In Australia, an estimated of 45 per cent of people will
experience some form of mental health related illness once in their lifetime, and it costs Australian businesses $11 billion a
year, with untreated depression resulting in over 6 million working days lost each year alone.
In order
for businesses to maximise their productivity and drive greater motivation, it
is crucial for employers to promote a mentally healthy environment. Companies
that are successful in creating a mentally healthy culture can significantly
reduce stigma, improve staff performance, retain staff and most importantly,
make a happier environment for staff to work in.
A PwC study shows
that for every $1 that is invested in creating a mentally healthy workplace
will result in a $2.30 average return.
As an
employer, you can start with these 3 simple and low cost steps to create a mentally healthy
workplace.
Raise awareness of mental health conditions and
reduce stigma
To raise
awareness of mental health conditions, it is important to know about the
symptoms of mental illnesses. You can provide training to all managers and
staff to increase their knowledge. This could be in the form of an information
book, online or face-to-face training. A good way to reduce stigma is to listen
to someone who has mental illness or has cared for someone who had the medical
condition. You can arrange for someone to share their personal story on what it
is like to be living with mental illness.
Support employees who are dealing with a mental
health condition
As an
employer, you can develop and implement plans that can accommodate employees
who are living with mental illness. These plans may include how to encourage
employees to return to work after suffering from a mental illness or stay at
work plans that are tailored to the employee’s needs.
Create a supportive workplace culture
Show that
you care about your employees and increase the awareness that your business is
committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces. To do this, you will need to
engage with all your employees and let them know your plans on what you intend
to do as well as receiving their input. This plan should include the roles and
responsibilities of all staff relating to mental illness, covering areas such
as work health and safety, discrimination, privacy and how to take care of
their mental health.
“…. good mental health is not simply the
absence of a mental disorder. It is a state of wellbeing whereby an individual
can realise their own potential, manage everyday stresses, work productively
and contribute to their community.” – World Health Organisation
Being brought up in a typical Chinese family in Australia,
Vivian takes pride as an ABC (Australia-born Chinese) where she happily
embraces both the Chinese and Australian cultures.
In high school, Vivian wanted to become a fashion designer,
however she has developed a passion for running events after working backstage
for multiple live shows. Prior to starting at Akolade, Vivian worked 4 years in
the wine industry and she misses the wine tasting sessions and openly drinking
on the job. As the Marketing Coordinator, Vivian enjoys using her creativity to
design unique and fun campaigns for each event. In her spare time, Vivian loves
to spend time with her two adorable cat and dog.
No comments :
Post a Comment