EAP Assist
The EapAssist Helpline provides employees with immediate confidential phone counselling support throughout Australia.
TOP 11 WAYS TO IMPROVE WORKER WELLBEING
The following were gathered during 2019 insights from more than 10,000 workers across multiple industries: Actively provide professional development opportunitiesRecognise people who do good work & reward them appropriatelyHelp people to practice good...
Burnout & the Workplace
We tend to think of burnout as an individual problem, solvable by “learning to say no,” more yoga, better breathing techniques, practicing resilience — the self-help list goes on. But evidence is mounting that applying personal, band-aid solutions to an epic and...
Building Resilient Employees
Burnout, depression and anxiety, disengagement, absenteeism and turnover are all at all-time highs. Why? Because we live in an era of rapid transformation and uncertainty. In the world, at work, in our home lives. And it’s hard on us. It’s hard on organizations, too,...
Being Less Stressed at Work
Life is stressful, but when your mental health suffers, it feels like life is harder for you than for others. There are days where even getting out of bed is difficult. And where handling daily stressors feels impossible. For many of us whose mental health...
Simple Ways to Improve your Sleep
Having a regular sleep schedule, bedtime routine and prioritising sleep, all help people sleep better, scientists have found. The following advice is based on recommendations by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine: 1. Regular sleep schedule Go to bed at night...
Food for Good Mental Health
How Diet Affects Your Mood Diet, stress and mood are all intertwined, so it’s important to consider what you’re putting in your body, not only for your physical health but also for your emotional wellbeing. It is not necessary to go to extremes in changing your diet....
Resilience Tips
What is Resilience? Resilience in this context refers to psychological resilience. Whenever there is a crisis, someone who is resilient can bounce back from it rather quickly, and not deal with any long-term effects. You’ve probably known someone like that. They’ve...
Forty Indicators of a Thriving Workplace
Below are the 2019 Indicators of a Thriving Workplace Survey National Report by SuperFriend, from research involving over 10,000 Australian workers in a broad range of industries and occupations. The survey tracked the progress of workplace mental health and wellbeing...
Tips to Manage Anger
Anger can help to energize and motivate us to work to address problems with another person or to change our life situation. However, there are potential negative consequences of anger when it is not managed or expressed appropriately. Prolonged or intense anger...
Dealing with Anger
Some professionals suggest that expressing anger is the best way of dealing with it. But when you express anger, it’s virtually impossible to express it without conveying it. In other words, you hand-off your anger to the other person. This usually makes the...
Dealing Constructively with Self-Doubt
The first step to dealing constructively with self-doubt involves recognition. If you recognize that what you’re feeling is doubt, you can begin to take proactive steps to overcome it. While each person will need to find what works best, here are some general tips to...
How to Reduce Worry & Fear
Here are five ways of dealing with worry and fear. Get in the habit of using one of these strategies whenever you find yourself feeling anxious or worried. 1. Only worry about the things you can control. You can’t control the economy, interest rates or the...
Strategies to Reduce Worrying
Worry can feel stubborn and insidious. When you’re filled with what-if thoughts, it’s tough to concentrate on anything else. It’s tough to fall or stay asleep. It’s tough to enjoy yourself. It’s tough to do anything but think about self-doubts, worst-case scenarios...
Developing a Positive & Realistic Self-Image
Sometimes people have a poor self-image and dwell on their faults rather than their strengths. They measure themselves against an unrealistic ideal of the way that think they “should be.” Where does that unrealistic ideal come from? People who grew up in families...
Time to Talk Day
Today, Thursday 6 February, is Time to Talk Day. It presents an opportunity for us all to raise awareness of mental health issues and advocate against social stigma, ensuring that all our colleagues feel comfortable being open and honest and their authentic selves at...
Boost your Greatness
Imagine you could walk into Bunnings and buy the fertiliser of greatness. You could just go home, sprinkle a bit in your shoes, walk around in it for a while and it would lift you out of your rut. Sprinkle a little more in your shoes, have another little stroll and it...
