Safe Work Australia has recently come up with a campaign to promote better mental health in different working environments.
In this light, it has launched its Heads Up campaign just last month with the hopes of encouraging top business leaders to be more aware and be involved in the importance of promoting occupational mental health.
This campaign is a joint initiative from the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance wherein two of the founding members are Safe Work Australia and beyondblue.
Heads Up Campaign
According to Michelle Baxter, Safe Work Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, the launch of the Heads Up website has showcased different kinds of resources and a kit, which can be used by businesses as a guide and assistance for promoting mental health inside the workplace.
Baxter recognizes the many advantages of a mentally healthy workplace – both psychological and physical – and the importance of promoting the mental health of employers and workers alike.
She adds that while most of our attention is often placed on the physical health of workers, giving focus on the psychological well-being of individuals can bring about bigger and more significant return of investments for the organisation.
If we ignore the importance of mental health, she notes, it will cost the Australian industry million of dollars annually, especially if mental conditions can cause increased absenteeism, an increasing number of compensation claims and lower productivity.
Baxter said that regulators of occupational safety and health should have ample resources in order to assist different organisations and companies in effectively managing mental health issues inside the workplace.
Fact Sheets
Because of this, Safe Work Australia has come up with two fact sheets as a contribution to the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance’s advocacies.
Baxter reveals that the Preventing Psychological Injury Under Work Health and Safety Laws guidelines has already helped people who have businesses or undertakings, as well as workers, in addressing the different issues which are related to psychological conditions. This was done in order to maintain the welfare, safety and health of all individuals at work.
The second fact sheet, Workers’ Compensation Legislation and Psychological Injury, offers an overview of the role of the employers as indicated in the workers’ compensation legislation, especially those that are related to mental injuries and illnesses.
The Chief Executive Officer encourages all employees and employers to take mental health seriously. It is important to conduct a thorough examination on the psychological and physical needs of workers, as well as the implementation of effective risk management strategies in order to minimize any risks which may be hazardous to the mental health of workers.
Although this spectrum of the whole occupational health and safety issue is often neglected, we must realise that a sound mind ultimately leads to a sound body. If an employee has a healthy well-being, physically, psychologically, spiritually, work productivity will increase and this will mean more profits to organisations and companies. A small amount of investment will actually go a long way.
