Most of us spend a significant part of our lives at work, so it makes sense that our workplaces have a major influence on our mental health and wellbeing.

The message from employees is clear. In 2015, 91% of employees surveyed by Beyond Blue said mental health in the workplace was important, yet only 52% believed their workplace was mentally healthy.

There is also a strong business case for taking workplace mental health seriously. Research at the time found that for every $1 invested in creating a mentally healthy workplace, there was an average return of $2.30.

The benefits aren’t only financial. Creating psychologically healthy workplaces is also about doing the right thing by the people who make our organisations work.

Mental health-related workers’ compensation claims can be particularly costly. Safe Work Australia reported that the average cost of a mental health condition claim was $24,500, compared with $9,000 for all claims. The typical time away from work was also considerably longer — 15.3 weeks compared with 5.5 weeks.

The message is simple: our people are one of our greatest assets, and their wellbeing matters.

Workplace mental health and stress

Work-related stress is a significant contributor to mental health concerns in the workplace.

Safe Work Australia reported that 91% of workers’ compensation claims involving a mental health condition were linked to work-related stress or mental stress.

The leading factors included:

  • Work pressure — 31%

  • Work-related harassment and/or bullying — 27%

  • Workplace or occupational violence — 14%

These figures highlight why workplace mental health can’t simply be treated as an individual issue. We also need to look at the workplace itself.

A strategic approach to workplace mental health

A mentally healthy workplace needs more than an Employee Assistance Program or the occasional wellbeing workshop.

A genuinely preventative approach involves four key areas: promote, prevent, intervene early and support recovery.

1. Promote

Build a workplace culture where psychological health is openly valued and supported.

This starts with leadership and is reinforced through policies, respectful interactions, honest communication and opportunities for people to talk about wellbeing without fear of judgement.

It also means promoting practical, sustainable approaches to self-care and helping people understand that looking after their mental health is part of everyday health — not something to think about only when things go wrong.

2. Prevent

Prevention means understanding the psychosocial hazards within your particular workplace and taking action before they become bigger problems.

This might include looking at:

  • Excessive job demands and workload

  • Poor support or unclear roles

  • Organisational change

  • Poor working conditions

  • Bullying and harassment

  • Low recognition

  • Difficult workplace relationships

  • Lack of belonging

  • Organisational injustice

The goal isn’t simply to teach employees to become more resilient. It’s also to ask an important question:

What is happening in the workplace that may be contributing to stress in the first place?

3. Intervene early

Early intervention can make a significant difference.

Leaders and employees need to recognise the early signs that someone may be struggling and know what to do next.

These signs can be physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioural.

Physical: headaches, neck or back pain, fatigue, digestive problems and changes in sleep.

Cognitive: difficulty concentrating, problems with memory or attention, indecision, excessive worry or becoming increasingly perfectionistic or controlling.

Emotional: anxiety, anger, low mood, tearfulness, guilt, reduced motivation, confidence or self-esteem.

Behavioural: increased use of alcohol or other substances, increased caffeine or food consumption, withdrawing from social activities, relationship difficulties or neglecting self-care.

Early intervention can include supportive conversations, leadership development, access to appropriate psychological support, flexible working arrangements and individual wellbeing plans.

A quality Employee Assistance Program can also provide confidential support for employees while helping organisations identify broader opportunities for improvement.

4. Support recovery

When someone does experience a mental health concern, recovery needs to be supported rather than treated as an individual responsibility.

Organisations can develop clear policies and processes for managing psychological health concerns, provide early support for psychological injuries, encourage appropriate use of EAP services and create a culture where people feel safe asking for help.

Leaders and managers also need the skills and confidence to respond with empathy, communicate effectively and support people appropriately.

Prevention, stigma and mental health training

As with many areas of health, prevention is better than waiting for a crisis.

Reducing the stigma around mental health is an important part of prevention. That means creating workplaces where people can be honest about how they’re doing, seek help early and talk about mental health without being labelled or judged.

In my psychology practice, people sometimes tell me they have realised — often with some regret — how judgemental they once were about other people’s mental health difficulties.

The reality is that we rarely know what someone else is carrying.

We don’t know what is happening in their home life, their relationships, their health or their history. And we shouldn’t expect individuals to simply cope with everything on their own.

Mental Health First Aid and other mental health training can give workplaces and individuals greater confidence to recognise concerns, start conversations and connect people with appropriate support.

Creating workplaces where people can thrive

Workplace mental health shouldn’t be about simply reducing claims or getting people back to work as quickly as possible.

It’s about creating environments where people can contribute, develop, belong and do meaningful work without sacrificing their health in the process.

We spend so much of our waking lives at work. Our workplaces should support our growth and wellbeing — not consistently undermine it.

As a psychologist and workplace wellbeing consultant, I bring together psychology, organisational wellbeing and a holistic approach to help organisations understand what is influencing the health and wellbeing of their people.

My work includes:

  • Workplace wellbeing and health promotion

  • Psychosocial risk and prevention

  • Neurodiversity and inclusion

  • Leadership and manager development

  • Workplace training and education

  • Coaching and mentoring

  • Employee Assistance Program support

  • Psychological support and early intervention

  • Organisational wellbeing and culture

With a Master’s degree in Organisational Psychology and more than 20 years’ experience working across health, psychology and business, I help organisations develop practical approaches that support both their people and their performance.

Healthier people. More inclusive workplaces. Better work.

That is the goal.