Greetings to All!! Wanted to understand an organization's policy towards hiring a candidate with some or the other behavioral disorder. If this disorder doesn't affect his job task as an employee, can an organization hire such?

Is there any law pertaining to the rights of such people where an interview panel rejects them if they found candidate technically sound but has issues like anxiety disorder or any of mood disorders etc. How an organization will take it with respect to employee groups and its own success.


Dear Lalit,

There are various types of mental disorders. From which type of disorder is the candidate suffering?

Will this position come in direct contact with the customers? Will the customer complain because of the abnormal behaviour of the employee?

Every job requires accuracy, precision, reliability of the employee etc. Will this employee demonstrate these qualities?

In the feat of anxiety, will the employee create any harm?

Is the candidate male or female? If the former, then will the women employees be safe from him?

Please consider all the above points and then take a decision.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

From India, Bangalore
Hi Lalit.

I understand mental disorders are now becoming more common. If the employee is able to function without it affecting their performance, then treat them equally. If in case and in future, the employee displays any signs or if there are situations that are adverse to "ideal" work situations for this particular category of employees, encourage a tie-up with a corporate counsellor or psychologists who may be able to assist the employee in their tough times. Stress happens at various degrees and as humans we are subjected to stress levels. Everyone has a different capacity to deal with it but everyone also deserves respect.

Few examples of how companies in various sectors have helped such employees:
- One very well known textile Indian MNC has enlisted few employees on payroll who displayed a history of mental disorders. They provided them with a light work profiles and helped them shape a career for themselves. (This was in Years 2010-15, way before we had the pandemic.)
- One startup in Bangalore has enlisted 2 such people dealing with insomnia and anxiety. One of them is on medication and the other is under counselling. But they are both considered as an asset and still work for the media startup as full time employees. Sometimes, they give them off if they display an erratic kind of stress levels which no one has the capacity nor is that done purposefully. They are then exempted to attend office on those days. (This is recently as this year.)

Hope this helps.

From India, Ahmadabad
Hiring a candidate with some or the other behavioral disorder is ok, provided you are convinced that the candidate has required skills.
Better to hire him on trail basis or on 'Fixed term contract' basis, so that you can assess his performance skills, team working, and adjustment to work pressure can be monitored.

From India, Madras
A direct reply,

No, there is no law in india that protects such persons from being rejected for employment in a private enterprise. In a government job, the rules may be different.

If he already has a job, he can be removed only after enquiry and hearing, where it is proved that his mental illness affects the job or endangers others in the organisation.

From India, Mumbai
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