We use cookies to give you a better experience on our website. Learn more about how we use cookies and how you can select your preferences.
Create a mentally healthy workplace
In a mentally healthy workplace, people feel supported, happy to come to work and comfortable talking about mental health.
Mentally healthy workplaces:
- have positive workplace cultures
- know that mental health is everyone’s responsibility
- manage stress and other risks to mental health
- make people feel safe and supported to talk about mental health
- tailor mental health support to the person or team.
Benefits of a mentally healthy workplace
Providing a mentally healthy workplace is a legal requirement for business owners. But it also has many benefits for your staff and business operations.
These include:
- less staff absences and lost working days
- increased productivity
- greater job satisfaction
- reduced staff turnover
- attracting talented workers.
Work health and safety obligations
You have a duty under work health and safety (WHS) laws to provide a mentally healthy workplace. This means you need to manage any risks from psychological hazards in your workplace.
Exposure to psychosocial hazards can cause stress, which can lead to psychological or physical harm. For example, stress from bullying could cause depression or chronic disease.
As well as WHS laws, there are other laws you’ll need to consider:
- Anti-discrimination laws – you can’t discriminate against a worker with a mental health condition. There are a few exceptions and exemptions to this.
- Privacy laws – you can’t tell anyone about your workers’ mental health conditions unless they agree or you must do so by law.
- Workplace protections – you can’t take any unfair action against someone because of their mental health condition.
-
Find out what your mental health WHS obligations are
Safe Work Australia
Manage mental health risks
You can manage psychosocial risks using the same process you use for physical risks:
- identify the hazards
- assess the risks
- control the risks
- review the control measures to make sure they are working.
As with physical risks, you should involve your workers and talk to them throughout this process. They know the risks in their work and can help identify options to manage these.
To identify your workplace’s psychosocial hazards:
- ask your workers regularly if there’s anything they’re finding stressful or difficult
- understand causes of stress in the workplace and how you can manage them
- look out for signs of stress in your workers.
Stress is the physical, mental and emotional reactions you have when the demands of your job exceed your ability or resources to cope. Stress itself is not an injury but if prolonged or severe can cause psychological and physical injury.
Promote good mental health in your business
There are simple steps you can take to build and promote a mentally healthy workplace:
- Protect your employees from bullying, harassment and discrimination.
- Ensure your staff have the right training and support.
- Talk to your employees about mental health in the workplace. Be open about your mental health and check in to see how they are going.
- Offer and encourage a healthy work/life balance.
- Make sure your employees know where to go for help.
- Look after yourself. Running a business can be tough, but there is help available.
Watch this video to learn why mental health at work is important.
The importance of mentally healthy workplaces
-
Build your skills and knowledge on mental health with free online training
Business Wellbeing Online Training -
Find information, resources and tools that can help you create a healthy workplace
Mentally Healthy Workplaces
Read next
-
Learn the warning signs of stress and how to manage it
Manage stress in your business -
Find support for your mental health
Mental health and wellbeing support for business