Initiative backed by PwC report on savings for sector firms that invest in effective strategies
Mental health advocacy group beyondblue has launched a campaign focused on the transport, warehousing and postal sector.
In conjunction with the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance, the effort aims to encourage sector business leaders to take action on mental health under the slogan: “If you’re not investing in mental health you’re losing money.”
The initiative notes that a new PwC report, Creating a mentally health workplace: Return on investment analysis, finds transport, postal and warehousing businesses will receive an average return of $2.80 for every $1 they invest in effective workplace mental health strategies.
“Any positive ROI is something business should strive for,” PwC Partner Jeremy Thorpesays.
“This is why I would urge all employers, regardless of what industry you’re in or your business size, to read this report and learn what economic benefits you can gain from investing in mental health.”
The research, which looked at the impact of employees’ mental health conditions on productivity, participation and compensation claims, also found these conditions cost employers nationally at least $10.9 billion a year.
The Chairman of beyondblue, Jeff Kennett, says the report provides a compelling case for businesses to back Heads Up, a campaign to give big and small transport, postal and warehousing businesses practical advice about the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace.
“More than one in five Australian transport, postal and warehousing industry workers (23.0 per cent) has experienced mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety in the past 12 months, but sadly too many workplaces still do not realise the importance of their employees’ mental health,” Kennett states.
“This report shows that employers have a responsibility not only to their workers, but also to their businesses’ profitability, to tackle these conditions at work.
“Heads Upwill provide them with a tailor-made Action Plan to do this and will help ensure that Australia’s 11.5 million workers across all industries receive the support they need to be mentally healthy and productive.”
Heads Upwill target leaders across small, medium and large Australian businesses through advertising and social media campaigns, and already it has the backing of some major companies.
Funded by the Department of Health, it has been launched as a growing body of evidence points to the urgent need for Australian businesses to start treating the mental health of their employees as seriously as they treat physical health and safety.
The report can be found here.
The Heads Up website can be found here.