Employee mental health is more than just a buzzword

Employee mental health is more than just a buzzword – it’s crucial for business success, employee retention.

With higher rates of mental ill health in the community, creating a supportive workplace environment has never been more crucial for business and team leaders to action – and communication is key.

Phillips Group can help your business assess the effectiveness of your mental health programs with our program review and evaluation services; and develop programs to ensure your workplace has an ongoing focus on creating and building optimal employee mental health and wellbeing.

A strategic approach that tailors messages for a diverse workplace, champions lived experienced employee-level initiatives, and is led by C-suite executives and management, is crucial in creating a mentally healthy workplace that is a win-win for employees and employers alike, boosting productivity, employee retention, and company success.

An uneven mental health crisis

Australia is experiencing a crisis of poor mental health.

Key Facts

• One in two people will experience a mental health disorder within their lifetime, making it an issue affecting the whole of society.
• One in five Australians experienced a mental health disorder in the previous 12 months, with less than half receiving care from a health professional.
• Nationally, the total disease expenditure on mental and substance use disorder exceeds $10b per annum.
• Young people are suffering in record numbers with nearly 40% of young people having experienced a mental health disorder in the previous year.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death among those aged 15-24 (32.1%) and those aged 25-44 (21.3%).

Overall young people, First Nations people, LGBTIQA+ seniors, disabled people, people from rural and regional communities and those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities have higher than average rates of mental ill health.

Mental health problems don’t stop in the workplace

Despite the widespread prevalence of mental health disorders in society, stigma still prevents an open and honest approach in much of the community.

The 2022 National Survey of Mental Health-Related Stigma and Discrimination found that one in three people with recent personal lived experience of mental ill health reported unfair treatment in the workplace.

Workplace stigma was high among survey participants.

For example, just over a quarter of people said they would not want to work closely with someone experiencing depression.

Self-reported experiences of stigma and discrimination in the workplace were more common among females, younger people, and people who identify as LGBTIQA+.

A national framework

It can be difficult for employers to know where to start when implementing mental health programs in the workplace; however, a strategic approach focusing on key principles can help streamline the process.

In Australia, the Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Workplaces outlines three foundations for mentally healthy workplaces: Protect, Respond, and Promote.

Protect

Ensuring employee psychological safety and wellbeing isn’t a workplace luxury – it’s the law.

During 2021-22 mental health conditions made up 9% of all serious workers’ compensation claims, an increase of more than a third since 2017-18.

The most common causes were work-related bullying or harassment (27.5%), work pressure (25.2%), and exposure to workplace violence (16.4%).

In Australia, the health care and social assistance industry had the highest number of serious employee mental health compensation claims, followed by public administration and safety, and education and training.

Effective communication about psychological safety and wellbeing is crucial in protecting employee mental health. Regular pulse surveys, clear psychological safety plans, and clearly communicated support services are all effective mechanisms in the workplace.

Respond

Since the COVID pandemic, more employees than ever are reporting leaving their jobs for mental health reasons, citing overwhelming workloads, poor work-life balance, poor treatment by management and workplace bullying as primary reasons.

A US-based study found nearly two in three respondents had talked about their mental health in the workplace, but only half described their experience as positive or supportive, suggesting room for improvement. On the flipside, 91% of respondents believed a company’s culture should be supportive of employee mental health.

Those who reported feeling supported with their mental health reported high rates of job satisfaction, greater intention to stay at the company, and were more likely to report positive overall mental health.

Peer listening initiatives, mental health champions and employee affinity groups are just some examples of effective response mechanisms can lead to better mental health outcomes in the workplace.

Promote

Meeting and responding to mental health challenges is just one part of today’s mental health equation.

Workplaces that go above and beyond to create a mentally healthy workplace culture will attract better talent, experience greater employee retention, and foster a better workplace culture.

Leaders must lead in speaking about mental health experiences; training to become adept at handling mental health conversations in the workplace and leading by example are healthy work practises.

A strategic approach

Every workplace is different, and the process of creating a mentally healthy workplace will look slightly different for every organisation and business.

The Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Workplaces outlines key principles for workplaces to follow in developing their mental health programs.

1. Consult and listen
2. Engage decision makers early
3. Link action to outcomes
4. Assign accountability
5. Integrate into business as usual
6. Make changes visible and transparent
7. Base decisions on research-supported approaches
8. Continually review and improve

It also highlights fundamental capstones for addressing mental health in the workplace, including:

Hearing from people with lived experience

Evidence suggests support provided by those with lived experience can be as effective as care provide by mental health professions in reducing symptoms of mental ill health.

Peer-supported mental health initiatives championed by those with lived experience can actively challenge existing power dynamics and lead to an improved sense of home, empowerment, and social inclusion for those participating in mental health conversations.

Recognising diversity in your approach

Tailoring your approach and messaging for specific audiences – including by reaching them through appropriate channels – is crucial for recognising workplace diversity and the uneven burden of mental ill health in the community.

For example, a recent “Respect Victoria” campaign by the Victorian Government aimed at preventing family violence and violence against women tailored sub-campaigns to reach specific cohorts on different topics with videos depicting “everyday” scenarios and conversations where disrespect towards women occurred.

At Phillips Group, we can help you assess and refine your mental health programs through our program review and evaluation services.

Our team can help you to reach your employees effectively, ensuring that the appropriate message is received and taken onboard.

Don’t sit on the opportunity to become a workplace with a reputation for supporting and enhancing employee mental health.

Connect with Rebecca Williams, Group Executive Director – Health and Care today.