Make your Workplace your Happy Place
Research shows that happiness at work reduces stress, raises your energy by 65%, boosts productivity by as much as 31% and builds a high-performing work environment and quality of life for employees. A recent survey of 1000 employees found that employees were most...
Being Happier Each & Every Day
Six ways to be a little bit happier each and every day: Have a Positive Attitude This doesn’t mean you don’t have down times. Life is not a bed of roses. Here the difficulties come and go which you have to deal appropriately. The best way to spend a remarkable...
Engaging at Work
Most of us know that feeling, when work is struggling to hold our attention and we’re wishing we were somewhere else. If we’re lucky, we know the opposite feeling too. The energy and excitement from a job well done, or a challenge we’re keen to...
Simple ways to Improve Mental Health at Work
As many of us spend a lot of our time at work, it’s good to check in every now and again about whether we’re doing everything we can to minimise stress and increase productivity. Sometimes, just a few small changes could be all you need to help you feel that little...
Self-Care Tips
There are many things which can get in the way of prioritising ourselves and our own wellbeing on a daily basis. Whether it be dependent family members, a demanding job, or both, at the end of the working day it may seem that there is little time or energy for looking...
Mental Health Training in the Workplace
A new study has found that managers with access to mental health training in their workplaces have an improved understanding of mental health overall and that they actively work to help prevent mental health issues in the people they manage. In Sweden, managers are...
Take care of your body: eat, sleep, exercise.
What you eat can greatly affect your mental health. Research shows a correlation between diets high in refined sugars impairs thinking and causes mood-related symptoms. Tip: If you know you have a busy week ahead, meal prep on Sunday to ensure you have healthy meals...
Improving your Stress Symptoms
Physical symptoms of stress include a pounding heart, an upset stomach, rapid pulse, cold hands, dry mouth, unexpected perspiration, skin rashes, diarrhea, insomnia, recurrent colds, headaches, fatigue, and muscle tension. Emotional symptoms of...
Developing Stress Outlets
Meditation, deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can decrease heart rate, lower blood pressure, diminish muscle tension and reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels. These activities restore balance to the body and lower your stress. Deep...
Increasing your Stress Resilience
Webster’s dictionary defines resilience as: The ability to bounce back after being stretched, bent or compressed. In human terms this means being able to roll with the punches, never taking criticism too seriously and getting right back up after a fall. If you aspire...
Burnout & Stress Tips
A recent study conducted by Yale University, surveyed 1,000 US employees to examine their levels of employee engagement and burnout. 40% of the employee sample reported high engagement and low burnout with high levels of positive emotions and skill...
Preventing Employee Burnout
Stress can seem like an inevitable consequence of a fast-paced work environment. However, when it reaches chronic levels, it can result in what the World Health Organization describes as an “occupational hazard” known as burnout. In the latest ICD-11 the WHO defines...
How to Build Confidence
Anyone can learn to be confident. True confidence comes from training and competence. It is not something that some are born with or without. If you have been living a life struggling with how to build confidence this information is what you need to hear. These eight...
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a condition that involves disturbances of perception, behaviour, emotion and thought. Usually, it develops first among teenagers and young adults. Signs of schizophrenia are: Psychotic symptoms: Hallucinations and delusions (seeing and/or hearing...
What is Phobia?
Phobia is more than feeling worried. It is excessive and unrealistic feelings of panic and/or dread about a situation or object. Common examples are fear of enclosed spaces like lifts (claustrophobia), fear of open spaces (agoraphobia) or fear of dogs (cynophobia)....
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
PTSD involves a person being exposed to any situation which is traumatic to them, for example, death, serious injury or sexual violence. A person with PTSD has four main types of difficulties: Re-living the traumatic event through unwanted and recurring memories,...
What is Workplace Stress?
Stress is the body's way of responding to demands or pressures. Everyone feels stressed from time to time, and not all stress is bad. Prolonged exposure to stress, or intense stress, can have negative effects. People respond to and recover from stress differently. The...
