FREE Workplace Mental Health Workshop

Free workplace mental health workshop helps business leaders make mentally healthy workplaces

What: FREE Mental Health in the Workplace Workshop

When: Friday March 13 from 8.30 to 10.30

Where: Townson Oval Green Room, Mitchell Street, Merewether

RSVP by March 6: Ph 0409 039 469 or email jcarroll@forsythestraining.com.au

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Newcastle and Hunter business owners, as well as leaders and managers of organisations, have the opportunity to hear from two experts in workplace mental health  at a free workshop in March.

Leading Hunter based registered training organisation, Forsythes Training, is hosting the breakfast workshop in Merewether on March 13. The guest speakers are Caddie Marshall and Craig Hamilton.

Mental health in the workplace is often overlooked or misunderstood.

With mental illness costing Australian business $11 billion per year in lost productivity and compensation, it is imperative that employers, managers and supervisors have a sound understanding of mental health relative to the workplace.

Creating mentally healthy workplaces makes good business sense – it can boost productivity as well as reduce absenteeism, presenteeism, risk and liability.

Caddie and Craig will provide practical and effective tips for managers and leaders to be able to make their organisations more resilient and to help their people deal with mental health issues within and outside the workplace.

The Forsythes Training workshop will cover:

• the risks and costs of not addressing mental health in the workplace
• organisations’ and managers’ obligations under workplace safety legislation
• the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses
• promoting a compassionate, empathetic workplace environment
• creating a workplace culture that promotes, encourages and supports early help seeking behaviour.

Research shows that round 45% of Australians aged between 16 and 85 will experience a mental illness at some point in their life, while one in five Australian adults will experience a mental illness in any given year.

A report prepared for Beyond Blue found that mentally healthy workplaces are as important to Australian employees as physically safe workplaces, however workplaces are not meeting their expectations. It found that mentally unhealthy workplaces impact negatively on employee behaviour.

• 91% believe mental health in the workplace is important (88% believe physical safety is important).
• Only 52% of employees believe their workplace is mentally healthy compared to 76% for physical safety.
• Only five in ten (56%) believe their most senior leader values mental health.
• One in five Australians (21%) take time off work each 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.
• Employees who believe their workplace is mentally unhealthy are unlikely to disclose within their workplace if they are experiencing a mental health condition.

Craig Hamilton is a sought-after speaker on mental health, lifestyle and wellbeing. The former coal miner, turned ABC radio broadcaster and author, lives with bi-polar disorder. He shares his lived experience in battling and overcoming the challenges of living and working with mental illness.

Caddie Marshall is registered mental health nurse who has been training in mental health for more than a decade across several states.  She has lectured in postgraduate and undergraduate programs in business and nursing (including mental health literacy and first aid) at the University of Newcastle.

The free workshop includes a light breakfast. There are limited places so bookings are essential. To book phone Julie on 0409 039 469 or email jcarroll@forsythestraining.com.au

Forsythes Training offers a range of mental health and resilience courses and workshops including the 2 day Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course.