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Linda and Danielle dive into what makes a mentally healthy workplace, and ask: Are you thriving? Or just surviving?
Caring for others is usually top priority for people working in the health and community services sector. So much so, that it’s often all too easy for us to neglect our own wellbeing. Workplace Wellbeing natters is the podcast that encourages us all to take care of the wellbeing of ourselves and the people we’re working with, whether that’s in primary care, mental health, disability, aged or community services, government, or any other part of the health and community services ecosystem. Hosts Linda and Danielle take you through some of their own insights from working in both the wellbeing, and health and community services sectors, and provide you with evidence-informed strategies to help foster wellbeing in your workplace.
Linda: Join us on this episode as we talk about mentally healthy and thriving
workplaces, what the factors of mentally healthy and thriving workplaces are, some of
the psychosocial hazards that workplaces might have and how to mitigate and manage
them.
Linda: Welcome to the Workplace Wellbeing Matters Podcast. The podcast that talks
about wellbeing that works for the health and community services sector.
Hello, I'm Linda. I am a facilitator, coach and trainer specialising in wellbeing.
I'd like to acknowledge that I'm on the land of the Gunai Kurnai people pay my respects
to their elders’ past, present and emerging. My pronouns are she/her.
Danielle: And hello, I'm Danielle. I am a wellbeing specialist and a psychology student.
I'd like to acknowledge that I'm also on the land of the Gunai Kurnai people also and my
pronouns are she/her.
Linda: In this episode, we're exploring mentally healthy workplaces and thriving
workplaces. So, what are they? What's the difference between them and what do they
mean for us in the health and community services sector?
Danielle: And we offered definitions of mentally healthy and thriving workplaces in
episode one. We're going to expand on them in this episode and consider some
examples from current frameworks as well.
Linda: So, let's start with mentally healthy workplaces because it's difficult to thrive in a
workplace if it isn't, first and foremost, a mentally healthy place to be. So, what then is a
mentally healthy workplace?
Danielle: Well, Linda, there's no single or one definition of a mentally healthy
workplace, so let's talk through a couple of definitions some approaches that are current
and relevant in Australia. We will start with the description from our first podcast episode
that comes from Heads Up and the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance, who suggests
that mentally healthy workplaces have four things in common. So, Linda, do you want to
take us through those again?
Linda: Absolutely. So, if you're a regular listener, you might remember these from
episode one. So, number one is that the workplace has a positive workplace culture.
So, this is where people feel good about coming to work and where we encourage and
support everyone.
Danielle: And the second is that they manage stress and other risk to mental health, so
they take action to minimize and manage risk factors such as too little or too heavy
workloads, unrealistic deadlines, poor communication and uncertainty.
Linda: And they also support people with mental health conditions. So firstly, that's to
create an environment where people feel they can share if they have a mental health
condition, then to support people to develop a plan that helps them stay at work or
return to work and of course, from a person centred approach. This is a collaborative
process and tailored to each person. So, without making assumptions about what
someone might need
Danielle: And the last thing they have in common is they have a zero tolerance
approach to discrimination, so they protect people from discrimination and take action to
provide an inclusive and fair culture.
Linda: And of course, the four elements work together to contribute to a mentally
healthy workplace. And Danielle, we also have a comparison. The Queensland
Workplace Health and Safety Agency, they offer another description. They describe a
mentally healthy workplace as one that promotes workplace practices that support
positive mental health and eliminates and minimizes psychological health and safety
risks by identifying and assessing psychological hazards. It supports the recovery of
workers returning after a physical or psychological injury and is free from stigma and
discrimination, and builds the knowledge, skills and capabilities of workers to be resilient
and thrive at work.
Linda: So, we can see that there's several similarities between those two definitions, so
they both promote practices and culture to support positive mental health. They both
focus on minimizing risks to mental or psychological health. They both include freedom
from stigma and discrimination, and they both look at supporting the recovery of people
with a mental health condition.
Danielle: Yeah, they're both pretty close together, aren't they?
Linda: They are. I think the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland definition has an
additional element, though that's not really spelt out in the first description. And that's to
build the knowledge, skills and capabilities of people to be resilient and thrive at work.
So, I think that's quite an important element. What do you think, Danielle?
Danielle: Yeah, absolutely. It is an important element, but I have a little hesitancy when
talking about resiliency at work, just kind of in terms of wanting to give people the skills
and capabilities to cope with things as opposed to wanting to look at the kind of the
impact of the workplace and what those kind of environmental factors are. So, I think it's
great. It just needs to be used with caution.
Linda: I agree, absolutely. And there's also many definitions of resilience as well, and
that's something that we'll probably tackle in a future episode. I think really what we're
tapping into here, though, is that everyone plays a part in creating a healthy and safe
workplace irrespective of their role at work.
