The Direction – August 2014
Note from our Director
Hello and Welcome to our August 2014 edition of ‘The Direction’. HR Business Direction supports R U OK? in the promotion of regular, meaningful conversations in the workplace. We therefore will provide to anyone who does work with us during the month leading up R U OK? Day from 14th August to 11th September a checklist of initiatives to ensure the health & well-being of your employees.
If you would like to discuss any of the issues covered in the newsletter or anything else please contact us on 07 3890 2066 or admin@hrbd.com.au.
R U OK? Day
R U OK? Day is on the 11th September 2014. Make sure you mark it in your calendar to ask the question of your team members and starting planning for a fundraising event.
HR Tips
There are many ways to support mental health of employees and ensure your workplace is a healthy one – you could start with monitoring workloads, schedule lunchtime walks & get to know your employees.
Getting your head around mental health
Mental health and mental illness are ever increasing issues for employers and HR professionals. Whether this is due to the pressures of modern life or whether we are just more aware of these issues than we were in the past is debateable. Perhaps it is a combination of the two.
What is clear though, is that not having in place strategies or protocols for managing mental health in the workplace can result in significant cost for businesses. Statistics tell us that Australian businesses lose over $6.5 billion each year by failing to provide early intervention or treatment for employees with mental health conditions. This statistic alone is enough to convince some employers to make managing mental health issues a focus for their business, but what is more compelling is the fact that mental illness does not discriminate and can potentially affect any of us, at some point in our lives regardless of our age, background, education, income, race or ethnicity. Evidence of this can be seen by reflecting on those in the public eye who admit to suffering or having suffered from mental illness. CEO’s, musicians, politicians, journalists, actors, and sportspeople who should be commended for assisting in breaking down stereotypes and encouraging those who respect or admire them who also suffer from mental illness to speak out and seek assistance.
From a practical point of view, managing mental health issues in the workplace can be complex and at times overwhelming. Considerations include complying with WH&S, privacy, and discrimination legislation, as well as managing performance, rehabilitation and return to work.
So where do we starting tackling these issues?
Understanding that a one size fits all approach is unlikely to be effective is probably a good start. People are complex, workplace dynamics are complex and mental health is complex, therefore putting in place protocols based on mutual respect which are flexible and not unnecessarily bureaucratic is recommended.
Encouraging an organisation-wide breakdown of sterotypes and stigmas and culture of support for those with mental health issues is also a postive step in terms of building morale, retaining skilled employees and avoiding the potentially significant costs of not managing mental health well. This encourages employees to ask colleagues R U OK? You can refer to R U OK? website for resources and information.