Safe Work Australia Launches 'Heads Up' Campaign
The goal is to encourage employers in the country to take action on mental health in their workplaces.
Safe Work Australia recently launched a "Heads Up" campaign to encourage employers to take action on mental health in their workplaces. The agency said this was the first time such an initiative has been mounted in Australia.
The campaign launched last month is a joint initiative by beyondblue and the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance, of which Safe Work Australia is a founding member. The campaign's website offers resources and a kit to help businesses create mentally healthy workplaces. Safe Work Australia Chief Executive Office Michelle Baxter said there are many benefits from having a workplace that is both physically and psychologically healthy.
"While the attention is often on a worker's physical health, focusing on physical and mental health can have significant return on investments for organizations," Baxter said. "Ignoring mental health costs Australian industry billions of dollars each year through increased absenteeism, lower productivity, and more compensation claims. Importantly, managing psychological hazards and risks is required by law to ensure the safety of Australian workers."
Safe Work Australia contributed to the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance by releasing two fact sheets: "Preventing Psychological Injury Under Work Health" and "Safety Laws and Workers' Compensation Legislation and Psychological Injury."