Creating a mentally healthy workplace

Embarking on your journey to creating a mentally healthy workplaces can feel overwhelming.  To help shape your approach, the following pillars provide an evidence-based foundation for building and maintaining a mentally healthy workplace.

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Pillars of a mentally healthy workplace

Protect

Organisations and businesses have legal obligations related to employees’ psychological work health and safety. This involves taking reasonably practicable steps to identify and manage ‘psychosocial hazards’, which are aspects of work that can lead to psychological or physical harm.

Respond

Creating an environment that reduces stigma, makes it safe to talk, supports early intervention, and ensures people within the organisation or business are able to recognise, respond, and refer to appropriate support services.

Promote

Bringing out the positive elements of work that enhance employee mental health. This includes strong workplace relationships, purpose, and opportunities for personal and professional development, as well as activities that promote holistic employee wellbeing.

Critical success factors

To set up for success, the following critical success factors should be considered:

• Leadership support - A visible, genuine and long-term commitment to mental health in the workplace from the  business’ senior leaders. Decision makers set the tone, culture, budgets, and strategic direction of organisations.

• Employee collaboration and participation - Input must be sought from employees. Consulting with a range of staff provides valuable insights into what people need, and what would help to create a thriving workplace.

• Ongoing communication and sustainability - Bringing employees on the change journey, clearly communicating any workplace mental health initiatives and updates. Regularly reviewing outcomes (both hits and misses) and embedding a sustainable approach.

Remember, creating a mentally healthy workplace can take time. It’s OK to adopt an incremental approach. Taking small steps can make it feel more manageable.

How you can take the next steps

Useful tools and resources- external site- external site- external site can assist you in taking the next steps in creating or maintaining a mentally healthy workplace, or you can complete this free online module:

If you would like further information on how we can help you, contact us at mentallyhealthy@rtwsa.com- external site - external site - external site or by calling 08 8233 2310.