Talking to your employer

Whether to say anything at work, how much to share, and who to tell first are all genuinely difficult calls – there’s no single right answer, and it depends heavily on your workplace.

Here’s what’s actually involved, so you can decide with a clearer picture rather than guessing.

Do you have to say anything at all?

No – you’re not obliged to disclose a mental health condition to your employer unless it’s directly affecting your ability to do the job safely. But there’s a practical trade-off worth knowing about before you decide.

Disclosing can unlock support you can’t access otherwise – reasonable adjustments, sick leave handled sympathetically, or access to an EAP referral often depend on your employer knowing something’s going on.
You don’t have to disclose a diagnosis to ask for adjustments. “I’m struggling with my concentration at the moment” is enough to start that conversation – you’re not required to explain the cause.
Who you tell matters as much as what you tell them. A direct line manager, HR, and occupational health all have different roles, and telling one doesn’t automatically mean the others know.
It’s fine to test the water first. A general, low-detail version of the conversation can tell you a lot about how it’s likely to be received before you decide how much more to share.

Disclosure isn’t all-or-nothing – you can share only what’s operationally useful for them to know, and nothing more.

What you’re legally entitled to…

Reasonable adjustments, if it meets the legal threshold. Under the Equality Act 2010, a mental health condition can count as a disability if it has a substantial, long-term effect on your daily life – and if it does, your employer has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments.
Adjustments can be small and practical. Flexible hours, working from home some days, a quieter workspace, or phased time off are all common examples – not necessarily anything dramatic.
Statutory Sick Pay, if you’re off work. Most employees are entitled to SSP for periods of illness, mental health included, on the same basis as physical illness.
A fit note from your GP if you’re off more than seven days. It doesn’t need to spell out a diagnosis – your GP can write it in general terms if you’d prefer.

If a conversation doesn’t go well

Not every manager will handle this the way you’d hope, even in a supportive workplace. If a conversation lands badly, that’s worth raising with HR directly rather than assuming it reflects how the organisation as a whole will respond.

A single bad reaction from one person isn’t the same as your employer as a whole failing to support you – it’s worth trying a different route in before concluding that.

If you feel you’ve been treated unfairly because of a mental health condition, ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) offers free, confidential guidance on your rights and options – including their own detailed guide to requesting and agreeing reasonable adjustments – as well as early conciliation before any formal step.

Worth knowing

Many workplaces have an Employee Assistance Programme offering a set number of free counselling sessions, often without your manager ever being told you’ve used it – worth checking with HR even if you’re not ready for a wider conversation.

See Finding a therapist for more on EAPs alongside other routes to support, or NHS Talking Therapies if you’d rather go via a free NHS route instead.