Earn
Millennials see boxes being ticked, managers see mental health revolution
Earn
Millennials see boxes being ticked, managers see mental health revolution
Millennials remain sceptical about employer efforts to address mental health in the workplace.
Millennials see boxes being ticked, managers see mental health revolution
Millennials remain sceptical about employer efforts to address mental health in the workplace.
Many young Australian workers feel that pandemic-prompted efforts to address workplace mental health are more talk than action.
According to research published by the Australian College of Applied Professions (ACAP), 49 per cent of Australian workers feel that their employer is taking a “tick the boxes” approach to mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
More than half of those surveyed said that they would hide a mental or physical illness from their employer in order to avoid being judged or discriminated against, while four in 10 said that they don’t feel comfortable enough to be open about their values, culture and lifestyle while at work.
ACAP CEO George Garrop said that these findings suggested that work still needs to be made on modern workplace mental health, despite the frequency with which such issues are now discussed.
“While over the past two years, many organisations have boosted their mental health, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion initiatives, our research indicates that these initiatives are not always leading to meaningful outcomes or positive sentiment for workers,” he said.
The research also highlighted a clear disparity between how younger and older Australians looked at mental health issues in the workplace.
ACAP found that millennials were much more likely than baby boomers to indicate that they don’t feel comfortable being open about their identity and interests in the workplace.
Alongside Gen X, they were also more likely to say that their workplace was more interested in introducing mental health initiatives that “tick boxes” and that managers showed little if any genuine empathy for their mental wellbeing.
For many, the shortcomings of managers and bosses when it comes to soft or people skills was a major driver behind these concerns.
Sixty-five per cent of surveyed workers said that their manager or bosses struggled with soft skills, including empathy, effective communication, active listening and emotional intelligence.
With one report by the Federal Productivity Commission estimating that mental illness-related staff absenteeism and presenteeism could be costing Australian workplaces up to $17 billion per year, Mr Garrop said that further and more meaningful attention needs to be paid towards addressing issues in this area by employers.
“The data also tells us that many Australian workplaces could be doing more to acknowledge the unique values, needs, personalities and circumstances of their people – and that managers and leaders could deliver a wealth of collective benefits through operating with key soft skills like empathy, emotional intelligence and active listening,” he said.
About the author
About the author
Earn
What are Australia’s highest-paying occupations and industries?
The highest-paying jobs in Australia also have the largest gender pay gaps. ...Read more
Earn
Australia’s richest have doubled their wealth during the pandemic
The wealth of Australia’s billionaires has grown to more than a quarter of a trillion dollars. ...Read more
Earn
CBA’s super arm faces class action over “substantial losses”
CBA’s wealth and superannuation business is set to face a class action claiming it caused “substantial losses” to 100,000-odd members, with hearings to potentially commence from April. ...Read more
Earn
Job vacancies reach record high
Job vacancies reached record highs as Omicron loomed. ...Read more
Earn
Labour shortages aren’t going anywhere in 2022
Businesses have called for borders to be reopened to help solve labour and skill shortages. ...Read more
Earn
Flexible workplaces yield better-rested and more engaged workforces
The last 18 months have given experts the chance to extensively assess the value that flexible workplaces offer both employees and businesses. ...Read more
Earn
OnePath taken to court for ‘falsely’ pocketing $4m from 18,000 members
ASIC is suing OnePath for allegedly charging $4 million in fees for no service. ...Read more
Earn
How pensioners could help solve Australia’s labour shortages
Business associations across the country say pensioners should be incentivised to work more. ...Read more
Wrapping up an eventful 2021
Listen now
What Omicron means for property, and are units right for first-time buyers? What is equity crowdfunding? Are industry super funds tapping into member funds to save their skins?
Listen now
Will housing affordability improve in 2022? Will buy now, pay later become the norm? Why are Aussies staying in failing super products?
Listen now
Who really benefits from crypto ETFs? How will the RBA respond to rising inflation? Could a mandate help address unpaid super?
Listen now
Earn
What are Australia’s highest-paying occupations and industries?
The highest-paying jobs in Australia also have the largest gender pay gaps. ...Read more
Earn
Australia’s richest have doubled their wealth during the pandemic
The wealth of Australia’s billionaires has grown to more than a quarter of a trillion dollars. ...Read more
Earn
CBA’s super arm faces class action over “substantial losses”
CBA’s wealth and superannuation business is set to face a class action claiming it caused “substantial losses” to 100,000-odd members, with hearings to potentially commence from April. ...Read more
Earn
Job vacancies reach record high
Job vacancies reached record highs as Omicron loomed. ...Read more
Earn
Labour shortages aren’t going anywhere in 2022
Businesses have called for borders to be reopened to help solve labour and skill shortages. ...Read more
Earn
Flexible workplaces yield better-rested and more engaged workforces
The last 18 months have given experts the chance to extensively assess the value that flexible workplaces offer both employees and businesses. ...Read more
Earn
OnePath taken to court for ‘falsely’ pocketing $4m from 18,000 members
ASIC is suing OnePath for allegedly charging $4 million in fees for no service. ...Read more
Earn
How pensioners could help solve Australia’s labour shortages
Business associations across the country say pensioners should be incentivised to work more. ...Read more
More articles
Website Notifications
Get notifications in real-time for staying up to date with content that matters to you.
