There are many benefits to having a mentally healthy workplace and these extend to workers, the business and the wider community. When a business is proactive and prevention focused they can see a return on investment for every dollar spent to improve mental health at work.

Mentally healthy workplaces will also consider mitigating factors for all workers (including, for example, injured workers or workers who have disclosed mental illness to the workplace) to be able to connect workers with early support and help their recovery at work.

The key to creating a mentally healthy workplace is identifying psychosocial hazards in the organisation’s work practices, work environment and work activities, and assessing the risk in consultation with your workers about the best way to manage the risk of these hazards. Businesses must also consider the cumulative effect of work demands and risk factors over time.

The benefits of taking a risk management approach to psychosocial hazards include:

• preventing harm
• the ability to intervene at the earliest opportunity
• ability to support recovery at work if a psychosocial injury/illness arises (see the Recover at work section).

The most effective way to get started is to have a conversation with your workers and talk through any concerns they may have.

If there are psychosocial hazards at work this is a good opportunity to offer support. Other ways to identify psychosocial hazards include staff surveys, hazard and incident reporting.

It is important to remember that you have legal obligations relating to managing psychosocial hazards that include work health and safety as well as preventing discrimination and protecting privacy.

Supported workers have increased confidence, a feeling of belonging, financial security, a sense of purpose, achievement and social connections and networks. These benefits can flow back into the business in many ways including increased productivity, reduced injuries and positive workplace culture.

Your workers may benefit from access to an employee assistance program (EAP) or the opportunity to speak with trained professionals, such as counsellors or psychologists, who can provide support and help build skills to stay mentally healthy.

Some larger workplaces may be able to provide these services in the workplace, while smaller businesses may choose to refer their workers to external professionals.

Support services and tools are available to help you and your team to stay mentally healthy and recover at work.

A mentally healthy workplace has the following principles and behaviours:

• mental health is everyone’s responsibility and is led by business leaders
• mental health is considered in every way you do business
• everyone contributes to a culture where people feel safe and supported to talk about mental health
• mental health support is tailored for individuals and teams
• everyone can see you’re finding better ways to support worker mental health.

By adopting a risk management approach to workplace mental health you are:

• leading change to reduce stigma
• identifying and managing risk factors
• raising awareness for your workplace and community
• connecting workers to support inside and outside of the business.

The NSW Mentally healthy workplaces strategy 2018- 2022 sets out a long-term vision to create mentally healthy workplaces across NSW.

Support is available to help create a mentally healthy workplace.

Visit the Mental health at work website for more information on your duties, as well as resources to promote, manage and support workplace mental health.

Useful resources

• Managing work-related psychological health
• How to create a mentally healthy workplace
• The Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds Foundation promotes prevention and understanding of mental health issues across the road transport and logistics industries in Australia. The Foundation aims to ensure industry-specific resources are made accessible right across the industry.

Crisis support

The following organisations provide crisis support and help:

• Mental Health Line 1800 011 511
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• beyondblue 1300 224 636
• Headspace 1800 650 890
• Mensline 1300 789 978
• QLIFE 1800 184 527
• Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.