Businesses adapted to all kinds of challenges and disruptions during the pandemic. It also placed a strain on employee wellbeing. Safe Work Australia’s key work health and safety statistics show that nine per cent of all claims lodged in 2020-2021 were mental health-related worker compensation claims.
Psychological injuries, including disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, can significantly affect how people behave and feel.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows at least $292,770 is spent per mental health-related compensation case. Common reasons for these claims include bullying or violence, work-related harassment and work pressure.
Dealing with these issues can feel overwhelming, but it needn’t be because a range of resources are available to help business owners get started on their employee wellbeing journey.
How resilience helps
Employees find it easier to bounce back from mental health issues and psychological injury when they have resilience skills, such as the ability and confidence they can handle stressful situations effectively. Other factors include the ability to self-reflect and learn from challenges and having meaningful connections with others.
To help workers stay well during the pandemic, we gave participants access to a self-guided digital wellbeing program focused on behaviour modification and change.
In our report – The Case for Resilience – we outline how, after completing the self-guided psychological resilience program, people with mental health issues reported a 75 per cent improvement in depression, anxiety, and stress scores. Overall wellbeing improved by 40 per cent, with 88 per cent increasing work capacity, 12.5 per cent taking on volunteer work and 25 per cent starting a new job.
This shows that mental health and recovery gains can be achieved and sustained when people and organisations are empowered. Recovery is possible even in the face of seemingly impossible odds and challenging life circumstances.
Early intervention matters
Return-to-work outcomes improve more than 40 per cent when a person is referred to psychological rehabilitation services.
Early intervention and strengths-based return-to-work plans build resilience, accelerating recovery and getting people back to work.
High-risk groups including frontline law enforcement and healthcare workers are more at risk, but resilience is relevant to anyone experiencing poor mental health.
The best solutions are tailored to consider individual needs, significantly improving outcomes for those experiencing psychological injuries.
Our work shows us that early intervention programs:
- Reduce time away from work.
- Shorten recovery outcomes.
- Increase capacity to remain at work.
- Minimise the likelihood of further absence.
- Improve workplace perceptions.
Ongoing benefits
Increased awareness of mental health issues has been one of the most important learnings from events of the past two years. This is an issue that affects us all, so small-business owners must take notice and help employees to improve their resilience.
The right program will also create additional business benefits. Employees are increasingly looking for employers who show they value holistic wellbeing. So, showing that you value these concerns is a great way to stand out in a competitive market.
To get the best results, organisations should work with partners to develop practical and evidence-based solutions that are best suited to their industry and circumstances. This makes it easier to care for your current workforce and attract new employees.
Think about the psychosocial risks to your team and introduce measures to deal with them. Leaders should be trained to make them more comfortable with wellbeing conversations and staff should feel safe to ask for help.
Our work shows people experiencing mental health issues or psychological injury are capable of coming out stronger with the right support. So, commit to a program that works around busy schedules and teaches adaptive resilience.
