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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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33 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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Wow this is very helpfulf thank you.
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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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Hi Team, I’m new to this MHFA Friends Ignite, and just wanted to ask you all how you would deal with this situation. (Please let me know if there would be a better place to ask this.)
I shared an image with my team on tips to manage stress. Someone commented jokingly saying “It forgot to say “Drink wine””. There were a few other comments extending the joke. I feel that this is not an appropriate response because there could be people in my workplace dealing with substance abuse problems. How can I gently let people know it’s not OK to joke about something that could be a real problem to another? I don’t want to be to person who can’t take a joke, however I feel strongly that this kind of conversation on a team forum is not appropriate.
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Hello Jayne -I to have encountered similar situations before, and I found that addressing it individually works well. You might consider pulling the person aside and using ‘I’ statements to express how their comment impacted you. For example, you could say, ‘I understand the comment was meant to be light-hearted, but it made me think about how it might affect others who may be struggling with substance use. I’m worried that it might unintentionally harm someone.’
By approaching it this way, you can gently remind them of how their words can land, without making it confrontational. This is a big step forward in creating a psychologically safe workplace where everyone feels respected and considered.
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Thank you, John, that’s a really great idea. Both these people work remotely, and it may be a couple of weeks before I see them face to face. Do you think it would be better to wait to see them face to face and talk to them then? Or would you suggest speaking to them in a private conversation virtually. I know f2f is always better, but if too much time goes by will that impact the way they receive it?
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It’s tricky, and I’d say go with your gut on this one. You have a valid point about the length of time—if too much time passes, it could make the situation seem bigger than it is. That said, I understand virtual conversations can be challenging too.
Maybe instead of focusing on the specific incident, you could approach it more generally. For example, you could mention that in a past group setting, something similar was said, and the team didn’t realize one of their colleagues had a serious substance use issue, which caused them a lot of distress. While the team never found out about this, it further isolated that person and made them hesitant to share their struggles. This way, you’re making the conversation less about the individual comment and more about raising awareness on how comments like these can unintentionally impact others, without singling anyone out.
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This is tricky – and you bring up an important point, and it’s great that you’re considering the impact of comments like this. It might help to remind your team that language, even in jest, can affect others in ways we may not immediately see. A gentle way to address this is to acknowledge that while humour has its place, we also need to be mindful of how certain jokes can create discomfort for those dealing with personal struggles.
In the long run, fostering a workplace where everyone feels safe to speak up — like you’re doing now — will help build a more supportive and psychologically safe environment. Maybe this could open the door to more conversations about respectful communication and mental health in the team.
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thank you so much for your response, Tilly, so reassuring.
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Hi, welcome to Mental Health Friends Ignite! I completely understand where you’re coming from, and you’ve raised an important point. Continuing on from
@TillyRogers point, given recent updates to workplace legislation, including the Equal Opportunity Act and Health and Safety regulations regarding psychosocial hazards, organisations now have clear obligations to ensure respectful relationships in the workplace. This includes rolling out training on topics like mental health, respectful communication, and the impact of certain behaviours, especially in regard to sensitive topics like substance use.If your organisation hasn’t yet implemented this kind of training, it might be a good time to bring it up with leadership. And if they already have, it could be a helpful reminder to the team of the importance of upholding these principles to create a safe and supportive environment for everyone. Your concern shows great leadership and care for your colleagues’ wellbeing, which is exactly what these regulations aim to foster.
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Thank you so much Teresa for your reply, it’s reassuring to know that I am on the right track with this. Good point about the corporate responsibility.
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Hi @jaynejamieson Sometimes when people make comments about using substances, like drinking wine to cope, it can actually be a sign that they themselves are using substances as a coping mechanism. It’s worth considering that perspective too, separate from addressing the behaviour directly.
This doesn’t take away from the need to address the comment, but it could open the door to a broader conversation about how we’re all managing stress and the healthy ways to do so.
This helps us consider the possibility that the person making the comment might also be struggling themselves, encouraging a thoughtful and holistic approach. Just something to keep in mind as you approach the situation.
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That is so incredibly true, and I hadn’t considered that. Thank you so much for this. I will reach out to them to check in and see how they are going.
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