People often spend a lot of time at their workplace. It's important that workplaces are physically and psychologically safe for all workers.
In February 2021, the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System recommended the Victorian Government create guidelines to help employers create safe workplaces. We created the Victorian Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework (the Framework).
The Framework helps business owners, supervisors, managers and workers to improve mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
This summary explains the important parts of the Framework. It aims to help you create a mentally healthy workplace. A mentally healthy workplace is good for everyone and good for business.
How to know your workplace is mentally healthy
You can spot a mentally healthy workplace if it does these 3 things:
- Promotes and recognises the positive parts of work.
- Takes steps to prevent physical, environmental and psychological harm to workers.
- Identifies and responds early to warning signs of declining wellbeing and mental health. People also feel supported in the workplace.
Promote
- Supporting workers and teams to use their strengths.
- Providing learning opportunities.
- Encouraging workers to collaborate to build a mentally healthy workplace
Protect
- Identifying and assessing risks to mental health and wellbeing.
- Evaluating and proactively managing psychosocial hazards.
- Workers having input into how they manage and complete their own tasks.
Respond
- Supporting workers experiencing mental distress or ill-health.
- Responding early to any warning signs to improve the likelihood of better health and wellbeing outcomes.
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