Danielle: Yeah, exactly. And so mentally healthy workplaces also take a whole of
workplace approach and consider changes that might be needed at a primary,
secondary and tertiary levels of intervention. And if you're anything like me, you
completely forgot what all of these mean. So just a quick refresh for those of us who
might not have either learned about them or have forgotten so primary secondary
tertiary levels of intervention, a health prevention, health promotion strategies,
Linda: Yep, so primary focuses on preventing something from happening. Secondary is
about identifying it early to prevent it getting worse, and tertiary is around supporting
recovery.
Danielle: And so, if we think about this in a workplace context and we look at some
guidance from WorkSafe Victoria, they suggest that primary interventions are for all
people to address workplace risk factors and to promote protective factors. So, this
might look like having a positive work culture and a zero tolerance approach to
discrimination.
Linda: Absolutely. And secondary interventions for people who may already be at risk.
So, they might be a little more vulnerable. And it's around intervening early and
changing the way people respond to risks. So, an example of that might be managing
stress and other risks to mental health as well.
Danielle: And then finally, the tertiary interventions that focus on people experiencing
mental injury or illness to reduce the impact and support recovery. So that might look
like supporting people with mental health conditions to stay at work or return to work.
Linda: Absolutely. And if we dig a little deeper, in 2021, the National Mental Health
Commission released the Blueprint for Mentally Healthy Workplaces. We did also give
you a quick overview of these in episode one as well. So, the three pillars of mentally
healthy workplaces are protect, so that's around identifying and managing work-related
risks to mental health. Respond, so that's building capacity to identify and respond to
support people experiencing mental ill health or distress. And our third and final one is
Promote. So, recognising and enhancing the positive aspects of work that contribute to
good mental health
Danielle: And might be thinking like this sounds familiar. And it is because the
definitions or the descriptions that we've looked at just previously all have some
combination of these three elements in them with some variation.
Linda: So, let's look further into each of these pillars, starting with protect. So,
remembering that this is to identify and manage work related risks, so we all know that
prevention is better than cure. Healthy workplaces help keep people well and support us
to be our best. So in September 2020, the Health and Community Services Union did a
safety audit, and the result suggests that poor communication, psychological stressors,
physical safety and having to adapt to constant changes, especially when people feel
there's not enough support impact people at work, as did the wage impacts of COVID
19.
Danielle: Yeah, absolutely. I think COVID 19 has impact a lot of the ways. So the good
communication, enough resources and support from colleagues and leaders can help to
protect mental health at work and helps minimise some of these risks, as can
developing the skills or capacity of each person to respond to stressors, noting the
caution that we just mentioned before remembering that we all contribute to being well
at work.
Linda: So, let's see what this might look like in practice. So, if we take poor
communication and information flow in teams as an example and think about what
actions could help. So, a primary intervention might be to modify the communication
strategies and processes and also to review the work design and the secondary
intervention could be developing strategies to improve each person's ability to cope.
Linda: And a tertiary intervention then could be the way the workplace supports
someone to stay at work or to return to work someone who might be experiencing a
mental health condition. So, if we move on to the second pillar, which is respond, so
that's about building capacity to identify and respond to support people experiencing
mental ill health or distress. What might a primary intervention look like, Danielle?
Danielle: So that could be, you know, doing something to improve the workplace
culture, to reduce stigma and norms around disclosure. So, it's about opening up a
conversation about mental health and illness or providing training on what mental health
means and what mental illnesses mean as well.
Linda: So, a secondary intervention might be to build the mental health literacy and
develop skills for early intervention. And that's also around promoting help seeking as
well. So again, this could include training. It might be about displaying posters on helpful
strategies around the workplace and generally educating people on the benefits of early
help seeking.
Danielle: And so tertiary might be to develop clear roles and responsibilities to support
people who are experiencing mental health conditions. Some workplaces have Mental
Health First Aid Officers in the same way they have First Aid Officers. They might also
have clear roles around who has the stay at work or return to work conversations. And I
know you're a huge fan and an expert leader in mental health first aid, Linda, so maybe
you've got something to say about that as well.
Linda: I do. Thanks, Danielle. I just want to give a shout out for Mental Health First Aid.
So, as you've stated, I am a Master Mental Health First Aid Instructor, so I am biased, I
do think Mental Health First Aid training fits really well here. It helps to reduce stigma,
increase mental health literacy, and it also develops skills and knowledge for supporting
someone experiencing a mental health condition. So, it really has an application for both
the primary and secondary level. And it's a really simple strategy for workplaces to take,
and it can make a difference to how we work together to enhance our health and safety.
I also really love that its evidence based. There are a number of training options, of
course. So, if you are looking at training, consider the evidence base and the
qualifications or accreditations of the person delivering the training just to get the best fit
for your workplace. And you know, likewise, if you're engaging people with lived
experience as speakers, which is also a great strategy for improving mental health
literacy, consider whether they're appropriately trained and supported to tell their stories
in a way that's safe both for themselves as well as for others. All right, that's it. Thanks
for indulging me there.
