Improve your business by investing in mental health

Investing in the mental health and wellbeing of your employees is important to your workplace’s overall health, safety and productivity. It’s an increasingly important aspect that workplaces across Australia are adopting when considering the longevity of their business.

It makes good business sense

PWC research shows that every dollar invested in creating a mentally healthy workplace returns $2.30 to the organisation. It also:

• Reduces worker absence and high turnover.
  Achieves greater staff loyalty and a return on training investment.
  Minimises stress levels and improves morale.
  Avoids breaches of health and safety laws.

How to invest in employee mental health?

Did you know that mental health problems are the third biggest source of disease burden in Australia? This is after cardiovascular disease and cancer according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Investing in employee wellbeing, especially mental health, decreases the need for more drastic and expensive services later on, including workplace injuries. But, how do you do this?

Offer an Employee Assistance Provider (EAP). These are third-party intervention programs offering staff a confidential place to go with their problems that may be adversely affecting their performance. Rehab Management offers this service as part of our corporate health and wellbeing business arm.

Create a positive culture. One where your staff feel safe happy to come to work. This starts with the leadership team. If there’s a strong, can-do attitude coming from the top, it will flow through to every team member in the workplace.

Encourage team building and trust. Giving people ways to bond with their co-workers and a way to express appreciation for each other, builds a positive workplace culture, trusting, cohesive and productive teams.

Raise awareness. The more of your staff who know about and can talk about mental health, the better for your HR team to intervene quickly if there’s an issue.

Educate. It’s crucial for managers to partake in training courses around mental health. Recognising the signs, managing team members who’ve raised a concern and referring them onto appropriate help is vital to sustaining a mentally healthy and productive workplace. Reach out to our specialise team to see what mental health training sessions could benefit your workplace. Investment now means prevention later.