On this page
What this is
The World Health Organisation defines mental wellbeing as:
“Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community.”
One outcome of good mental wellbeing in your staff is that it leads to better team wellbeing overall.
Staff need to feel safe, secure, happy and content to come to work and to have a good work-life balance.
Why you need to focus on this
When your staff have good mental wellbeing, they’re more likely to:
- be more productive
- be more engaged with their work and the team’s work
- be happier and confident
- deal with work challenges in effective ways
- stay in their job
- take less unplanned leave
What happens if you don’t focus on this
You have a responsibility to prevent injury at work, which includes mental injury.
If your staff don’t feel mentally safe or have poor mental wellbeing, they may:
- become disengaged with their work or team
- experience thoughts and feelings that may negatively impact mental wellbeing
- struggle to cope with challenging situations at work
Tips to use
Be aware of things at home or outside work that may affect their performance. Ask your staff what they need for support.
Be flexible in what works for people to be supportive of their wellbeing.
Ask for advice from colleagues, HR or access your organisation’s employee support program, which may be called EAP.
Remind staff they have access to your organisation’s support programs and give them other support materials from your organisation.