What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
OCD is an anxiety disorder and involves obsessive thoughts (e.g. my children will get sick if I don’t wash my hands) and compulsive actions (e.g. washing hands excessively often). Areas of life where OCD may appear are cleanliness, hoarding, sexual issues and...
What is a Panic Attack?
Panic is our body’s response to a situation we see as frightening. Signs of a panic attack are: Racing or pounding heart Sweating Trembling or shaking Breathing difficulty Chest pain, pressure or discomfort Dizziness, feeling light-headed or faint Fear of dying or...
What is Low Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem concerns the way we view and evaluate ourselves. Low self-esteem is having an overall negative self-view, such as thinking you are stupid, unlovable or not good enough. Having low self-esteem can impact you through: Feeling sad, low or empty Difficulty...
What is Depression?
We all feel sad, moody or low occasionally, but depression is more than feeling down. Signs of depression are: A persistent low mood (>2 weeks) Loss of interest Changes to sleeping and eating habits Interference with daily life The causes of depression are complex...
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is more than feeling stressed or worried. It is excessive and unrealistic feelings of worry and/or dread about a number of different things that occur more days than not for at least six months. Signs of anxiety are: Restless, feeling keyed up or on edge...
Loneliness & the Holiday Period
Christmas can be a joyous time, full of gift giving and parties with friends and family. However, for many people who rely on work for social connection, the holiday season can be far from merry. While loneliness isn’t a mental health problem, it can contribute to...
Time with Nature
The typical Australian adult spends 90% of their time indoors and the situation is no better for kids. 56.8% of young people are glued to screens for over 10 hours per week, enjoying a little over an hour of outdoor play. Spending time in nature is vital for human...
Tips for Managing Social Anxiety
We're coming up to that time of the year when your calendar may be filling up with invitations to parties and get togethers in the lead up to Christmas and the New Year. There can be an expectation that chatting and socialising is all fun and cheery, but if you...
Responding to Burnout
Understanding the issue, recognizing workplace factors, being aware of signs and symptoms and taking pro-active steps for prevention can help reduce the impact of burnout on employees and workplaces. Understand the issue Burnout is characterized by emotional...
The Anxiety Spiral — Catastrophic Thinking
When your thoughts start spiralling, getting off the “staircase” can feel impossible. One terrible notion leads to the next: If I can’t get this report done in time, you might think, then I’ll be fired. And if I’m fired, I’ll have nothing to do all day. If I have...
Goal Setting for Mental Health
For some, goals are guides. Others, however, take goals as their way to monitor progress. In the case of mental health recovery, setting life goals has become a crucial task. This is because, while it's effective, it's quite challenging and difficult. Setting Life...
Work-Life Balance – What you Value
Working men and women each have work-life balance issues. But how these issues play out often differs along gender lines. Men often act as though their jobs come first. Women typically put family first. Men sacrifice time at home for career advancement and more...
Changing the way you think
Most people don’t realize that their own thinking is a major cause of stress. They blame events (like a traffic jam or a lost file or an argument with their boss) not realizing that it’s that their thoughts about these events that is the true source of their distress....
Stop Feeling Hopeless
Hopelessness is a scary feeling – it's like walking in a dark tunnel, desperately seeking the light only to find more darkness ahead. You might think this is a permanent situation, you would want to give up and stop trying but at such times, it's best to just pause...
Happy Workers – Happy Employers
Research by Oxford University's Saïd Business School, in collaboration with British multinational telecoms firm BT, has found a conclusive link between happiness and productivity. The study into happiness and productivity found that workers are 13% more productive...
Calming your Anxiety
Twelve simple tips for taking action when anxiety strikes: 1. Avoid caffeine Caffeine is well-known as an anxiety inducer. Always make a conscious decision to stop drinking caffeine or caffeinated soft drinks if you know you will be engaging in an anxiety producing...
Ten Helpful Coping Tips
Below are 10 coping strategies to consider: State how you feel. This might seem obvious, but many of us don’t name our feelings. Yet, saying how you’re feeling in the moment (and out loud) validates your emotion, and validates you. It conveys the message that...
