As the year comes to a close, we all have the opportunity to reflect on the year that was. “Did I complete my KPI’s”, “Is my wage keeping up?” “Am I getting ahead or stuck here, stagnating?”.
But there is another question that may be the more important: “Does my job make me happy?”.
Sure, let’s be real, it is work we’re talking about; it’s unrealistic to think that for every second of the working week we’re going to be smiling ear-to-ear about an ever-growing task list. (Of course we’d prefer to be spending time with friends and family, or taking a nice walk along the beach, who wouldn’t?)
Having to work is just fact. Over our lives we’ll spend more waking hours at work than we spend with our families. It’s also true that most of us give our best selves to our work – we all want to do ‘a good job’.
So, it’s reasonable that we might expect our workplace to be also at its best. We don’t want those 38 hours or more that we commit to work each week sending us home mentally unwell. Our work should not bust our brains, end of story.
But a mentally healthy workplace doesn’t happen by accident; it takes commitment to get it right. The upside to that commitment – getting it right, a positive workplace culture with mental health a priority – is that everyone prospers, employees and the business.
The downsides of ‘getting it wrong’ are also pretty clear:
- Across Australian workplaces, the total compensation paid for work related mental disorders per year is $543 million.
- Around 91% of workers’ compensation claims involving a mental disorder are linked to work-related stress or mental stress.
- Depression among 13% of males and 17% of women can be attributed to prolonged or excessive work stress.
- Workers experiencing psychological distress take four times as many sick days per month (compared to those not experiencing psychological distress). This comes at a cost to employers at an average of $6309 per affected worker per annum. (See ADA’s The Little Blue Book of MENTAL HEALTH pp. 27-29)
In a workplace where mental health is the priority, managers and supervisors will be trained to recognise triggers for work stress, to recognise changes in behaviour that may indicate psychological distress and have the right policies and procedures in place to guard against psychological damage. (See ADA’s The Little Blue Book of MENTAL HEALTH p. 28)
Getting the culture right within a business isn’t always easy. But An ADA Australia Workplace Mental Health training program for your workplace, sporting club (or to your young apprentices) can be a first step to improving awareness and getting the culture right, from the Boardroom to the warehouse door.
If you’d like to learn more about any of the training programs we offer, call ADA Australia on 1300 378 429 or email: enquiry@adaaus.com.au
We have started taking bookings for 2023.
Additionally, if this information raised any concerns for you, please do speak to your GP, they can help you back to good health, or call a helpline: LIFELINE 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue 1300 22 4636.