Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces

To mark World Mental Health Day, we speak with Patrice O’Brien, General Manager of Workplace Partnership and Engagement from beyondblue. In this episode we delve into the world of Mental Health and how it applies to small business owners.

It’s an important conversation. 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health condition in a given year, and almost 1 in 2 will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime. A recent report on mental health in the workplace by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) looked at the financial cost incurred when employers did not take action to manage mental health conditions in their business. It estimated that the cost to Australian business is approximately $10.9 billion per year.

So how do we create workplaces that support mental health – not just for employees, but for small business owners too?

Patrice offers some great insights into the importance of self-care, and why when it comes to mental health at work, prevention is the best cure.

The Takeaways

• Why small business owners need to look after their own mental health, and recognise the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety
• How absenteeism and presenteeism is costing your business
• Planning ahead for peak times to ease the mental burden of work on your staff
• Why civility in the workplace is a key ingredient to a mentally healthy culture
• Businesses that thrive are the ones who prioritise mental health in the workplace
• The best and most important changes you can make in your workplace are simple and free

Important Small Business Resources

beyondblue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

HeadsUp https://www.headsup.org.au/

Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/