Ten Steps to Better Sleep
Here are 10 things you can do throughout the day and night to help get a better sleep. Stick to a sleep schedule If you want to be a better sleeper, having a sleep routine should be at the top of your list. For adults aged 18-64 years, it’s recommended to aim for 7-9...
Breathing Exercises for Stress
Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Breathing exercises are a good way to relax, reduce...
Stop Emotional Eating
Emotional hunger isn’t easily quelled by eating While filling up may work in the moment, eating because of negative emotions often leaves people feeling more upset than before. This cycle typically doesn’t end until a person addresses emotional needs head on. Find...
Financial Stress & Mental Health
Several countries around the world, including Australia, are in an economic downturn that is causing financial stress. In Australia, one-third of people are carrying high levels of personal debt. Some are suffering from mortgage stress where their homes are worth less...
A Mentally Healthy Workplace
People often think mental health means not having a mental health disorder (e.g. major depressive disorder or an anxiety disorder). But in the same way being physically healthy doesn't just mean not having a disease, mental health actually refers to how well a person...
Benefits of Caring
A new study has found that employers can boost retention by showing employees they care. According to the Science of Care, 60% of workers who said they felt cared for plan to stay with their companies for three or more years, as opposed to only 7% of those who said...
Violence Against Women Day
Today, 25th November, is the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It is important to consider the role employers have to play when addressing domestic violence and how it affects the workplace. Domestic and family violence not only...
R U Bullied at Work
Every day, employees across the country are bullied and abused at work. In fact, the issue of workplace bullying is a growing problem that affects nearly 30% of all employees during their careers, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute. If you have experienced...
Workplace Stress Management
The time spent working should be as enjoyable and pleasant as possible, since it's a major part of our life. That's why stress in the workplace is something you need to deal with. Putting up with it or simply ignoring it won't do you any good. There are things you can...
Bushfire Support
EAP Assist would like to remind our clients that we are here to provide immediate phone support to any employees or managers who have questions or need support. Below are a few things managers, employees & family can do to support those affected by the current...
Time Management Tips
We need to give up exhaustion as a status symbol but doing less is easier said than done. Technology has made us available 24×7 and although every device still comes with an off button, many people find it hard to sign off at the end of the day. Limiting your use of...
Simple Meditations to Help with Work Stress
It happens to everyone. You're at work, and suddenly seized by anxiety or just totally overwrought from stress. While it's normal in the sense that it's common, it's not a great thing for your overall wellbeing. Unfortunately, taking breaks and prioritizing how you...
Combating Employee Fatigue
Sleep quality not only affects our mood and wellbeing, but also affects our performance at work. More organisations are starting to consider and take action to improve the quality of sleep for their employees and combat fatigue. Mentally healthy workplaces are those...
Feeling Anxious?
Below are several ways to stay relatively calm when reacting to a very stressful situation: Grounding When you are anxious, you might feel lost and confused. One solution is called grounding. Whether you have become anxious while in your office, in your room, or in...
Making Work Less Stressful
We all know that excessive stress is a health hazard. What is less talked about are the effects of burnout on business performance. Stress makes people nearly three times as likely to leave their jobs, temporarily impairs strategic thinking and dulls creative...
Rewarding Employees
A generic thank-you message sent through group email won’t do much to keep staff motivated. When it comes to appreciating a job well done, employees want specific and timely feedback from managers according to new research. Employers worldwide are pouring $46bn into...
Tips to Manage Stress
Here are some ways you can manage your stress:. 1. Don't consume too much caffeine or nicotine. You may be tempted to have an extra cup of coffee or smoke an extra cigarette, but it can make the problem worse. 2. Work out. You don't need to be a bodybuilder or...
Laughing at Work
Laughing not only helps improve physical and mental health, it also strengthens relationships and enhances creativity. Best of all, laughing “medicine” is free and fun to take. Laughing has been proven to reduce stress, promote happiness, and provides other physical...
Cultivate Joy Daily
Below are three practical suggestions you can adopt daily to cultivate joy in your life: Turn Worry into Wonder This strategy is one of the fastest ways to get out of the frantic pattern of overthinking and worry-filled “what-if” thoughts. The key is to think the...
