Central Safety Group Melbourne

Workplace mental health research findings

Daryan Rosic was thrown in the deep end when our original speaker from Allianz became unavailable and he has only been with the organisation for a few weeks. However, he was more than capable of dealing with the situation and gave a comprehensive and fascinating presentation.

Daryan began by presenting valuable information from extensive research undertaken by Allianz in partnership with other organisations over a number of years. One of the key messages from this research is that workplaces need to be open to new ways of working and a diverse workforce. This is the area Daryan focussed on.

It is inevitable that more and more younger people are entering the workforce, and this can create a generational divide. Daryan offered a number of tips to break down this divide and support diversity and wellbeing in the workplace.

In fact, Allianz is demonstrating this in their own workplace: since 2021 they have run a traineeship program with Jigsaw Australia to provide work opportunities for neurodiverse people. Daryan explained what a benefit it has been for the organisation and how it fits with his notion of "psychological ergonomics". That is where a role is created to fit the person, rather than expecting them to fit an established mould.

Daryan also directed us to a range of free resources and guides on the Allianz website - see https://www.allianzcare.com/en/support/health-and-wellness/health-guides.html#guides.

Daryan's talk was really enlightening in the way he invited us to new ways of thinking about what a workplace can look like. I was struck by the notion that people "bring their whole selves to work". Sometimes we can be a bit rigid about processes and outcomes without considering the real humans making it happen.

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Workplace mental health research findings

Date & Time: Tuesday 8 October 2024, noon

CSG Hybrid Lunchtime Presentation - via zoom or in the room

Speaker: Daryan Rosic, Mental Health Programs and Initiatives Specialist, Allianz Insurance Australia

Topic: Workplace mental health research findings

Workplace mental health research findings
Research findings on the state of mental health in Australian workplaces will be discussed on October 8 by psychologist Daryan Rosic, Mental Health Programs and Initiatives Specialist at Allianz Insurance Australia. His talk will draw on several years of external research by Allianz, surveying over 12,000 employees and managers.

Daryan says today’s workforce is experiencing a profound shift towards greater diversity, due to globalisation, changing social dynamics and more inclusive hiring practices...Read more

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 7 October 2024.  When booking, please ensure you select the October Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

RSVP Here

Workplace mental health research

I have recently been invited to join the Advisory Committee of SuperFriend which has been collecting data relating to Workplace Mental Health for the last 9 years.

This resulted from an invitation via Dr Niki Ellis who is a Director on the SuperFriend Board and Chair, SuperFriend Expert Advisory Committee based in Sydney. Niki has been a leader in OHS in Australia including as the CEO of ISCRR (The Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research) in Melbourne for many years.

There is a link to their survey analysis at https://www.superfriend.com.au/research/workplace-mental-health-statistics. The Thriving Workplace Survey involved 10,000 Australian workers who completed an online survey in August 2023. This survey contains more than 100 questions about factors known to influence mental health.

These have been collated into five domains – Connectedness, Safety, Leadership, Work Design and Capability. Results included that 38% of workers reported experiencing either high or very high  levels of psychological distress in the four weeks prior to completing the survey. Almost one in three workers reported some symptoms of burnout, while one in 20 reported being “completely burned out”.

The research team have a range of projects that are providing inputs to Safe Work Australia, insurance companies and other research bodies in Australia and internationally. Have a look on their website for an interesting range of  findings.

David C Caple AM
Director
David Caple and Associates P/L