Mental Health and Wellness in the Workplace

When we think about health and safety in the workplace, historically mental health and wellness has been almost an after-thought. 

We have all had the training at a new workplace about lifting heavy things, or chemical, temperature or noise exposures. However, whilst mental health is generally acknowledged as part of the health that needs to be protected, it hasn’t been considered in the same way as the broad picture of psychological hazards we may face at work.

The last few years have come with a lot of changes, and amongst them is a shift in the way that we think about mentally healthy workplaces. The focus on building and managing mentally healthy workplaces is growing, nationally and globally. 

Mental health and wellbeing in Australia 

Mental wellbeing concerns are common in our community, more common than most people would think. The 2021 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing found that 43.7% of Australians between 16 -85 years had experienced a mental disorder in their lifetime, and 21.4% had experienced one in that year, with women experiencing higher rates, 24.6% vs men at 18%. The survey also showed that 15.4% of Australians had experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress during 2020-2021. 

Mental wellbeing in the Workplace

“For a large proportion of the global population, mental wellbeing and work are integrally intertwined. Mental health and wellbeing is more than the absence of mental health conditions. Rather, mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, to realise  their abilities, to learn well and work well, and to contribute to their communities.” WHO Guidelines on Mental Health at Work

Around 66% of Australians over 15 years of age are engaged in employment. Work is a large part of our lives, it can be part of our identity, sense of worth and can give meaning. Poor experiences at work can also bring harm to our mental health, which may affect our lives inside and outside the workplace. 

Mentally unhealthy workplaces don’t only affect individuals, they usually affect both the organisation and the community. One study suggested that by calculating absenteeism (people not coming into work), presenteeism (people at work but less productive) and compensation claims in one year, the cost of mental health to Australian workplaces adds up to be  approximately $10.9 billion a year. 

Another study found that nearly three quarters of Australian employees said  that a mentally healthy workplace is important when looking for a job, and that organisations with a positive approach to mental wellbeing and safety  led to increased productivity, worker engagement and better  ability to recruit and retain talented people.

What is a mentally healthy workplace?

With all the different needs, sizes, structures, and people, every workplace is going to look different. Here are some of the things that mentally healthy workplaces are likely to have in common: 

• A deliberately positive, encouraging, and supportive workplace culture to build confidence, knowledge, skills and capabilities of workers 
• Workplace practices that identify, assess and then remove or manage psychosocial hazards
• An absence of (and no tolerance for) discrimination or stigma
• Structures to support employees with mental health conditions or those returning to work after physical or psychological injury

Building a mentally healthy workplace

The process of building a mentally healthy workplace is ongoing and requires full support from the whole organisation. It won’t just happen by accident, as with physical hazards a process is needed which identifies and assesses psychological risks, creates plans to remove or minimise them, educates and supports the implementation of the plans then monitors and reviews. This cycle of risk management is at the core of all workplace health and safety.

Recognising psychological hazards can be difficult. Here  are some of the common areas to consider:

• Job demands (high or low) – Either too much work, or too many  complex work tasks, or too little or dull monotonous work tasks
• Low job control – No sense of control over how or when tasks can be done
• Poor support – Inadequate training, resources or support (both emotional and practical)
• Low role clarity – Confusion about what the role, tasks or requirements are, conflicting information about responsibilities
• Poor organisational change management – Failure to prepare and support change, poor communication and consultation
• Poor workplace relationships – Bullying, aggression, harassment or discrimination, workplace conflict
• Low recognition and reward – Lack of positive feedback, opportunity for development of new skills and recognition of current skills
• Poor organisational justice – Perception of an unfair workplace, in how rewards, resources or work is allocated
• Fatigue – Poor management of workplace fatigue, effects of shift work 
• Work-related violent or traumatic incidents – Not only exposure to abuse, threat of or actual harm, but also witnessing violence or traumatic events can cause trauma by themselves
• Remote or isolated work – Remote work is usually at locations with limited access to resources and communication, and isolated work may be when there is limited or no other people around during the work
• Poor environmental conditions – Exposure to physical or unsafe environments, including air quality, noise, extremes of temperature, unsafe locations or machinery

As well as larger institutional change like universal training or policy change, improving communication and awareness allows for individual support. Properly identifying and understanding the risks is key, often small changes can make a big difference.  Something as simple as moving a desk to a quieter spot or rearranging break times could be an improvement. There are endless possibilities for modification available if employees and managers feel able to communicate their needs. Some other examples could include changing or giving flexible work hours, changing tasks or workload, modifying communication including education, direction and feedback and providing greater autonomy to manage their own work.

One study showed that on average for every dollar spent to improve mental health in the workplace, $2.30 was gained in benefits, in addition to having healthier employees.  They found that a critical factor for success is employee participation, so perhaps actions taken in a smaller group or team basis are more likely to succeed. 

What are organisations doing

In Australia, Safe Work Australia has put out model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws with more specific inclusions about psychosocial hazards in 2022 - these have already been taken up by NSW and are likely to be taken up by other states.  

The National Mental Health Commission has created a National Workplace initiative which amongst other projects is developing a Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Workplaces.  The Australian government has put forward $15.1 million to extend programs supporting mental health and financial counselling for small business owners. In September 2022 the World Health Organisation (WHO) released Guidelines on Mental Health At Work. 

How everyone plays a part

Decision makers need to be involved from the start to understand mental wellbeing in the workplace and support the program. Managers need to be trained to recognise  risks and support their teams. Employees are best able to identify the hazards they face and often can help provide practical solutions.  Everyone in the organisation can increase their understanding of mental health and wellbeing, learn how to offer support to others and the importance of communication, respect, and inclusivity. 

There is a lot of stigma and discrimination attached to mental health issues. With official and formal education and support, people at every level in the workplace can model behaviours that support their own mental wellbeing and we collectively all learn from those around us. Any organisation which not only allows but also supports their workers to strengthen their own and others’ mental wellbeing builds an environment which encourages everyone to feel safe and to thrive. That sounds like a workplace we can all appreciate.

For more information, visit Heads Up.

Reviewed by healthylife advisory board July 2023.