

Explain the concern, the work impact, any relevant professional advice and the support you want considered. Ask for a meeting or written response. If the situation is urgent, explain why and identify what is needed now. Keep a copy of what you send and the date.

You might ask for written instructions, a workload review, changes to meeting format or an occupational health discussion. Some changes may affect pay, hours or duties, so clarify the terms rather than assuming every arrangement has the same consequences. Ask for any agreement and review date in writing.

• Describe the task or working arrangement causing difficulty.
• Explain the practical effect on your ability to work or participate.
• Suggest an adjustment or ask for help identifying suitable options.
• Ask how the request will be considered and reviewed.

Protect relevant medical information

Provide information proportionate to the request. Ask who will see it, why it is needed and how it will be handled. Occupational health advice can help translate health limitations into work recommendations, but it does not replace the employer’s responsibility to consider the situation or a clinician’s role in treating you.

Do not send an entire medical history simply because a manager asks for more detail in general terms. Clarify what question needs answering and seek advice if necessary. Equally, an employer may need relevant information to understand a request, so consider how to provide it through an appropriate process rather than refusing every enquiry.

Follow up when the request is ignored

Send a concise reminder referring to the original request and the unresolved barrier. Ask whether it has been received, who is considering it and when you will receive a response. If there is no progress, use HR, another manager or the grievance procedure as appropriate.

Separate the request for support from any allegation about how you have been treated. For example, you may need written instructions immediately and also want an investigation into dismissive remarks. A practical adjustment does not necessarily resolve a bullying complaint, and an investigation does not replace support needed now.

Record refusals and alternatives accurately

If the employer refuses a proposed change, ask for the reason and any alternative it will consider. Keep the explanation. A disagreement over one adjustment does not automatically establish unlawful discrimination, but an unexplained refusal or failure to consider a known barrier may need advice.

If a change is agreed, record when it starts, who is responsible and when it will be reviewed. Include whether it helps. Mental health needs and job demands can change, so an arrangement that once worked may need revision. A short record of effects is more useful than assuming the first proposal must remain unchanged forever.

Seek advice about unresolved risks and deadlines

If you face dismissal, continuing disadvantage or adverse treatment after asking for support, seek advice promptly. Take the request, response, relevant health information and a short chronology. Explain what outcome you want and any meeting or decision approaching.

Internal correspondence does not pause tribunal deadlines. Do not wait for a diagnosis, grievance outcome or complete medical file before checking a potential claim’s time limit. You can continue pursuing a workplace solution while obtaining advice about your rights. Keeping the request and response organised helps avoid repeatedly retelling the whole history.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to disclose a diagnosis to ask for help? You can describe the practical difficulty and request support. Relevant information may be needed for particular duties or adjustments, so discuss what is necessary and how it will be handled.

Can I request adjustments for an online grievance meeting? Yes. Explain the barrier and suggested arrangement, such as breaks, written questions or an accessible document format. The employer should consider the request in context.

What if the agreed adjustment stops working? Tell the employer what has changed and ask for a review. Keep a record of the original arrangement, its effect and the revised request.

Sources and scope

Guidance checked on 25 October 2026. This article covers England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has different employment laws and procedures; check the Labour Relations Agency guidance. Examples are fictional. Laws and procedures can change, so check the linked guidance and get advice about your circumstances.

• Acas: mental health adjustments
• GOV.UK: illness and dismissal
• Acas: mental health and the law
• Acas: current tribunal time limits
• Northern Ireland: Labour Relations Agency

Dealing with something similar at work?

EviDiary helps you organise workplace incidents, notes and supporting evidence into a dated timeline. You can prepare a report using the features available on your plan. Start with the facts you remember and label any uncertainty; a diary does not independently verify an allegation or guarantee a legal outcome. EviDiary helps you document what happened and does not replace independent legal advice.

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