The State of Mental Health in Australian Workplaces
Research released by Beyond Blue in June 2014 highlights the importance of mentally healthy workplaces.
Key findings are:
- Nine out of ten Australian workers rate mentally healthy workplaces as important
- Half of Australian workers say their workplace is not mentally healthy.
- One in five people have taken time off work in the past year because they felt mentally unwell. This rises to nearly one in two workers who say their workplace is mentally unhealthy.
- Lack of action on mental health leads to millions of ‘sickies’ being taken each year.
You can read the full report here here.
In a media release for Beyond Blue, Mr Kennet said it is vital to the wellbeing of the community that employers promote good mental health.
“This research confirms that employers can reduce absenteeism by improving mental health in the workplace but many of them do not understand the value of good mental health at work.
We’ve commissioned the research and now its our responsibility to inform the community about the findings and get everyone to lift their game. More than 2,500 Australians take their lives each year, which is much higher that the road toll. Employers not only have a work health and safety obligation to deliver good mental health in the workplace, but also a moral obligation to support their workers who often spend more time at work than anywhere else. From a mentally healthy workplace, productivity improvements naturally flow”.
Beyond Blue has developed an interactive guide to assist employers and managers to develop mentally healthy workplaces. Visit www.headsup.org.au to register and get started!
