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Hello Leaders and HR Professionals! ??
Step into a space designed for managers and HR to discuss fostering a mentally healthy workplace. Share strategies, learn from each other’s experiences, and ignite conversations that create supportive environments where everyone can thrive.
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22 Replies
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I work in P&C so looking forward to connecting with others as often I find myself being challenged by the intricacies of mental health and IR, so would love to link when I get some hairy questions or I get stuck!
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Hi Kate, I completely understand the challenges that can rear their head in navigating the intricacies of mental health and IR. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate and share insights whenever those hairy questions arise. I believe that peer support and knowledge exchange can be incredibly valuable in our line of work. Looking forward to our future interactions!
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Hi Kate & Michael, I am excited that you two have joined. HR is an area of interest for me – it will be great to bounce ideas off of you and get more insight on how mental health impacts on our workforce.
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Hey everyone, does anyone have any links/information to share with me specific to crisis (suicide) policies in the workplace? I read the resource available on here which was great, just wanted as much information as I can get?
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Hey Jade,
Here are some links I recently sent to my boss as we are in need of doing the same things!
– gives good information on what a manager’s role is so can be helpful to understand what “steps” need to go into the policy
– American website but it provides information on screening, and resources and can also be good for the bulk of the suicide policy
– another great resource that details what to do at different “levels” in the company
headsup.org.au
Work and mental health - Beyond Blue
Learn what makes a mentally healthy workplace and find practical tools to promote your wellbeing at work.
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This is brilliant, thank you!
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This is super helpful
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Hey guys,
Just wondering what your thoughts are on the best way to approach a manager, or someone higher than you on the management hierarchy if you are concerned about them and their mental health?
I am finding it difficult to start the conversation.
Thanks in advance!
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Hey Rikki,
When it comes to approaching a manager or someone higher up in management about their mental health, it’s crucial to remember that there is no right or wrong approach. Every situation is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another.
The first step I’d suggest though is to ask yourself what you need and what you hope to achieve by having this conversation. Are you looking to offer support, express concern, and/or seek guidance? Once you have a clear understanding of your intentions, you can tailor your approach accordingly.
Consider finding a suitable time and place to have a private conversation with your manager. Approach the topic with empathy, expressing your genuine concern for their well-being. Generally using open-ended questions to encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings is a good approach, and then be prepared to listen actively and without judgment.
Remember, starting the conversation can be challenging, but showing genuine care and concern can make a significant difference. Good luck and remember we are all here if you need further support on this matter. ?
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Hi Rikki, Approaching a higher-level manager about their mental health can be challenging. Here are some tips:
- Choose a suitable time and place for the conversation, ensuring no interruptions and a relaxed environment.
- Use “I” statements and show vulnerability to convey your concerns.
- Acknowledge power dynamics in hierarchical situations.
- Make it clear that you are available to talk further and follow up, even if it feels uncomfortable.
Best of luck. We are here supporting you.
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Hey Rikki. I’d recommend conveying your genuine care and concern for the other person’s well-being. Let them know that you have observed certain changes in their behaviour or demeanor that have raised concerns for you. We are all human. From your question, I’m sure you would approach the conversation with respect, care, and empathy. If you’re unsure about how to proceed, it might be helpful to consider what kind of support you need in order to feel comfortable having this conversation?
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Hey Rikki!
At my workplace we have a debrief option before and after a potentially challenging conversation with our HR, maybe you can ask for this from your team as well? Give you some confidence before the conversation!
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Thank you so much, everyone! I feel like preparation is also key for me here! I LOVE all of your advice and I am so grateful!
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How do you measure the success and impact of your organisation’s mental health and wellbeing initiatives, and what changes have you made based on those findings?
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Great question! One important way to measure success and impact is by <strong style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>Assessing Access and Participation. By evaluating the extent to which individuals have full access to and participate in learning and other activities helps with assessing the number of individuals who are able to engage in these activities without being hindered by mental health challenges. Keen to see what tips everyone else have
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In our organization, we prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of our team members. To measure the success and impact of our initiatives, we regularly gather feedback through anonymous surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one conversations. We pay close attention to the responses and use the findings to make informed changes. For instance, if we identify areas where additional support is needed, we may implement additional resources such as counselling services or workshops. Our goal is to continuously adapt and improve our initiatives based on the feedback we receive, ensuring that our team members feel supported and their mental health needs are addressed.
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Thank you for your question! At our organisation, we take our commitment to mental health and wellbeing initiatives very seriously. To ensure that these initiatives make a meaningful impact on the mental health of our employees, we measure success using comprehensive surveys and interviews with participants. With this data, we discussed it at the board level and we are able to evaluate the success or failure of our strategies and adjust accordingly.
Based on these findings, we have made several positive changes. We now offer a greater range of mental health support services to employees who might need them. Additionally, we provide regular check-ins and wellness opportunities through live shows, internal volunteer capacity training, and meditation workshops during the workday which can help reduce stress levels for those participating.
Our priority has always been to create a workplace focused on employee health and wellbeing and we are continuing to make further improvements to ensure our initiatives are effective in achieving positive outcomes for employees.
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Hopefully relevant here although more about organisational changes made and a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of not looking after staff wellbeing and mental health…
I was reading in the response from CSV to the WorkSafe sentence that they’ve made the following changes as a result of their failure to properly identify and assess risks related to employee psychological wellbeing:
– Invested in capacity and capability for risk identification and assessment.
– Appointed a health, safety, and wellbeing director, program manager, injury management advisers, and a vicarious trauma project lead.
– Implemented new systems, including technology at the Coroners Court to identify workload and exposure issues.
– Developed a Peer Support Program, Mental Health First Aid Training, and provides clinical wellbeing services to employees.
– Invested in measures to promote a ‘speak up’ culture for staff to raise issues.
I would love to have a chat with the staff there to know how they feel now and if the changes have helped improve the culture and overall psychological safety of the working environment???
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I’ve worked at several organisations and wellness programs were implemented differently everywhere – some done well, some done not so well. Surveys seemed to be the easy choice; however, found that staff in some organisations were apprehensive about it actually being anonymous.
In addition to surveys, we interviewed our team leaders and managers and asked them what their teams wellbeing needs were. These interviews gave us great insight as to where we could be doing better. We changed our EAP service, implemented Tapping sessions for the whole organisation on two different days of the week – as most of our staff worked part time.
We had a social club and each team could go and do something fun on a bi-monthly basis on company time. My favorite was every Friday – we would all jump online and play a game, whether it was Scattegories, Codenames or Scribl.io. We always had a great time and it was a fun way to finish the week.
These small things seemed to make a massive difference in the culture and the wellbeing of staff overall.
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Many organisations have had challenges re-engaging their teams back into the office. How has your team/organisation got their people excited about transitioning back into the office?
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As a way to celebrate our team’s resilience and foster a positive atmosphere, we planned various events to mark the return to the office. They included a welcome-back party, team-building exercises, and ongoing themed days to reignite the sense of camaraderie and connection among our employees. By creating a festive and enjoyable environment, we hope to infuse our team with enthusiasm and anticipation into the future.
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@Michael,
I wanted to express my appreciation for sharing your organisation’s measurements and the success of its mental health and well-being initiatives. I must say, I really like the idea of having a bi-monthly social club and weekly online games. It’s a great way to keep team members engaged and connected. Congratulations to you and your entire team for a job well done!
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