The B Team Australasia reveals results of mental wellbeing survey
Poor mental wellbeing costs Australian businesses more than $5.6 billion in productivity each year. As employees face stress, anxiety and depression, among other challenges, organisations are recognising the importance of creating a culture that supports mental wellbeing.
The results of Ipsos’ and The B Team Australasia’s landmark workplace mental wellbeing survey have revealed that almost two-thirds of Australian workers feel satisfied and valued in their workplace, and experience a positive mental wellbeing culture.
However, employees with diverse backgrounds tended to experience a great sense of poor mental wellbeing culture in their workplaces than others – particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employers, women, LGBTQIA+, and those with a physical or mental disability.
Ipsos Australia CEO, Simon Wake, said: “The ‘Our State of Mind’ report aims to explore the areas where Australian organisations are thriving, as well as where they are not meeting the mark. It’s encouraging to see that Australian workers are generally satisfied and engaged at work, and most feel their workplace has a positive wellbeing culture. However, there is room for improvement. At a national level, there are high priority areas to address, including the need for leaders to ensure they are following through on their promises, managing conflict effectively and supporting new ideas.
The ‘Our State of Mind’ report was designed to establish a validated approach for organisations to benchmark their mental wellbeing culture.
One of the new outcomes of the research is an updated and expanded definition of mental wellbeing culture: “Mental wellbeing culture covers the broader contextual and environmental factors within a workplace that influence people’s mental health and mental wellbeing. A positive mental wellbeing workplace culture is where you feel the organisation understands, cares about, and behaves in a way that supports the mental wellbeing of its employees.”
“Interestingly, the report shows that while feeling satisfied in a role and working conditions directly impact mental wellbeing culture, they are not as influential as leadership. We have to ensure our organisations are leading from the top to create a strong wellbeing culture across the board,” Simon Wake added.
The survey of Australian workplaces was designed in collaboration with leading mental health experts and co-chaired by three of Australia’s leading CEOs: Gillian Cagney, President Worley Australia New Zealand; Carmel Monaghan, CEO Ramsay Health Care Australia; and Gareth O’Reilly, Zone President Pacific Schneider Electric.
The B Team was co-founded by Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz in 2013 following a Virgin Unite-hosted series of workshops and an incubation period – it is now guided by the belief that successful stewardship of business can, and must, exist alongside responsible stewardship of communities and the planet.
Launched in October 2018, The B Team Australasia brings together purpose-driven business leaders in the region. It seeks to influence regional business leadership to build a better way of doing business and advance corporate change.
Learn more about the survey and download the full report at https://www.thebwellcoalition.com/osom