According to Deloitte, poor mental health costs the Australian economy an estimated $60 billion per year – $12.8 billion of that is directly linked to workplace mental ill-health. Furthermore, workers’ compensation mental health claims average 17 weeks of lost time and a median total cost of $27,700 for serious claims, compared to $10,700 for serious physical injury claims.
So why are some businesses still not paying more attention to the mental health of their employees?
Like a duck on water
Organisational effectiveness is dependent on a myriad of factors in the workplace. What we know for sure is that cohesive teams – where individuals work in harmony to contribute to overall function and productivity – are key to an organisation’s success.
Trying to ascertain whether poor mental health is affecting an overall business’s performance is a bit like looking at a duck gliding across the pond. We perceive it as effortlessly skimming through the water but, in reality, it is actually paddling furiously underneath.
It can be difficult to understand what is going on beneath the surface in our own organisations, even when superficially things might seem ‘fine’. However, extending the metaphor, we often see the ripples indicating something is amiss, needing an objective perspective to understand what is happening beneath the surface.
Admittedly, sometimes it’s easier to ignore these ripples and hope they subside on their own. Sometimes the perceived cost around implementing a workplace mental health strategy, or the stigma that comes with it, can be off-putting. Sometimes the difficulty in calculating a traditional return on investment (ROI) can sway minds.
But, as we’ll see, the benefits to both the business and the people within it far outweighs the risks of ignoring the underlying problem.
What is a Workplace Wellbeing Assessment?
At Converge International, our Workplace Wellbeing Assessment is voluntary and non-punitive, and seeks to identify any presenting or underlying issues or concerns in relation to workplace mental health and conflict.
As part of this service, we also determine options and recommendations for mitigating risk (where evident) for the future benefit of the organisation and its employees.
Why does a business ask for a Workplace Wellbeing Assessment?
There are various reasons why a company might decide to commission a Workplace Wellbeing Assessment, but primarily it is because one or more of the following needs have been identified:
- To uncover the reasons for general team dysfunction
- To address high staff turnover, absences or compensation claims
- To audit staff perspectives of their workplace
- To identify unacceptable workplace behaviours or conflict triggers
- To develop practical strategies to address the aforementioned issues
The benefits of a Workplace Wellbeing Assessment
Ultimately, the assessment takes the guesswork out of identifying what’s affecting team function and wellbeing. A strategy to rectify any shortcomings within the organisation can then be put in place, promoting team efficiency, effectiveness, and cohesion.
Although this sounds great on the surface, for some businesses, there needs to be a return on investment figure – understandably it’s quite hard to measure happiness and wellbeing in dollars!
This is why we’ve done the work for you and found that, on average, every dollar an organisation spends on creating a mentally healthy workplace, produces a benefit of $2.30.
This is achieved because people are happier in their work. Therefore they are less likely to take sick leave, their productivity is higher and their ability to come up with new and innovative ideas increases.
Other benefits of a Workplace Wellbeing Assessment include:
- The identification of risks and opportunities for shaping the work environment, practices and behaviours.
- The business being provided a written report with recommendations to drive specific strategies and tactics for team and organisational improvement.
- The employees participating in, and contributing to, the assessment and proposed solutions for change, which may include a feedback session for staff.
- The optimisation of workplace health and safety through an assessment aligned with the globally accepted standard for risk management.
- Increasing the opportunities for employee engagement, productivity and company success.
A workplace that actively promotes employee wellbeing is more productive, safe and effective. By intervening early and undertaking a workplace wellbeing assessment, breakdowns in team functioning can be identified and addressed, maximising the potential for team and organisational success.
For more information, call our team on 1300 687 327.