We spend a lot of our time at work, and it can have an impact on our wellbeing both positive and negative. But what is a mentally healthy workplace?

Oftentimes when we think of whether a workplace is healthy or not, our minds lean toward bullying as an example of an unhealthy workplace. Although bullying at work is estimated to cost Australian organisations between $6 - $36 billion a year*, this cannot be seen simply as an individual or interpersonal issue that needs to be resolved. There are often broader factors at play, including a lack of leadership as well as poor organisational culture. More workers than ever believe their mental health is impacted by their workplace. ++

Who is SuperFriend?

SuperFriend is a mental health organisation that was born in 2007 when superannuation and life insurers identified mental illness and suicide as major concerns for their members. With this realisation, there came a deep desire to make a positive difference to support members in living full productive lives.

Improving mental health and wellbeing in your workplace may feel complicated but it does not have to be. Superfriend will meet each organsiation exactly where they are at and take them on a journey that helps them to build, grow and maintain a mentally healthy workplace. This includes mental health and wellbeing consulting and training to address the internal capabilities across workforces and leadership as well as to explore action plans that can engage a systems-led practice and approach.

Why Invest in Mental Health and Wellbeing at Work?

Mental health and wellbeing has had significant airplay with the onset of COVID19, but many of us are still unclear of what Mental health and wellbeing actually means in practice. This may be in part because it looks different for every organisations as each organisation is made up of many unique people, cultures, systems and practices, and so a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to work. Some systems are more mentally healthy than others. To bring this to light, WorkSafe Australia*** explains that the working weeks lost to a mental health condition rose 138% from 200-2019, with compensation claims being paid for these types of conditions rising to 222% over the same period. These statistics are difficult to ignore. Increasingly, we can see too that this is not just an individual’s problem - organisations need to act now to uncover what is the best way forward.

Creating a mentally healthy workplace is not just ‘nice to have’, as can pay dividends in the long term. Return on investment analysis research by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC)** has shown that for every dollar an organisation spends investing in successfully implementing strategies that focus on creating a mentally healthy workplace, there is an average positive return of $2.30 in benefits to the organisation. These benefits can be seen in the organisation in different ways including improved productivity, lower absenteeism and presenteeism (being at work and working at levels but not fully functioning) and reduced compensation claims. Win-win! Healthy workers and organisational goals are being met.

There is one thing to have an EAP for supporting workers and yet another to have good policies in place that are lived and actioned by the workforce on a day-to-day basis before support services are required. Having one without the other is only a part of the picture when we talk about mentally healthy workplaces.

How is your organisational looking at mental health and wellbeing?

Find out more: https://superfriend.com.au/

Get in touch: info@superfriend.com.au or 03 9615 8600

Twitter: @SuperFriendMHF

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/superfriendaustralia

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superfriend/mycompany/

About the Author

Sandra Surace is a Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant with SuperFriend. She has a Master in Applied Positive Psychology and is currently completing a Master in Counselling.

Together with Industry Partners, SuperFriend design and delivers Mental Health initiatives that enable workplaces to thrive.

References:

++ SuperFriend. Indicators of a Thriving Workplace Survey. Melbourne: SuperFriend; 2021 https://itw2021.superfriend.com.au/

*Productivity Commission. (2010). Performance Benchmarking of Australian business regulation: Occupational Health and Safety. Melbourne: Australian Productivity Commission.https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/regulation-benchmarking-ohs/report/ohs-report.pdf

**Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) (2014) Creating a mentally healthy workplace: Return on investment analysis https://www.pwc.com.au/publications/pdf/beyondblue-workplace-roi-may14.pdf

***Safe Work Australia (2019-2020). Australian Workers’ Compensation Statistics. Canberra: Safe Work Australia https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-01/Australian%20Workers%20%20Compensation%20Statistics%202018-19p%20FINAL_2.pdf