World Mental Health Day was held last Saturday with a focus on mental health in business.
The result is surprising information from Allianz, which found that 80% of employees urge their employers to take action to combat mental health.
Mental health injuries in the workplace are up 80% and have increased an average of 22% year over year since 2017.
The results of the Allianz Future Thriving Workplaces show that the benefits for claims for primary psychological injuries are on average up to four times higher than for claims for physical injuries.
On average, it takes them much longer to recover from physical injuries, with 75% of primary mental health claims having leisure time, compared to just 50% of physical injuries.
Covid-19, a trigger for change
Every second manager interviewed said that they now feel more responsible for the mental health of their employees at work.
"As an employer, we clearly care about the well-being of our employees," said Julie Mitchell, chief general manager for Workers Compensation at Allianz.
“We know that improving the mental health of employees in all industries greatly benefits employers and their companies.
“The challenge now, however, is to bridge the gap between being aware of mental illness in the workplace and taking action.
"We can't take a scatter gun approach," says Ms. Mitchell.
"Allianz is committed to providing employers with the right knowledge, resources and initiatives to better support employees with mental health problems."
Commonly reported negative workplace behaviors:
- Ineffective or unfair management (39% of affected employees)
- Work culture (33% of employees affected)
- Bullying and harassment (24% of employees affected)
- Organizational structure (24% of employees affected)
Leadership-oriented empathy
Australian employees believe that the first step to a mentally healthy work place is to start a mental health conversation.
Awareness days like World Mental Health Day or World Mental Health Month are a good place to start.
Matthew Johnstone, Mental Health Specialist and employee at Allianz Future Thriving Workplaces, says, “Leaders can simply start with empathy, conversation, a good ear, and a plan to properly address the emotional needs of their employees.
“After all, a company is only as good as the people who work for it. When you invest in them, you get returns that are well above profits. "
You can find more data, insights and tips here.
