The attacks on benefit claimants is unrelenting. Sound bites, spin and lies (“Something for nothing” culture etc.) and the ConDems want to make things a helluva more difficult. Labour, unfortunately, is mimicking the behaviour along with pitting one oppressed group against another. What’s even more disgraceful is that this increased onslaught is at a time of economic crisis, recession and unemployment. Solution? Up the ante against the poor, attack benefits and cut services.
What has also made me think other than wondering where these mythical jobs are is how employment can have a detrimental impact on people. ConDems and Labour think the unemployed and disabled people aren’t trying hard enough to find work. Bring in an oppressive private company such as Atos Origin whose job is more about right-wing ideology as opposed to objective medical evidence therefore creating more stress, anxiety and desperation, pushing people into an ever shrinking job market where preciously good jobs are hard to come by. Though the ConDems and Labour don’t think people should be so choosy and selective and moralised into going for any old shitty job. And various private companies brought in with public money chucked at them will keep a collective beady eye on the unemployed where they can “park” and “cream” at leisure and where people can work for their dole which inevitably will push pay and conditions down. Why would an employer give a qualified person decent pay when they could get the same qualified person for free? This is a trade union issue yet trade unions are undeniably quiet……
The benefits system is based on fear, sanctions and conditionality. Disabled people are exposed as being liars and majority fit for work based on an assessment which is more about ideology and less about medical evidence. And unemployed people are not doing enough to find work. Both groups are seen as “scroungers” and “workshy” and not really disabled. This constant message eventually seeps through and impacts on attitudes. Disabled people feel vulnerable and powerless and constantly exposed.
On the issue of disability, what the ConDems and Labour miss out is the attitudes of employers. There is so much anecdotal evidence that employers can be very ignorant, misguided, unfair and discriminatory in their treatment of disabled workers. Lack of education and the legislation that supports disabled people just isn’t tough enough. Instead of damning disabled people what about employers and their discriminatory attitudes?
The Office for Disability Issues published ‘Public perceptions of disabled people’ looking at attitudes towards disabled people as revealed in the 2009 British Social Attitudes Survey (BSAS). It measures how much prejudice there is in Great Britain towards disabled people and examines how attitudes have changed between 2005 and 2009. Unfortunately, it made for some disturbing reading. The research showed that even though attitudes toward disabled people have improved on the whole, prejudice is still a worrying issue especially towards people with learning disabilities or mental health problems.
The report suggests that people are more comfortable interacting with people with physical or sensory impairments in social situations than they are interacting with individuals with learning disabilities or mental health conditions, many also struggle in situations where disabled people are in positions of authority. This may reflect a false belief that a disabled boss will be less effective than a non-disabled boss.
It is very worrying that stigma and discrimination remain so strong. Such prejudice is one of the biggest barriers to employment for people with a learning disability or mental health problems. Employers are often reluctant to take on someone with a learning disability or a mental health problem, possibly because they do not know enough about the benefits of employing them or they do not know how to get the right support to make it work.
And with this constant and unrelenting lies spouted by politicians and screaming headlines about “benefit scroungers” will only increase oppressive attitudes towards people. How many people have suffered burn-out in their job, harassment, bullying and discrimination? This will have an impact on their own attitudes about getting another job? My own experiences of the workforce has been negative, some workplaces better in understanding mental distress than others. I have to say this as given me a rather cynical outlook on work along with a feeling of nervousness. It really doesn’t inspire me to want to leap back into the job market as there’s only so much harassment, bullying and discrimination you can take. Also, it doesn’t have to be explicit in its nature. What about needs of disabled people such as adjustments, flexible hours and so on?
Over a third (37 per cent) of those who were disabled while in paid work said that they had to leave work for reasons connected to their impairment. Just under three in ten (27 per cent) of those who had ever left a job for reasons connected with their impairment felt that they could have remained in that job if some support, adjustments or adaptations had been made. Most of the adjustments that respondents would have wanted related to support and understanding from managers (14 per cent) and colleagues (eight per cent), but few (eight per cent) of these respondents were offered any support or adjustments/ adaptations.
Even when I psyche myself up to apply for jobs I always have in the back of my mind what is the attitude of mental distress (in my own case). One recent application form asked how many days had off sick in the past 2 years. Interesting that this was asked and it was very naughty indeed to ask this. Why did they need the info at this stage? Was it to be used to filter out people? Naughty and very unfair. The organisation that asked that particular question wasn’t some non-unionised private company but an organisation which champions the rights of people with mental distress…. Ironic or what! I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
Then if you are successful with the job you have the dreaded occupational form which can stop the progression of your potential employment dead in the tracks. Do you tell them about your sick record? Disability? Hauled in front of an occupation doctor or nurse who asks for personal details, again is this about supporting you or hindering you? Along with the lack of awareness, understanding and insight combined with the misfortune if you end up in a workplace where discrimination and bad behaviour is inherent. Oh, and that reminds me, I truly wish there were enlightened trade union reps when it comes to discrimination and disability. Education and training wouldn’t go amiss!
We live in a society that treat people as cogs in a capitalist wheel where we are undervalued. When you can’t work, for whatever reasons, you are given a meagre amount of money to exist along with going through humiliating, distressing fake assessments or you’re constantly scrutinize to make sure you are chasing one shitty job after another without any consideration about what you want or need. Nothing is on your terms and this creates a sense of powerlessness and stigmatisation and vilification from lazy right-wing politicians and media outlets. It’s about punishment and coercion; your fault your disabled, your fault you are unemployed. Never about building awareness, insight through education. Where people are treated with respect and being allowed to choose when they want to work (if they want to) on their own terms. Where decent paid jobs exist along with prospects and support. But punishment, coercion and condemnation is the name of the game in this callous and cruel society.
See as well: Public Perceptions of Disabled People - Evidence from the British Social Attitudes Survey 2009
Posted by harpymarx 