Danielle: Of course, I've done Mental Health First Aid training twice now and once with
you Linda, and I can definitely recommend it. But back to our pillars, we're up to
promote. And so that's about recognizing and enhancing the positive aspects of work
that contribute to good mental health. So primary intervention, Linda what might that
look like - promote.
Linda: So that might be around developing knowledge and skills in positive
approaches. So, looking at developing a workplace wellbeing program or demonstrating
positive leadership practices could include modelling what good self-care looks like.
Might also being around looking at how to support people to align their role with their
strengths
Danielle: And secondary intervention here might be to put in place additional support
and resources when needed. So, if you've got some short term increase in job
demands, making sure people are supported through that and if there's been an
exposure to a potential trauma, making sure people have the necessary support after
that happens as well.
Linda: A tertiary intervention might be to make sure people are provided access to
support their recovery, such as counselling through an employee assistance program or
promoting support. Networks within the workplace could also include having people with
specialized skills needed to support people in their return to work.
Danielle: And so, what each of these three pillars look like will be different, depending
on a whole range of factors. For instance, the role a person has. So, as we know, the
community service sector has so many different roles, Linda.
Linda: Absolutely. So, some are nine to five office based roles. For instance, you might
be in a Support Coordination or a HR human resources role. Others can involve shift
work either within a residential setting or within an acute setting. Or you might even
work one to one with individuals or groups in the community. So as a Disability Support
Worker or a District Nurse, or you could have contact with community members as a
Local Laws Officer. So, what each of these pillars look like and feel like will need to be
tailored to each role as the risks might be different and how to promote the positive
aspects of work may be different, too. So, it's important to work together to identify
potential risks and develop strategies to keep people well.
Danielle: Exactly. And hopefully we're all starting to see why we need mentally healthy
workplaces and the value that they have. And so, the need is especially important in the
health and community services sector. Worksafe Victoria, the government agency
responsible for overseeing health and safety at work, released their mental health
strategy in 2021 and that runs for three years through to 2024, and they identify health
care and social assistance as one of their priority industries.
Linda: Absolutely. And according to the strategy, the health care and social assistance
industry is around about 14 per cent of working Victorians. Yet it accounts for 29 per
cent of all mental injury claims. So that was the claims that were reported in 2020. So,
you can see the claims are double the percentage of the population.
Danielle: Yeah. And they go on to say, Linda, that around 85 percent of those claims
were stress related. And so that's things like work related harassment or workplace
bullying coming in at the highest that, you know, more than 50 per cent and then work
pressure and other mental stress factors as well, with around 14 percent. So, they're
pretty big numbers.
Linda: They are big numbers, and they also identify frontline workers and aging
workforce as priority employee groups. So, we know that there is an ageing workforce
within the industry as well, so we can see there's multiple priorities there for the health
and community services sector.
Danielle: Yeah, and I think it just kind of goes to show why, you know, mentally healthy
workplaces and workplace wellbeing is so important. And I think they also had some
interesting data around thriving workplaces, too. Is that right, Linda?
Linda: They do, and that's a perfect segue. I think we've given mentally healthy
workplaces a good go. So, let's get a feel for thriving workplaces.
Linda: So you might remember we said in our first episode, that SuperFriend defines
thriving workplaces as environments for people can do their best and be their best, so
thriving workplaces promote positive mental health and well-being of all people who
participate in that workplace. And they include workers, leaders, contractors and
consultants as well. And I love that definition as a consultant. I like that the definition is
inclusive, so it includes everyone within the workplace, as well as those who interact
with the workplace, such as contractors and consultants.
Danielle: And another definition coming from the Curtin University Thrive at Work
framework, and we're paraphrasing here, is that in a thriving organization, the mental
health of all employees is protected and supported, and that work is more than just a
place to survive each day. Good work provides opportunities for meaning, connection
learning and growth, which support people to thrive.
Linda: And if I reflect back on my career, I can certainly identify times when I've just
been surviving at work, and my guess is that others have too. So, I really like the sense
of meaning, connection and growth that this definition provides.
Danielle: And I'm nodding along here with you, Linda, which our listeners might be able
to see. I'm definitely nodding because I've definitely felt as well that I've survived in
positions at work, and I've also been really grateful to have opportunities where I've
thrived as well.
Linda: So, if we think back to the three pillars of mentally healthy workplaces, so that is
to protect, respond and promote, it's interesting that the Curtin University Thrive at Work
framework also has three pillars. So, what are their three pillars, Danielle?
