Why we need to address mental health in the workplace

It’s clear that poor mental health has been on the rise in Australian workplaces, and with the added impact that COVID-19 has had, the problem has only gotten worse.

In 2020-21, ongoing lockdowns saw people cut off from their normal support networks, isolated and withdrawn. Many people also continue to be significantly impacted by the economic downturn with loss of income and job losses. All of this has taken a toll on mental health and wellbeing of Australians.

However, mental health issues in the workplace aren’t new. Prior to the pandemic, work related mental health conditions (psychological injuries) were commonplace. Research shows that:

• 45% of Australians between the ages of 16 to 85 are likely to experience a mental health condition in their lifetime.
• 7,200 Australians are compensated for work-related mental health conditions each year, accounting for about 6% of all claims.
• 91% of all work-related mental health claims are attributed to work-related stress.
• Poor mental health conditions are estimated to cost Australian workplaces $10.9 billion each year due to employees being absent from work, reduced productivity and compensation claims made.

What are the causes of poor mental health at work?

A workplace setting can present a range of factors than can affect the mental health of their employees. These include:

• High job demand
• Low job demand
• Poor support
• Poor workplace relationships
• Low role clarity
• Poor organisational change management
• Poor environmental conditions
• Remote or isolated work
• Violent or traumatic events

As Australians pour hours into the working days, taking on many of these stressors, it comes as no surprise that poor mental health is ripe.

What are the benefits of developing mental health strategies in the workplace?

Providing your employees with a positive approach to mental health and wellbeing not only helps the individuals, but it also provides huge benefits to the organisation. An effective mental health strategy can:

• Increase staff productivity, engagement, work culture and morale
  According to research, for every dollar a business spends on identifying and supporting workers with poor mental health, a return of about 500% is gained in improved productivity.
• Improve your employees’ mental health
  Workplaces are renowned for being areas of high stress, causing stress-related workers’ compensation claims to double in recent years. By supporting positive mental health, you can reduce these stress levels, open up lines of communication and improve the morale of employees.
• Create staff loyalty
  Providing initiatives in your workplace that support employee mental health and wellbeing can help you to attract and retain staff, reducing the costs associated with training new staff members. In a study conducted by Beyond Blue, three quarters of Australian employees said a mentally healthy workplace was important to them when looking for a job.
• Provide return on investment
  According to research for every one dollar that is invested in mental health initiatives, there is an average return of $2.30. This is due to the reduction in poor mental health related absenteeism, presenteeism and workers compensation claims.
• Fulfill your legal requirements
  Under the Work Health and Safety Act businesses have a duty to protect workers from psychological risks as well as physical risks.

Steps to creating a mentally healthy workplace:

• Identify the triggers of poor mental health specific to your workplace, such as the stress of inflexible working hours.
• Once identified, tailor actions that address these risks in order to offer support to your employees and enable them to voice their own concerns.
• Implement workplace policies, practices and programs that encourage your employees to seek help if they are suffering from mental health conditions.
• Provide resources and promote them throughout your workplace to increase awareness about mental health issues and to help normalise them.
• Offer mental health training for your staff in order to equip them with the skills and knowledge to not only support their own mental health, but support others in the workplace as well.

Our online mental health workshops are a great way to get started. These professionally facilitated workshops will provide your team with the awareness of how to recognise the signs of poor mental health, and what actions to take, to help them achieve their potential in mental wellness and resilience.

By increasing awareness about mental health in the workplace and training staff to recognise poor mental health, the stigma around mental health will slowly be lifted. This goes a long way in encouraging employees to speak up when not coping and get the support they need before the problem worsens.

Start addressing mental health in your workplace - Book a workshop for your team today!

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References:

• https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/1-mental-health-workplace
• https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-survey-mental-health-and-wellbeing-summary-results/latest-release
• https://www.headsup.org.au/healthy-workplaces/why-it-matters
• https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/topic/mental-health

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