Mental Health
Remedy
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Ryan ClementContributor
TODAY is day five of Mental Health Awareness Week in the U.K. and, as you know, the theme is anxiety. It is also the last, the shortest and final blog in this series from me. But it will not be the last that I shall be writing on the importance of mental health awareness in general.
I have chosen the title, ‘remedy,’ as the final in the series. I would have preferred to have used this title in the ‘cure’ sense. Unfortunately, that is way beyond me. If a disabled employee feels they have been discriminated against by their employer, they should raise a grievance in accordance with the company handbook.
However, they also have the right to commence proceedings within 3 months less 1 day (notify ACAS) in the employment tribunal. I should pause there. For ease of reference, I have deliberately been using employee/employer references throughout these blogs, as in an employee under a contract of employment.
However, ‘employment’ is defined under the Equality Act 2010 as meaning, ‘employment under a contract of employment, a contract of apprenticeship or a contract personally to do work.’
Therefore, you can see that it is wider than just an employee/employer relationship under a contract of employment. In other words, for example, if a worker is contracted, ‘personally to do work,’ subject to some restrictions, they have a right to bring a claim under the Equality Act 2010.
This is not to be confused with a claim for unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996, which can only be brought by an employee.
If an employer is found to have discriminated against a worker, they will be liable not only for actual financial losses suffered by the victim due to the unlawful discriminatory act, but also an award for their hurt feelings, referred to as injury to feelings.
The last is calculated in relation to judicial guidelines referred to as the Vento Guidelines. At the time of writing, the current guidelines are: In respect of claims presented on or after 6 April 2023, the “Vento bands” shall be as follows: a lower band of £1,100 to £11,200 (less serious cases); a middle band of £11,200 to £33,700 (cases that do not merit an award in the upper band); and an upper band of £33,700 to £56,200 (the most serious cases), with the most exceptional cases capable of exceeding £56,200.
Compensation is uncapped. However, an award for indirect discrimination, for obvious reasons, if it was unintentional – see Provision, Criterion or Practice (Day 4) – will attract a lower compensation than, say, for example, an award for direct disability discrimination. In addition to compensation the tribunal can make a declaration that the employer discriminated against the worker and, in some circumstances, make recommendations.
Finally, awards attract interest from a point determined by the tribunal. Now, to wind down.
”My poem won’t do what I want it to.
Anxiety
I chew my pen, my nails, my lip and resort to the key- board.
No change.
Words seem to have lives of their own.
They’re off to have adventures, without me, they don’t care about poetry.
Yet, they’ve guided me here, to a wordingfount, where poems are found.
Kim M. Russell, 21st April 2023
Finally, I am grateful for MJ who was mentioned in Day 1 (Mental Health Awareness) and MagCat who was mentioned in Day 2 (Knowledge) for sharing their very personal experiences, which are, I know, ones experienced/shared by many.
I thank the busy HR professional from a multinational company who was also mentioned in Day 2 (Knowledge) and who gave us her advice on what to do if a colleague discloses that they are suffering from anxiety.
I thank Mental Health First Aid and Wellbeing Trainer, Esther Thomas, who was mentioned in Day 3 (Discrimination) for sharing her top tips for coping with anxiety – BEST ME.
Day 4 (Provision, Criterion or Practice) was written late from my hotel room in Leeds after I finished my preparation for court today. I published the blog and then emailed it late to Black Wall St. Media (BWSM), only to find that they published it by the time I woke up this morning.
I am grateful to BWSM who has worked tirelessly on this series and, without any question of doubt, has helped spread this very important subject matter to a wider audience.
I thank Kim for giving me permission to reproduce her poem, ‘Anxiety,’ in this blog, Day 5.
Finally, I am the author of Race Relations in Employment Law – Put Simply in Black and White:
(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Relations-Employment-Ryan-Clement/dp/B0BZB75CBL/ (paperback)- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Relations-Employment-Ryan-Clement-ebook/dp/B09FH26KKJ/ (Kindle) and shall continue to write for the causes!
- Ryan Clement, LLM, BA, BSc, Barrister
- https://www.youtube.com/@RyanClement1
- Black Wall St. Media (BWSM)
- Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 (BWSM)
- Mental Health Awareness (Day 1) (BWSM)
- Knowledge (Day 2) (BWSM)
- Discrimination (Day 3) (BWSM)
- Provision, Criterion or Practice (Day 4) (BWSM)
- Remedy (Day 5)
- Vento Guidelines
- MagCat’s blog
- Kim M. Russell’s website
- What to do if a colleague suffers from anxiety
- Esther Thomas YouTube
Copyright © Ryan Clement 2023
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Ryan ClementContributor
The Hidden Tax of Being Black
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On International Women’s Day we celebrate the achievements of women around the world. Yet across the African and Caribbean diaspora, women have long been leading, building and transforming communities often without recognition. From figures such as Michelle Obama and Doreen Lawrence to countless women working quietly within their communities, this piece honours the resilience, leadership and enduring impact of diaspora women. - The Hidden Tax of Being Black
In her latest piece as Behavioural Finance Editor for Black Wall St. Media, Krystle McGilvery explores how professionals can begin to recognise these hidden costs and, more importantly, how to push back against them. Her article outlines practical strategies to build leverage, extract real value from workplace opportunities, and develop the kind of exit power that ensures you are never trapped in a role that diminishes your worth. - Editor’s Letter March 2026
February did not whisper, it exposed. From the BAFTA stage to global politics, from representation to real power, this month forced uncomfortable conversations into the open. In this Editor’s Letter, Dr Diahanne Rhiney interrogates visibility, hierarchy, solidarity, and the cost of performative progress. If you care about power, equity, and the responsibility of independent Black media, this is a reflection you won’t want to miss. - Dom Taylor’s Caribbean Renaissance in Dalston
When Dom Taylor quietly exited one of London’s most prestigious hotel kitchens, the whispers travelled fast. Now, two years later, he’s back and this time in Dalston, on his own terms. In this latest review, Paloma Lacy revisits The Good Front Room to discover whether the chef’s bold mission to elevate Caribbean cuisine still holds its magic. From refined jerk to reimagined ackee and saltfish, this is more than a comeback, it’s a statement. - When Inclusion and Impact Collide at the BAFTAs
By Dr Diahanne Rhiney, Editor in Chief, Black Wall St Media It was meant to be a night of celebration at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts — a polished tribute to craft, creativity and cultural progress. Instead, the 2026 BAFTAs left many viewers sitting with an altogether different emotion: disbelief. During a ceremony broadcast by the BBC, a racial slur rang out while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo stood on stage. The context, we later learned, was complex. The impact was not. In this piece, Dr Diahanne Rhiney examines what happens when commitments to inclusion collide — when disability, race, editing decisions and institutional responsibility converge under the brightest lights. This is not a call for outrage. It is a call for competence, care and courage. Because representation without protection is not progress. And when harm is foreseeable, silence is not neutrality — it is a choice.