Getting Back on Track
Five tips for getting back on track: 1. Look at the Big Picture Ask yourself: In the grand scheme of things, what’s your goal? You don’t necessarily need to figure out your grand purpose or the meaning of life but think about the big picture. Now that you’re getting...
Four Healthy Work Habits
Healthy habits can be hard to develop and keep but are worth it for the long-term benefit. They can impact your health both mentally and physically by improving your mood and energy levels, for starters. Four healthy office habits to start using daily: 1. Get...
Creating a Supportive Workplace Culture
Stress and depression are the largest contributors to lost productivity in Australia, according to the AIG Absenteeism & Presenteeism Survey Report. On average, Australian employees take 8.8 unscheduled days off per year. This costs employers approximately $578...
Ageism at Work
It’s commonly believed that women are far more likely than men to be victims of ageism in the workplace, but new numbers suggest otherwise. Fairygodboss a career site for women, recently surveyed 1000 people over the age of forty to find out how many have encountered...
Building Self-esteem
Most of us would agree that there are cultural and socioeconomic barriers in life. Some people have grown up in environments whereas children they were told they would succeed, contribute to society, and live an abundant life. This is a wonderful formula when moving...
Managing Employee Complaints
Friction will inevitably occur, no matter what size or industry an enterprise falls within. Dealing with employee complaints involves a delicate sense of diplomacy and, for the employer, the need to divorce themselves from the emotion of the situation. Putting this in...
Avoiding Burnout
Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion that can zap the joy out of your career, friendships and family interactions. Continual exposure to stressful situations, like caring for an ill family member, working long hours or witnessing upsetting news related...
Partnering with your Manager
Four things you can do to strengthen your partnership with your manager: Understand your manager and yourself. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Label your working style. Know what motivates you. Set and manage expectations. Know what your manager expects from...
Five Self-Care Tips
5 tips to promote self-care: 1. Forgiveness: Forgive yourself when things go wrong. Remember we are all human and we all make mistakes. Learn from the mistake but move on and don't dwell on it as it will start to affect your mental wellbeing. 2. Be kind to...
What is Technostress?
Social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook and Instagram are known to cause stress in users, known as technostress from social media. However, when faced with such stress, instead of switching off or using them less, people are moving from one aspect of the social...
Eat Right to Ease Stress
Ease stress and boost your mood with a few dietary changes. Here are tips for enjoying the foods you love while nourishing your brain, but first a real-life example: Miss X struggles every morning to get out of bed. Some days she awakens in a panic. Other days she...
Workplace Bullying – A Heart Disease Risk Factor
A recent study of Scandinavian workers suggests employees who are bullied or experience violence at work may face an additional stressor – an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers analyzed three population-based studies from Sweden and Denmark. The...
Breathing to Manage Stress
Studies show the majority of stress most Australians feel comes from their job. High-pressure deadlines, agitating colleagues, and too much work can all contribute to daily work stressors. Workers with high levels of stress are more likely to have an increased risk of...
Relieving Stress
We all experience stress – sometimes a lot and sometimes not so much. Stress, your body’s reaction to change, can be related to positive changes like starting a new job or having a baby. But usually, when we talk about stress, we mean distress. This type of stress...
What Perks Employees Want
A recent Harvard study looked into which workplace wellness perks matter most to employees and how these perks impact productivity. Surprisingly, the study found employees want the basics first: better air quality, access to natural light and the ability to...
What’s causing Burnout
According to a new survey managers and workers disagreed on the main causes of burnout. Senior Managers reported: 1.Unmanageable workloads as the most significant cause, followed by: Career stagnation Constant interruptions Toxic culture Dated technology Workers...
Simple Self-Care at Work
Seven simple self-care ideas which you can do at work during your lunch break: Have a glass of water. Many of us don’t drink enough water every day, plus it gets you out of your seat (or wherever you are) and gives you a chance to focus and re-energise. Read a...
