Overview
The workplace plays an important role in the health and wellbeing of employees. Work gives us identity, structure, and a sense of connectedness and belonging as relationships develop. Working, doing and achieving helps us to feel good about ourselves. People who work in healthy workplaces are more likely to share ideas, work efficiently, engage with others, and feel good about themselves. Whether working in a trade, an office, in retail, or the arts, the culture of a workplace is important for everyone’s mental health.
Workplaces that encourage honest, open discussion among co-workers are more likely to have healthier and more motivated staff. Workplace wellness programs are becoming a bigger part of the overall strategy of many companies. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have been shown to be very helpful in lifting mental and emotional wellbeing in workplaces all over the world.
If you and your co-workers experience positive mental wellbeing at work, it is likely to boost your mental health outside of work as well. The ties you make with co-workers can connect you with useful resources, broaden your network, and help open up future career opportunities.
Supporting co-workers
We spend a lot of time with the people we work with. This can put us in a good position to observe whether a co-worker appears to be travelling well, or if they don't seem like their usual self.
Our workmates, like us, have many demands inside and outside of the workplace. Challenges at various times in life can overwhelm any of us and impact our wellbeing. They can also affect our ability to perform well at work and other areas of life.
Small gestures can make a big difference at the workplace. Reaching out to say hello to a co-worker or helping them feel valued and accepted in the workplace, helps create a more supportive work environment.
Factors for mental health in the workplace include physical safety and fair working conditions such as work hours, income, job security, and work autonomy. External influences such as home life, or concerns over changes in the greater industry also contribute. Combined and overall, the main factor is stress.
Managers and organisations can be more supportive and inclusive of people with mental health challenges. Many workplaces have been developing initiatives and processes to support employee mental and emotional wellbeing.
Take a look at the resources below to learn more about workplace wellbeing. We also have pages on work as a purposeful activity, and on how to support someone.
“It's important that we teach managers how to have these conversations, so that they can be prepared when one of their staff members has a mental health issue.”
A closer look
Next steps
You might find online and phone-based mental health resources helpful. Some suggestions are below. You can find more with our Search tool (opens in a new tab).