employee

This Mental Health Month, we’re starting conversations around the importance of employment. The relationship between mental health and work is complex. While employment may have the potential to exacerbate existing psychological conditions, it can also serve as a crucial component in the development of good mental health.

Both part-time and full-time employment can improve an individual’s overall mental health by helping to foster a healthy sense of self, develop a stronger personal identity and improve self-esteem. In addition to this, increased levels of perceived organisational support (POS) have been found to improve employee moods, reduce stress and absenteeism and increase levels of job satisfaction.

Back2Work’s team help job seekers sustain and maintain meaningful employment. Did you know, people with disability, mental or medical health challenges, who are clinically supported during the transition to work, are more likely to retain their work than similar people who did not receive this type of support?

Individuals with disabilities and/or mental or medical health challenges make for wonderful employees. Evidence shows they:

• Boost workplace morale
• Enhance teamwork
• Bring a range of skills and a different perspective to your workforce
• Build strong relationships with customers
• And much more!

With Back2Work’s, participants receive 1:1 individual support from a psychologist or occupational therapist to assist with the development of strategies and intervention to overcome workplace barriers. After all…we know that employment can help develop good mental health habits.

“79% of all clients captured under Post Placement Support (PPS) services were assisted to sustain and maintain meaningful employment.”

You’ve placed your job seeker in work, but they are finding the transition tricky. The last thing you
want is for them to fall out of work, so what can you do?

CoachingIn2Work is Back2Work’s support program designed specifically to help job seekers successfully transition into employment. The service is delivered by a registered psychologist or occupational therapist to address any psychological, psychosocial and physical barriers that might risk sustaining employment.

Want to know more?

Do you know someone that needs extra support gaining employment? Consider a referral to a Back2Work consultant, who will be able to provide the support required for someone to keep a job.

Call us today on 1300 30 28 11 or submit an online referral via our website.

October is National Safe Work Month, a time to emphasise the significance of safety in all workplaces. The health and safety of Australian workplaces remains a top priority for employers.

Safe Work Australia is again encouraging workplaces to take part and commit to prioritising health and safety at work during National Safe Work Month – a chance to encourage awareness of health and safety in the workplace.

The theme for National Safe Work Month this year is think safe. work safe. be safe.

• Think safe— prioritising preventing injuries by considering work health and safety, planning, improving and maintaining a safe workplace.

• Work safe— walking the talk, leaders executing workplace health and safety procedures to avoid workplace incidents. Everyone has the right to be safe at work. Regardless of what your role is, everyone can all contribute to developing safe and healthy workplaces.

• Be safe— ensuring a safe workplace is a perpetual undertaking, by managing and monitoring work health and safety we can ensure the workplace continues to remain safe.

Being healthy and safe means being free from physical and psychological harm. No workplace should be unsafe and no death or injury is acceptable. A safe and healthy workplace benefits everyone.

In 2021, there continue to be extensive health and safety impacts on Australian employers and workers due to the COVID pandemic. The subsequent uncertainty of COVID in our workplaces has resulted in over-stretching our usual coping strategies. Most workplaces have evolved and adapted to new methods and processes in order to lessen the risks of COVID and to manage the physical and psychological effects of the pandemic on workers through interventions such as employee wellness programs.

Health and safety is everyone’s responsibility… together we can create safe workplaces for all!