Is your Partner/Co-worker Depressed?
As their partner/co-worker, you have a unique vantage point to help your significant other notice the early signs of depression, often before they notice symptoms themselves. Here are 5 signs your partner may be experiencing symptoms of depression and tips for how to...
Managing Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying is repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety. It is a risk to health and safety because it may affect the mental and physical health of workers. Taking steps to prevent...
Strategies to Improve Sleep
It’s probably no surprise that the quality and duration of your sleep is closely linked with your mental health. A poor night’s sleep can negatively impact on your anxiety and mood – making you feel worse, which can, in turn, make getting a good night’s sleep even...
Common Workplace Mental Health Issues
As we spend majority of our waking lives in the workplace, a mentally healthy workplace is essential in order to thrive. Despite this, it seems many Australian workplaces are not meeting the expectations of their employees. According to a report on workplace mental...
Addressing Workplace Mental Health
A range of poor work experiences are leading to higher anxiety and reduced happiness in the Australian workforce. People who are lacking recognition, concentration, and engagement at work have more mental health issues than those who have positive work experiences....
R Noisy Co-workers causing u Stress
Noise can affect people in a variety of ways, it may be distracting, irritating or stressful. While we recognise the acute impacts that these noises have, for example, we get irritated or annoyed, we have only begun to uncover longer terms effects that this sustained...
What to do about Burnout
A 2018 Gallup poll revealed 23% of the 7,500 full-time workers it surveyed feel burned out very often or always. Another 44% of those employees said they are burned out sometimes. That means people on your team, including you, could be battling with burnout right now....
Handling Stress/Building Resilience
Wherever you live or work, stress is on the rise. Workers in developed and developing countries are facing increasing strain at work. The onslaught of mounting stressors include global challenges, such as climate change, terrorism and political turmoil – as well as...
Happy at Work
25% of Australians are unhappy in their job, with a staggering 70% wanting to pursue a different career, according to new research commissioned by the Nutritional Therapy Association of Australia (NTA). The research found that not being paid enough (53%) is the most...
Enhancing Workplace Performance
Would you like to discover a proven way to get more done, to turbo charge brain function and to keep performing at a high level without hitting the wall? We know exercise and nutrition fuel our physical performance, but most people don’t realise that they are among...
Stressed Staff turn to Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Many workers who feel stressed are turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol and “stress eating” rather than seeking advice from a health professional, research has found. A quarter admitted to eating when experiencing the symptoms of stress and 14% tuned...
Six Signs of Burnout
By now, we've all been fairly warned of the increasing prevalence and consequences of burnout, but actively preventing it isn't easy. You first must know what causes it. While workload tends to be the most common self-reported cause of workplace stress, the research...
Workplace Stress
Stress in the workplace is no secret. A majority of workers report feeling moderate or high levels of stress on the job and the issue has been gaining international attention. What is Workplace Stress? Stress occurs when pressures become sustained and...
Exercise & Work
When you decide to become healthier, it can be difficult to fit exercise into your working life. We all have very busy schedules and sometimes cutting out that time for exercise can seem like a mission. However, scheduling exercise into your working life doesn’t have...
Building Resilience at Work
Employees are the lifeblood of a business, and with mental health issues now costing Australian businesses over $10 billion each year and on the rise (let alone the personal cost), now is the time to be proactive about workplace mental health. Research shows...
Tips to Managing Anger
Anger as an emotion is a tool, and like any tool, you can use it for good or misuse it. Those who are unable to control their anger tend to misuse it. They may show their anger in toxic ways that don’t benefit anyone. They may explode in a rage and end up in...
Six Signs of Anxiety
Some people just know they have anxiety the same way they know they have blonde hair, or blue eyes or a fondness for chocolate chip ice cream. But for others, the signs might be more subtle — or, if you grew up in a family or culture that places less emphasis on...
Manage your Stress at Work
A massive 40% of workers say their jobs are very stressful. Such stress levels may be even higher for leaders and managers, who are typically burdened with more responsibilities. Whether you’re an employee picking up a pay-check, a manager leading a team or an...
