2019 Mental Health Update – Western Australia

The Western Australian government has developed Australia’s first mental health Code of Practice. The Code of Practice has been developed by industry organisations and leaders, providing guidance in developing and maintaining a healthy workplace. Although the Code of Practice has been designed specifically for the FIFO workers in the resources and construction sectors, however, it can be applied to workers in the residential industry and in industries involving long-distance commuting arrangements.

The aim of the Code of Practice will assist organisations on how to achieve Work Health and Safety requirements under legislation by adopting a risk management process to identify psychological hazards and risk factors and develop a mentally healthy workplace.

A Heads Up report “The State of Workplace Mental Health in Australia” found one in five Australians (21%) have taken time off work in the past 12 months because they felt stressed, anxious, depressed or mentally unhealthy. This statistic is more than twice as high (46%) among those who consider their workplace mentally unhealthy.

The Aon Mental Health newsletter provides guidance for employers on how to achieve a mentally healthy workplace and recommendations to manage the exposure to psychosocial risks.

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