October is National Mental Health Month in Australia, a crucial time to focus on mental health awareness. As businesses, we play a key role in supporting employee mental wellbeing since workplaces are a reflection of the broader community.
Why Mental Health Matters in the Workplace
Workplaces significantly influence mental wellbeing, and poor mental health can lead to:
- Higher absenteeism: Mental health claims lead to an average of 37 weeks off work per serious claim, compared to only 7.2 weeks for physical injuries
- Increased compensation costs: Mental health claims had a median compensation of $65,400, which is over four times higher than the average for physical injuries
Key Causes of Mental Health Claims in the Workplace:
- Workplace bullying and harassment: Responsible for 27.5% of mental health claims.
- Work pressure: Accounts for 25.2% of claims.
- Exposure to occupational violence: Contributes 16.4% of claims
Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace
A mentally healthy workplace is one that:
- Promotes openness around mental health conversations, reducing the stigma that often accompanies these discussions.
- Provides access to resources such as employee education, a good policy platform to manage such matters and regular check-ins with team members.
- Implements mental health policies that address stress, workload management, and bullying prevention and are in line with Safe Work Australia’s guidelines.
Business 360 can assist in developing or refining these policies to ensure compliance with Fair Work and Safe Work requirements while fostering a mentally resilient workforce.
What Your Business Can Do During National Mental Health Month
- Host mental health awareness workshops: Bring in experts to guide your team through the importance of mental health and how they can support one another.
- Encourage open conversations: Create safe spaces for employees to discuss their challenges without fear of judgment or negative repercussions.
- Review your current policies and workplace practices, including employee monitoring processes: This is an excellent time to audit your HR and WHS policies to ensure they reflect the latest standards in mental health support.
Business 360 offers tailored services to support your organisation’s mental health initiatives. Whether it’s policy development, employee engagement, or workplace audits, we’re here to help create a workplace where mental wellbeing thrives.
Contact us on 1300 287 360 or send an email to info@business360.au. For a confidential discussion, please scan or click below to book an appointment tailored to your needs.
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