Cheating & Work
A new study has found that people who cheat on their spouses are significantly more likely to engage in misconduct in the workplace. For the study, researchers at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin looked at the records of police...
#MeToo at Work
There is no upside to sexual harassment. It is a behavioural travesty that has been pervasive in societies for as long as there has been interaction between humans. And, unfortunately, it has survived. Actually, it has flourished because its victims have succumbed to...
A Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness
Imagine you are at home watching an action movie on the TV. There’s a car chase, people shooting at each other and lots of big explosions. The clock is ticking on a massive nuclear device and the end of civilisation is just minutes away. Despite witnessing the...
Suicide & the Workplace
September is National Suicide Prevention Month—an opportunity for employers to learn how they can help workers at risk for taking their own lives. Suicides related to workplace issues are rising. In 2013—the most recent available statistics—270 U.S. employees...
Managers Helping Employees De-Stress
According to a 2017 report from the American Psychological Association, work stress is the third most common stressor in employees’ lives. What is contributing most to that work stress, according to a 2017 Paychex study, is missing out on time spent at home. Employees...
Women’s Wellbeing at Work
Data from close to 9,000 female employees looking at the wellbeing needs of women in the workplace found 80% of women place the wellbeing of others above their own, 70% rate as anxious frequently and 65% rate high general stress levels. Moreover, two-thirds of women...
Ten Employee Engagement Strategies
Employee engagement is achieved when employees really care for and feel a sense of ownership of their company. A sense of purpose, good health, personal relationships, well-defined roles and communication channels are just some of the other elements that contribute...
A Conducive Work Environment
Never underestimate the power of a well-designed office. Air quality, temperature, noise levels and availability of natural light all contribute to a comfortable working environment. A comfortable workspace, in turn, influences productivity, according to workers...
Managing Mental Illness at Work
Unlike many physical illnesses or disabilities, having a mental illness isn’t always visible to the people you work with. This can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it means you might not face as much open discrimination as someone with a more visible...
Improving Employee Mental Health
The modern economy operates at a breakneck pace, which places everyday employees under increasing pressure to perform. Over time, those pressures can have a massive and debilitating effect on a company’s workforce, increasing turnover, decreasing engagement, and...
Employees can’t get no Satisfaction
More than half of Australian workers (54%) are unsatisfied with their level of pay, while the majority are challenged by financial matters that impact life at work and outside of work, according to The Australia Pay Experience Report, released recently by Ceridian and...
R U OK Day
The leading cause of death among people 15 – 44 years is suicide - which in Australia is growing year on year, with a 9.1% increase from 2017 to 2018. Mental health issues are one of a number of causes that contribute to this worrying trend, with depression present in...
Belonging in the Workplace
Everyone knows how it feels to not belong somewhere; at a party, at a restaurant, in a neighbourhood. It makes you feel uncomfortable and insecure. It’s certainly something you try to avoid. Yet, belonging in the workplace isn’t something we often discuss. Even though...
Landmark Federal Court Decision
An argument of how the word ‘day’ should be interpreted means organisations across Australia have to rethink entitlements. If you’re in HR and you deal with shift workers, last week’s Federal Court ruling might have you re-configuring the payroll. The case was between...
Good People Doing Good Things
Most of us are good people who are trying to do all the right things. So, why is all that effort not being rewarded with fabulous feelings of achievement, contentment and satisfaction? Why instead, do so many of us feel utterly exhausted, stretched hopelessly thin and...
Go-to Coping Strategies
Avoidant coping strategies Highly popular, yet terribly ineffective, are what psychologists call avoidant coping strategies. Be employing these strategies, we temporarily avoid dealing with difficult thoughts, uncomfortable emotions and the actual sources of our pain....
Breaking Up with Busyness
Ask people how they have been and almost everyone will have the same answer – busy. It’s extremely socially acceptable to be busy. Detail how much you have done, how little you have slept and your inability to find a moment to scratch yourself, and people will...
