National Workplace Initiative Updates

We are delighted to share the series on industry initiatives supporting mentally healthy workplaces to showcase current industry-led approaches and encourage others to take collective action.

The three-part series was developed for anyone seeking to lead change in their industry to support mentally healthy workplaces.

This series includes:  

• Creating a collaborative: How to build an industry-led initiative. This provides high-level guidance for setting up an initiative based on the insights of existing initiatives, research and expert advisors. 
• Stories from the field: Case studies of pioneering industry action. This provides 13 case studies with various industry-led initiatives across white- and blue-collar industries. 
• Industry-led initiatives: Plan on a Page tool. This plan on a page tool guides strategic thinking when planning an industry initiative. 

The Commission has released the series today to coincide with Psychology Week, which this year focuses on “Working Minds” and the role psychology plays in the workplace. #PsychWeek

There are several ways you can engage with this series:

• Use the guidance and inspiring case studies to start or progress a conversation about how an industry-led approach could apply in your industry.
• Share the papers with your members/networks and encourage people to engage and provide feedback.
• Share your insights on social media using the hashtag #MentallyHealthyIndustries.

Read the series and give feedback.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on release 1 of the Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Workplaces.

It has been great to hear your feedback on the shared vision for a national approach to creating mentally healthy workplaces, and where the Blueprint can be improved in the next release.

Our engagement survey has now closed but any further comments can be sent directly to the team as we compile your feedback.

We look forward to share a summary of your feedback in the coming months.

New research, resources and other initiatives in mentally healthy work that have come across our desk.

Focus on Working Minds: Psychology Week 2021 (29 November – 5 December) is exploring the role psychology plays in the workplace. The week will raise awareness of tools can be used to create a positive, mentally healthy workplace and how these tools can be applied to different industries and workplaces. Insights into how workers feel about work, and how this impacts their mental health, will also be shared. Learn more on the Psychology Week website and on social media #PsychWeek.

Free business coaching on mentally healthy workplaces in NSW: The NSW Government is providing a free business coaching service to help businesses in NSW to address specific mental health at work topics and create mentally healthy workplaces. The Direct Practical Coaching service, delivered by Transitioning Well, is available for up to four hours delivered online or over the phone, Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm. The service focuses on providing owners and leaders of any private business with less than 200 staff or not-for-profits of any size, hands-on guidance to help create a mentally healthy workplace. For more information visit the mental health at work website.

Latest evidence summaries: Subscribe to Comcare eNews to receive Emerging Evidence Alerts highlighting the latest research on workplace health and safety. This recent alert (Page 13) connects to mentally healthy workplaces evaluating a humour intervention to reduce stress, improve work enjoyment and boost performance.

Insights for mentally healthy workplaces: WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell has completed a mid-evaluation of the program, resulting in the WorkWell Emerging Outcomes Report. The report identifies key evidence-based emerging insights for creating mentally healthy workplaces, such as the importance of partnerships, and reveals evidence for predicting psychological safety. It shows the program has generated a strong understanding of what works to influence change at the systems-level to create mentally healthy workplaces.

Managing hazards in the office: Comcare’s newly renovated Office Safety Tool provides employers and workers with tips on how to manage hazards found in the office. The tool includes work health and safety guidance on working from home, workplace mental health and workplace sexual harassment.

Focus on women athletes: A new study by researchers from the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University will assess and track the mental health and wellbeing of Australian women athletes in semi-professional and professional sports. The AFL has joined the Commonwealth-funded study as a lead industry partner. Read more here.

Talking mental health at work: The NSW State Insurance Regulatory Agency has worked with Sydney University researchers to fund the final stage development of READY app – a platform that uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques and real-life experience of workplace recovery to help individuals decide if they should disclose their mental health issues to someone at work. Learn more here.

Many of our readers have requested access to the latest research, reports and information from the sector. The above list of resources have been shared with the Commission this month. Please note these resources are provided as a service to our readers and do not imply endorsement.

As we progress with design of various elements of the National Workplace Initiative there are recurring themes we have observed. Understanding these patterns is informing our design, and may also be useful for your approaches in helping organisations to create mentally healthy work.

In the interest of collective knowledge, here are some key design challenges we are embracing as we develop the National Workplace Initiative:

• One of a kind: Every organisation is unique and requires an individualised approach. Generic advice and information alone won’t meet organisations’ needs. Responses that understand an organisation’s context and challenges are valued. For instance, information presented by industry groups is seen as particularly relevant.
• Size matters: Smaller teams and organisations require a tailored response. They interact with resources in different ways. This is largely due to the time and resource pressures they face. Humanised content resonates most.
• Follow the leader: Business owners and leaders are key and their engagement impacts all areas of mentally healthy work from creating a strategy and funding activities to maintaining ongoing momentum.
• Learning from others: Organisations repeatedly say they need information in the most simple and relatable way. More specifically, they value learning from organisations like them through clear and concise case studies.
• Bring information to me: Organisations are often unaware of the many great initiatives and supports that are available, which makes it important for services to reach out to organisations with information in the right way and at the right time.