Danielle: Well, the first one is mitigating illness, which is about monitor, accommodate
and treat illness, injury and ill health. And the second one is about preventing harm. And
so that's minimizing harm and protecting against risk. And the third one is about
promoting, thriving, optimizing wellbeing and generating future capabilities.
Linda: So, we can see already that there are similarities between the two frameworks.
The Thrive at Work framework, the three pillars actually have three building blocks, so
mitigate illness has the building blocks of detect, support and accommodate illness. The
Prevent Harm pillar includes the building blocks of increasing job resources, reducing
job demands and increasing resilience and coping. And the third and final pillar Promote
Thriving includes creating conditions for performance, connection and growth as well,
so we can see that there's a blend of both the workplace strategies as well as individual
strategies. So again, we see that there's that shared contribution towards wellbeing in
the workplace.
Danielle: Definitely all those layers, they're the building blocks of strategies. It's a like
an onion, you know, as the saying goes, there are layers to peel away. But I think the
big takeaway here is that thriving builds on mentally healthy workplace elements to
create those conditions for connection growth and performance.
Linda: So, we might circle back then to SuperFriend. We talked about SuperFriend
earlier on, and let's have a look at their research on the indicators of thriving
workplaces. So, they've been doing this research since 2018. Every year and the
recently released 2021 Indicators of Thriving Workplaces report has some interesting
data on the health and social services sector.
Danielle: Yes. And so just a recap, according to their model, thriving workplaces are
achieved by aligning activities across the domains of leadership, connectedness, policy,
capability and culture. And so just a quick recap on these. That leadership is about
people leaders working with their teams, using strength based coaching mindset where
they're a positive role models and set an example for what a healthy and productive
workplace behaviours and interactions look like. And connectedness is about having
positive, high quality connections that are essential for positive mental health and well-
being
Linda: Capability is about supporting positive mental health and well-being by building
and applying people's capabilities and skills and culture is having a positive workplace
culture which is essential to both the individual and workplace performance as well.
Danielle: And I think we might have missed policy there, which was my bad. I skipped
over that one. So, policies about workplace systems and processes that drive the
development of mental health focus workplace policy.
Linda: So, the report showed that during 2021, across all industries, the research
covers nineteen industries in Australia. And what it showed was that the level of
workplace mental health and well-being surprisingly increased marginally. So, this is
both overall and also in each of the five domains separately. But when we look at the
data for the health care and social services industry, we can see we ranked 13 of 19
industries. So below the average, and the level of mental health and well-being reduced
by 1.6 points overall compared to 2020.
Danielle: That's kind of more in line with what I would have expected. In the year of
2019 and 2020, I found it quite surprising to see that thriving has gone up surprisingly
and pleasing, that thriving has gone up in some industries as well.
Linda: Yeah, that's true. So, the level of thriving reduced in four of the five domains, so
it reduced in leadership, connectedness, capability and culture. We did hold steady in
the policy domain and there's been some small increases even in frontline workers
accessing confidential counselling and also feeling more resourced by their team
leaders. So, you know, that's a good outcome.
Danielle: Through the pandemic, we have seen people accessing more mental health
support. So, I wonder if that's kind of a by-product
Linda: That could be, absolutely.
Danielle: But the biggest risk factors were reported as inappropriate workload, low
recognition, poor change management, poor management support and low job control,
which we know, you know, is quite prevalent in the health and community services
sector.
Linda: And I think the good news here is that there are practical steps that we can all
take to reduce the risks and to promote a mentally healthy and thriving workplace. So,
you know, we've spoken about many of those steps today, so for example, creating a
culture of recognition and reviewing workloads as well.
Danielle: Wow, we packed a lot into this episode, Linda. So, let's do a quick recap of
our nattering’s. First, we spoke about mentally healthy workplaces and the four things
they have in common: positive workplace culture, they manage stress and other risks of
mental health. They support people with mental health conditions, and they have a zero
tolerance approach to discrimination.
Linda: We then went on to explore the three pillars of mentally healthy workplaces, so
that is protect, respond to and promote. And we looked at examples of primary,
secondary and tertiary activities in each of those pillars.
Danielle: And then we finished up just now talking about thriving workplaces and
sharing the data from the SuperFriend Indicators of Thriving Workplaces report.
Linda: We've so loved connecting with you and sharing insights into mentally healthy
and thriving workplaces, and in our show notes, we'll have any links that may support
your journey toward workplace wellbeing.
Danielle: We want to know what you think or have been inspired by or any questions
you like, answered or any contributions you'd like to make to the podcast. So, leave us a
review or contact us at matters@workplacewellbeingnatters.com.au We'd love to hear
how we can help you on your journey, or if you'd like to submit a case study or comment
for us to include in our podcast. Please reach out.
Linda: We look forward to next time when we'll be discussing workplace mental health
protective and risk factors and how to promote the positive in more detail.
Danielle: Thanks for joining us.
Linda: Bye for now.