Mental ill health is one of the major obstacles to a productive and rewarding working life. So a landmark alliance is being formed to help create mentally healthy Australian workplaces.
The Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance is a collaborative partnership between business, the mental health sector and government, and was officially launched by the National Mental Health Commission today.
The Alliance is providing the business sector with practical guidance about mental health designed to drive sustainable changes in business culture and practice, and is developing an evidence-based business case for promoting mentally healthy workplaces.
Comcare CEO Paul O’Connor said too many workers are not working because of a mental illness.
He said they are missing out on the identity, social connections, sense of community and financial security that comes from having a job.
“We must all do our bit towards assisting people with a mental illness to enter the workforce or provide better rehabilitation for those with a mental illness returning to employment.
“Better still, we need to get better at preventing harm from happening in the first place, through the way work is designed and managed”, Mr O’Connor said.
As part of the project the Alliance is inviting all Australian business to share their experiences in promoting mental wellbeing.
The Call for Good Practice is open to all business until 28 July at the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance website and will help inform the development of practical resources for businesses to be released later in the year.
photo credit: AMANITO
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