According to Beyond Blue, around 1 in 2 people will struggle with their mental health during their lifetime. With one in six workers experiencing a mental illness at any one time in Australia,it is very likely that most people will encounter someone who is affected, either in their work or personal lives.
Employers have legal obligations to not discriminate on the basis of mental health, and to provide mentally healthy workplaces. Yet, many employers do not understand the impact or know how best to support employee mental health. Fostering mentally healthy workplaces has benefits for both employees and employers, including: improved safety; reduced costs; and improved productivity. The business case shows that employing leading practice principles for mentally healthy workplaces makes more than just legal sense.
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References
- S. Wellard and K. Dell'Oro, 'Significant $1.3m Payout Warns Employers to Take Employee Bullying Complaints Seriously', 28 September, 2017. Beyond payouts, penalties can also significantly impact organisation reputation.
- Mental Health Australia and KPMG, Investing to Save: The Economic Benefits for Australia of Investment in Mental Health Reform, Mental Health Australian and KPMG, 2018.