Workplace mental health articles

Introducing Stephanie Thompson, SuperFriend's new Mental Health Advisor. Steph has been an advisor and thought leader in the mental health sector for over 10 years, supporting workplaces in creating mentally healthy work environments. What is your biggest driver for caring about workplace mental health? I started my career as a Social Worker,...

In recent years, the focus on workplace wellbeing has intensified, with companies worldwide investing in initiatives to promote a healthier workforce. However, a concerning trend has emerged which can cause more harm than good – wellbeing washing.

Is loneliness our next public health epidemic? Discover its impacts on workplace wellbeing and productivity. Take action and learn about the five ways employees and leaders can combat loneliness at work to create thriving workplaces. Is loneliness our next public health epidemic? According to the Australian Psychological Society, loneliness...

We spoke to Darren Black, CEO of Superfriend to discuss the state of Australian workplace mental health and what leaders can do to create more thriving workplaces.

In SuperFriend's latest indicators of a thriving workplace survey, work design was the second lowest scoring Domain of the five measures of a mentally healthy workplace. We now have greater flexibility through remote work, increased paid parental leave and flexible working hours, so why is work design scoring so low?

Awareness of the importance of mental health in the workplace is higher than ever before. The regular full-time worker spends almost a quarter of their week working, so it’s safe to say that our wellbeing at work is intrinsically linked with our overall mental health.

How can managers and leaders promote mental health & wellbeing within their teams? As we approach Mental Health Month, it’s a good time to take stock and consider strategies to help your workplace on its mental health and wellbeing journey – a journey that perhaps for some managers or team leaders may seem hard to know where to start. ...

Using the Thriving Workplace Index: SuperFriend’s experience In 2020, SuperFriend in partnership with PwC, started work on our long time goal of developing a practical tool workplaces could use based on our annual Indicators of a Thriving Workplace research framework. After a lot of hard work and dedication from our combined teams, the ...

Vale Helen Hewett SuperFriend, our staff and board members are deeply saddened by the passing away of our founder Helen Hewett this week. Helen was a visionary, envisaging the concept for SuperFriend in 2007, while Executive Officer of the Industry Funds Form. As a former CEO of Cbus Super, she had seen not only the extent of the impact that...

How a positive workplace culture benefits your organisation There are many factors to consider when it comes to managing a successful business - increasing revenue, keeping costs down, ensuring client satisfaction, paying suppliers and worker productivity, just to name a few. With so many things to juggle, it’s easy to let workplace culture...

Five simple ways that small organisations can help improve employee wellbeing As a smaller business, it may feel like there’s not much more you can do to improve your worker’s wellbeing, especially in comparison to large organisations that have entire teams and large-scale budgets for HR and wellbeing. We’re here to tell you that promoting...

Leadership as action These are the words of Donald McGannon, a broadcasting industry executive during the formative years of television in the United States and a vocal advocate for social responsibility in broadcasting. This statement is just as true today, if not more so. Think about the leaders that you see in the news and online or...

The art of leadership By Mark Leopold, Head of Policy and Strategic Alliances In my forties I became a positive leader. If that sounds like I’m pumping wind into my own sails, be assured, I spent the prior 20 years being somewhat crude at the art! I say ‘art’ because I believe that leadership is more art than science. Mark...

The art and science behind managing conflict Conflict and challenging interactions are a part life. In the workplace, they can be caused by various factors including differing ideas and personality types and opposing communication styles. 2020 was an unprecedented time for Australian workers, with the effects and uncertainty of COVID-19...

How thriving is your workplace? It’s a pretty universal feeling – wanting to work in an organisation that not only values its employees and their contributions, but also prioritises their mental health and wellbeing – however reality doesn’t always match up to expectations. Our 2020 Indicators of Thriving Workplace report shows that workers...

Piloting unique digital workplace mental health tool with PwC It's been an exciting journey collaborating with such a well-regarded global organisation, and SuperFriend is really pleased to announce that we are continuing our work with PwC and moving to a second pilot stage. This unique digital tool has four useful features: Diagnostic...

Spotlight on Gender Identity An important part of our work is our research program and we're pleased to share our latest insights that shine a spotlight on gender equality across workplace mental health. We explored insights from more than10,000 working Australians, and found that not only are there differences, but the gap is getting...

Seeking research participants: Have you accessed income support when you’ve been unable to work? Our friends at the Collaborative Partnership initiative are currently calling on people with a health condition or disability to participate in a survey developed by Monash University. Survey responses will provide a better understanding of how...

How thriving is your workplace? It's a pretty universal feeling, wanting to work in an organisation that not only values its employees and their contributions, but also prioritises their mental health and wellbeing - however reality doesn't always match up to expectations. Our 2020 Indicators of a Thriving Workplace report shows that workers...

What’s a workplace mental wellbeing audit? Connecting with others is an essential part of good mental health. Considering that we spend so much time working, building relationships and connecting with our colleagues it is vital to maintaining mental health. It’s much easier to feel in sync with our colleagues, especially in a remote...

Compassion, Community and Connection By Mark Leopold, (previously SuperFriend's Head of Policy & Strategic Alliances) Building a bridge to effective mental health and suicide prevention. If 2020 has shown us anything, it is the importance of compassion, community, and connection. They are the underlying foundations of society that weave us...

Say “goodbye” to conflict and “hello” to connectedness Forging connections and relationships with the people around us is an essential part of maintaining our mental health. No matter the situation, the feelings of belonging and connection, as well as having positive interactions with others are vital. But what about when interactions with...

Is a good friend really worth $100,000? One of the great ironies of having amazing technology and social media at our fingertips is that we’re lonelier now [1] than ever before. In a 2018 study, the Australian Psychological Society reported that around half of us feel lonely at least one day every week. In this edition of SuperFriend News,...

Mental health in the news We always celebrate mental health-related news; the more we talk about mental health and normalise it in our conversations – the better off we’ll all be! Victoria’s Royal Commission into Mental Health The Victorian Government’s Royal Commission into its Mental Health System has handed down its final report,...

Preparing for a mentally healthy workplace in 2021 The beginning of a new year is the right time to think about what type of environment you would like to build for your organisation before the year’s end. 2020 has created both good and bad change in the workplace – some to keep, some that will revert and others will impact the way...

Are you worried about the mental health of someone you know? There is no doubt it's been a tough year. Our latest research tells us that, while the year's events have boosted productivity and connection, the number of workers who experienced a mental health condition has increased by 8.9 percent up to 59.5 percent. And 28 percent of these...

Preparing for a mentally healthy workplace post-COVID The beginning of a new year is the right time to think about what type of environment you would like to build for your organisation before the year’s end. The pandemic has created both good and bad change in the workplace – some to keep, some that will revert and others will impact the...

Zero stress is bad – but so is burnout – finding the sweet spot for the festive season! The end of year always adds more to people’s plate than they are already balancing - let alone having to do it whilst navigating a post-lockdown re-entry into society (many with one hand clutching the safe haven they have built over the last year). ...