Where to Begin: Key Steps to Improving Mental Health in Your Workplace

“Where would you suggest we start to improve mental health in our workplace?” the senior leader blurted in the online green room after the 1,100+ audience members had logged off the presentation.

It’s a question I’ve been asked many times. While the answer will vary depending on factors such as culture and organisational maturity, there are some key principles that can set any organisation on the right path toward a mentally healthy workplace.

1. Engage Your People

Your employees will generally have a strong sense of the psychological health of your organisation. They can recognise psychosocial hazards and often have ideas about how to manage their risks. If your organisation doesn’t already have a committee dedicated to well-being and mental health, this is a great place to start.

For example, one of our clients has a Health and Wellbeing Committee they call HAWC, which plans and promotes the organisation’s well-being initiatives, guided by regular workforce surveys. Another client has established a Wellbeing Champion network, offering peer support to employees dealing with mental health challenges. These Committees can become involved in educating colleagues through speaking at Town Halls and organising regular events.

It’s a great idea to appoint a senior sponsor who can advocate for the committee’s work and ensure it has visibility and support at higher levels of leadership.

2. Build Mental Health Literacy

We are still early in our understanding of mental health and psychological safety at work. While significant progress has been made in preventing physical injuries, mental health represents the next frontier of safety. Despite nearly half of us experiencing mental health challenges in our lifetime, 50% of those affected don’t seek treatment, which can affect workplace productivity and morale.

By improving mental health literacy—helping employees understand how mental health issues present, that they are treatable, and what support options are available—you can significantly increase help-seeking behaviour, reducing the time it takes for employees to recover and expediting a return to normal productivity levels.

3. Educate Leaders

Leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the culture of a mentally healthy workplace. Many leaders were raised in environments where top-down authority prevailed creating potential psychosocial hazards, and the expectation was that personal struggles were parked at the door. However, we are whole people, and what happens in one part of our lives inevitably impacts other areas.

Leaders need to understand how mental ill-health manifests and be equipped to respond when an employee discloses, or they suspect, a mental health concern. Offering training on mental health awareness can equip leaders to support their teams more effectively and to create an open, supportive environment that helps employees to thrive.

4. Identify and Manage Psychosocial Hazards

Work can be incredibly rewarding for our mental health, but sometimes the way work is designed, managed, or conducted can create psychosocial hazards—conditions that put employees’ mental health at risk. In Australia, organisations are now required to proactively manage these hazards just as they would physical hazards.

Leaders need to avoid creating psychosocial risks which can include poorly managed change processes, unfair application of policies, unresolved conflicts, or turning a blind eye to toxic workplace behaviours. Educating employees about psychosocial hazards and encouraging them to raise concerns can help mitigate risks and put necessary strategies in place. In some white-collar workplaces, psychosocial hazards may pose a greater safety risk than physical hazards.

5. Promote Conversations About Mental Health

While there has been notable progress in normalising mental health conversations in workplaces, especially post-COVID, stigma still lingers. The organisations that excel in this area often have senior leaders who champion mental health, particularly those who have shared their personal journeys with mental health challenges.

Creating a culture where employees feel safe to talk about their mental health can significantly improve support for those who are struggling, accelerating recovery and fostering an environment of openness and understanding.

These principles are a starting point for any organisation looking to improve mental health in the workplace. For more guidance, or to assess where your organisation currently stands, consider taking a look at our Blueprint for a Mentally Healthy Workplace. Our full range of services aligns with this framework and can help you take the next steps toward creating a supportive, mentally healthy work environment.