Mental Health and Wellbeing – Employees

2. Why mental health and wellbeing matters

Mental health and wellbeing (MHW) is important for all Department employees because the workplace has a significant influence on people's MHW and underpins the drive towards greater productivity, reduced absenteeism, increased social inclusion, and ensuring we meet stakeholders (including the community's) expectations in relation to the work we undertake on their behalf and the students we educate.

Mental health and wellbeing matters to everyone and is everyone's business; we all need to be involved in managing the workplace risk associated with a poor level of physical and mental health and wellbeing. In 2017 to 2018, 1 in 5 (20.1%) Australians reported having experienced a mental health or behavioural condition, an increase from 17.5% in 2014 to 2015. Mental health issues can affect employees at any time over the course of their working life and it is estimated that most managers will supervise someone with a mental health problem at some point.

The workplace provides the ideal setting to promote MHW. By utilising the Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter's proposed aims of promoting and protecting positive MHW in the workplace, all employees are supported to flourish at work, whether they are experiencing mental health issues or not. Encouraging and supporting MHW is good for both the employee and the organisation.