Australians for Mental Health has welcomed the Victorian Labor government’s initiative to focus on the creation of mentally healthy workplaces. 

The government announced on Saturday that WorkSafe Victoria will become the first establishment partner of the National Centre for Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing.  

The new centre will bring together industry, unions, insurers, research academics, and service providers to develop solutions to the growing instances of workplace-related mental injury. 

“The announcement by the Allan Labor Government is a welcome step in addressing the troubling decline in the mental health of Australian workers,” Australians for Mental Health Executive Director, Chris Gambian, said.   

 “We know that there has been a huge increase in the number of serious mental health conditions arising in the workplace and that the workers who are impacted have difficulty returning to work, and report stigma from their colleagues and employers.”  

A Safe Work report released in February of this year revealed a massive increase in serious mental health conditions in the workplace. 

The report found that mental health conditions in workplaces now account for 9 percent of all serious workers’ compensation claims – an almost 40 percent increase since 2017-18. 

The report also found that the median time lost to these claims is more than four times greater than the median time lost from all physical injuries and illnesses, and the median compensation paid is three times greater.  

“The announcement of a new national centre focused on fostering mentally healthy workplaces is a fantastic step in reversing this trend and an example of the sort of systemic reform that is needed to combat the growing crisis in our country’s mental health.” 

“If we begin to treat psychosocial hazards and risks in the workplace with the same seriousness as physical hazards and risks we will reduce pressure on the treatment end of our mental health system and help ensure Australians can live better, mentally healthy lives” 

Media contact: Simon Black at [email protected], or on 0420 488 219. 

About Australians for Mental Health: 

Australians for Mental Health is a national grassroots campaign organisation made up of thousands of members from across Australia who work together to improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes by: 

• Challenging the policies, laws, attitudes and behaviours that fuel mental harm at every level of government; and 

• Reshaping Australia as a place where mental health can thrive.