Small Steps to Stay Ahead

Even the smallest steps can make a difference.  Small and medium sized businesses can help themselves get ahead and stay ahead by doing some of the simple things well.  And good leadership can make a big difference to managing mental health in workplaces.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), the peak employer body in Australia welcomes the launch in June of the Heads Up initiative.  The Heads Up website www.headsup.org.au offers resources to help businesses create mentally healthy workplaces.

Research conducted by PwC for beyondblue and the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance shows that mental health affects around one in five Australian workers, and costs our workplaces $11 billion a year.

The PwC report also shows that investment by businesses in improving mental health in their workplaces provides positive returns.  That’s good news for businesses that want to stay ahead.  The research also found that 89% of business leaders think Australian businesses need practical support in how to tackle workplace mental health issues.

“The human and economic costs of mental illness in workplaces can be devastating.  Businesses need to take steps, even small ones, to manage mental health in all workplaces”, explains Kate Carnell, CEO of ACCI.

ACCI supports resources for Australian businesses as part of the Heads Up campaign.  Resources will be available for downloading from June 16.

“Heads Up puts mental health on the business agenda and we at ACCI, encourage business leaders to foster mentally healthy workplaces” adds Kate.

A simple first step is to sign up through the Heads Up website.  Businesses that register will be encouraged to complete a quick and easy action plan that will arm them with the resources and knowledge to take the important initial steps towards fostering a positive mentally healthy environment for their people.