Supporting good mental health in your workplace has benefits for you, your staff and your business.
Keeping your employees safe from mental health risks in the workplace is as important as looking after their physical health.
Businesses that prioritise mental health benefit from increased productivity, with workers recording fewer sick days and performing better, greater retention of staff, and fewer compensation claims – and they meet their legal responsibilities.
Many work-related mental health injuries can be avoided or reduced by good business management. That can include managing staff workloads and providing support, open and respectful communication with and between staff, clear complaint and grievance procedures, and a culture that does not tolerate inappropriate behaviours like harassment and bullying.
Tips to build a mentally healthy workplace:
- Identify, reduce and eliminate mental health safety risks
- Develop and promote workplace policies and practices that support positive mental health
- Support workers returning after a physical or psychological injury
- Promote and model looking after yourself and work-life balance
- Recognise when you or your workers are not coping and find support
- Encourage and model open and respectful communication
- Provide education resources on mental health and safety
Check how your workplace is doing.
If you think you or your employees are experiencing anxiety or depression, it can help to talk to a professional.
- Visit your doctor (GP)
- See the Small Business Commissioner’s resource Mental Health in the Workplace
- Visit SA Health for a directory of websites and telephone health advice lines to provide you with health advice, support and information from qualified health care professionals.
- Rural Business Support has rural financial counsellors who can help you work through farm business challenges. The website also provides a comprehensive list of services to help with mental wellbeing. Call 1800 836 211.
- Find your bank’s financial difficulty contact details at the Australian Banking Association
- The Financial Counsellors’ Association provides free confidential support if you are experiencing financial difficulty. Call 1800 007 007 Monday to Friday 9.30am – 4.30pm.
- Find out how the Australian Tax Office (ATO) can assist small businesses when mental illness affects the ability to pay tax or super obligations.
When you’re dealing with a dispute, your mental health can suffer. Support is available to help you resolve disputes quickly and before they escalate.
- The Office of Consumer and Business Affairs handles disputes between businesses and consumers.
- The Office of the Small Business Commissioner can help with business disputes with another business or local or state government.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.
Crisis support and suicide prevention services:
- Lifeline provides 24/7 telephone crisis support and counselling 13 11 14 or the Lifeline Crisis Support Chat is available 7pm to midnight.
- beyondblue Support Services offers crisis support via phone call, online chat or email. All calls and chats are one-on-one with a trained mental health professional, and completely confidential. Call 1300 224 636 or go to the beyondblue online chat support service 3pm to midnight.
- Suicide Call Back Service nationwide service that provides free telephone, video and online counselling 24/7. Call 1300 659 467 or go to Suicide Call Back Service online chat and video counselling.
- Mental Health Triage Service provides 24/7assistance in a mental health emergency. Call 13 14 65.