We would love to know how our key insights resonate with you. Get in touch with the team: nwi@mentalhealthcommission.gov.au

New research, resources and other initiatives in mentally healthy work that have come across our desk.

Managing pandemic fatigue: The National Mental Health Commission and mental health services are urging all Australians to take practical steps to maintain their mental wellbeing. It is important to be aware of pandemic fatigue in ourselves and in those around us, so we can take proactive opportunities to maintain our wellbeing. Click here for steps to manage pandemic fatigue.

Resources for better practice EAPs: Comcare’s evidence-based resources support the design and evaluation of Employee Assistance Program services that can improve organisational outcomes and worker wellbeing. The resources include Better Practice Principles and a Monitoring & Evaluation Framework.

Spotlight on frontline workers: Research into the effect of COVID-19 on frontline workers including police, paramedics and child protection workers has found the incidence of depression and anxiety were many times higher than the general population. The study by Charles Sturt University researchers investigated the levels and causes of stress, depression, burnout and anxiety in 1,542 respondents. Click here for the findings.

Mentally healthy during COVID: We remind organisations of the Mentally Healthy Workplaces during COVID resources, which provide information and supports to sole traders, small and medium to large businesses. They were developed by the National Mental Health Commission, with the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance and Ahead for Business.

Suicide first-aid for first responders: Fortem Australia and LivingWorks are offering first responders and their family members free, face-to-face suicide first aid training. Training occurs during August and September. Click here for more details.

Many of our readers have requested access to the latest research, reports and information from the sector. The above list of resources have been shared with the Commission recently. Please note these resources are provided as a service to our readers and do not imply endorsement.

With several states experiencing renewed restrictions, we remind organisations of the potential impacts on mental health at work.

The Mentally Healthy Workplaces during COVID resources provide practical information and supports to sole traders, small and medium to large businesses. They were developed by the National Mental Health Commission, with the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance and Ahead for Business.

The resources convey the importance of protecting people from harm by managing workplace risks to mental health, responding to and supporting people experiencing mental ill-health, and promoting wellbeing through good work.  

We continue to hear the importance of measuring and reporting efforts around mentally healthy work. Measurement often feeds into making the case for action on mentally healthy work, and informs continual improvement. Many organisations are seeking guidance on what to measure, and how best to do it.

Your feedback is informing our current development of guides to help organisations with measurement and reporting.

New research, resources and other initiatives in mentally healthy work that have come across our desk.

Suicide prevention in the workplace: The Suicide Prevention: A Competency Framework aims to support organisations and workers to respond to people experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours at work. The framework, launched by Suicide Prevention Australia, comes with suggestions for how it can be adapted to different working environments.

New roadmap launched: Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds has released the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Roadmap for the transport, warehousing and logistics industries. The Roadmap, which was created by industry for industry, provides a plan for improving mental health across the industries.

Psychosocial safety research: A study by the University of South Australia’s Psychosocial Safety Climate Observatory has found that low workplace psychosocial safety climate increases the risk of new major depression symptoms. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, were based on more than 1,000 workers across three states.

Workplace sexual harassment: Comcare has released new online education for workers, managers and employers that focus on the impacts, prevention, management and reporting of workplace sexual harassment. These education products are now freely available via Comcare’s learning management system.

Developments in South Australia: The Workplace Health and Wellbeing SA newsletter provides news of initiatives and events around mental health at work in South Australia. It also carries information on relevant resources and research. Past editions are available on the Healthy Workplaces website.

Workplace wellbeing spotlight: ‘Working Minds’ is the topic for this year’s Psychology Week, the annual awareness event organised by the Australian Psychological Society. The APS is seeking to showcase the importance of research, and its translation to practice and policy and how psychological ideas can help workplaces to thrive. The APS is keen to hear from organisations that may wish to partner in research underpinning ‘Working Minds’, share current workplace research and resources or join in a wide range of activities over the course of Psychology Week. Interested organisations can contact Dr Vinita Godinho, General Manager Policy and Social Impact, APS. Email: v.godinho@psychology.org.au

Many of our readers have requested access to the latest research, reports and information from the sector. The above list of resources have been shared with the Commission recently. Please note these resources are provided as a service to our readers and do not imply endorsement.