Your rights at work
OCD can count as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if it has a substantial, long-term effect on your daily life. Your employer must consider reasonable adjustments, such as:
- extra time for tasks affected by checking
- flexible start times if compulsions make mornings hard
- time off for therapy
- a quieter or more private workspace
Access to Work offers a free Mental Health Support Service.
Benefits
PIP is based on how OCD affects you on most days. It is about whether you can do things reliably, which includes in a reasonable time. OCD can affect:
- washing and bathing: if washing rituals take many times longer than usual
- dressing: if you get stuck in repeated routines
- preparing food: if contamination fears or checking make it very hard
- planning and following journeys: if checking or fears stop you going out
- mixing with other people: if obsessions cause overwhelming distress
Say how long tasks take you, and what happens if you are interrupted.
PIP points self-check
Go through the 12 PIP activities one at a time and see roughly how many points may apply to you.
About 10 minutes. Your answers never leave your device.
If you cannot work because of your mental health, you may be able to get Universal Credit or New Style Employment and Support Allowance.
Sources we used
- GOV.UK, Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010
- GOV.UK, Access to Work
- GOV.UK, Personal Independence Payment
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