Having a mentally healthy workplace is just as essential for workers as workplace safety. With 45 per cent of Australians experiencing a mental health condition throughout their lifetime, discussions on workplace mental health should no longer be taboo.
Workplace mental health is now one of the key pillars for organisational success, and every workplace should promote and observe a culture of good mental and psychological health.
Having a mentally healthy workplace provide employees with open communication and mutual respect in the organization. Genuine support and unparalleled flexibility between co-workers is also fostered in a mentally healthy workplace.
In order to have a mentally healthy workplace, executives and managers should be involved in creating such a workplace by investing in ways to promote good mental health.
When this happens, the organisation’s workplace productivity and profitability will improve as employees become more relaxed and focused on their activities. Likewise, having such a workplace allows sound and sensible business decisions to be made.
This can also improve staff engagement, morale and interpersonal relationships among employees, resulting in fewer disputes, conflicts, and complaints as workers are more engaged in working as a team.
Likewise, it can also lead to a decrease in staff turnover, avoiding the cost of retraining and recruiting new employees while retaining the current employees’ experience and valuable skills.
The advantages of a mentally healthy workplace can make people feel valued, supported, and inspired to do their work, which in turn can allow teams to transcend challenges and obstacles and make the organisation stronger.
By focusing on creating positive aspects in the organisation’s environment, one is taking the necessary steps to reduce the risk of stress amongst workers.
There should be a long-term commitment to creating a workspace where everyone, from the individual to the team, feels supported, respected, and appreciated as it will encourage staff loyalty and boost morale, profits, and productivity.