The Mental Health Impact of Winning at All Costs
Lance Armstrong was once the world’s greatest success story. Remarkably, he had managed to pull himself up off his deathbed, get on a bike and win the Tour de France seven times. Through sheer single-mindedness, laser-like focus and relentless determination he had...
Seven Habits of Highly Resilient People
1. Practise mindfulness We know there is an awful lot of hype around mindfulness and far too many smug, stylised Instagram shots of people in designer yoga gear meditating with their legs curled up like a pretzel. Please, don’t let this put you off. Practising...
Reactive vs Wise Minds
Reactive minds is the bit of our brains that help us escape from danger and our wise minds is the bit of our brains that aids in complex, reasoned decision-making. Being in a highly reactive state can have a number of huge downsides You make terrible decisions in a...
Challenging Limiting Self-beliefs
Throughout your life, it’s likely you’ve received all sorts of advice. Much of it was probably sensible, well-meaning advice, intended to protect you. Sometimes however it can also create limiting beliefs and act as another thin little rope around your leg. Over time...
Great Leaders
According to a recent survey of 12,000 members of the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and New Zealand the seven attributes which make a great leader are: Respect Respect in some ways can feel like a tainted concept. Not long ago, it was based more on your...
Protect your Mental Health
Each day your brain spits out thousands and thousands of thoughts. Not all of these are important. Not all of these are useful. Not all of these are very nice. In fact, there’s a good chance your brain comes up with a lot of thoughts which are downright mean. How you...
Is Bad Advice Messing with your Mind?
In your life you have probably received a whole lot of well-meaning yet horrible advice. Unfortunately, common wisdom is commonly a bit misguided and sometimes following it can be downright dangerous to your mental wellbeing. Here are five pieces of advice you...
Multitasking or Monotasking
Many of us are mentally fatigued because we are constantly multi-tasking. Each day it is like being a one-man band taking on Led Zeppelin’s entire back catalogue. It is utterly exhausting and not pleasant for anyone in near proximity. The sad reality is that you...
Why Pets Stress Less
Humans are brainy creatures. Having such fantastically complex machines housed within our sizeable craniums provides us with a very large evolutionary advantage over all those cute, furry creatures we keep for pets. We can process loads of information, perform...
Helping Men Struggling with Emotions
Men may not be great with emotions – but we can be Men cop a lot of flak for being out of touch with our emotions. Constantly we are told we’re not as emotionally intelligent as women. We are generally derided as unevolved boneheads with far too much testosterone and...
Indicators of a Thriving Workplace
The five domains of a thriving workplace are presented below along with the indicators that apply (according to SuperFriend's annual survey of 5000 workers): LEADERSHIP Leaders work with their teams using a strengths-based and coaching mindset. They are positive role...
Employee Surveillance Technology
New employee surveillance strategies are aimed at understanding effective leadership, workplace morale and employee productivity. Bosses are finding new ways to figure out what employees are up to and whether what they’re up to is good for the company. The Wall Street...
Employer Paid Smart Bands (fitbit)
According to recent healthcare research 57% of employees said they would be open to wearing an employer-paid fitness band during working hours to help monitor their health & wellbeing. Among those respondents that were open to wearing a fitness band at...
What is TechnoStress?
Technostress is the stress and negative psychological impact of introducing new technologies at work. Cause of TechnoStress To understand its true impact, we can group the stressors that cause technostress into five categories: 1. Invasion: “Technology is taking over...
What is TechnoStress?
Technostress is the stress and negative psychological impact of introducing new technologies at work. Cause of TechnoStress To understand its true impact, we can group the stressors that cause technostress into five categories: 1. Invasion: “Technology is taking over...
Worker Exploitation Laws
Employers who exploit workers may soon face criminal penalties including jail time, according to the Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Currently, the Attorney-General (Christian Porter) is drafting laws to deal with criminalising worker exploitation. Porter added that...
Sleep Health a National Priority
The Australian Parliament’s House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport recently released initial findings from its Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness in Australia. The report includes many important findings concerning Australian health and wellbeing....
Diverse & Inclusive Workplaces
The results of a new survey may come as a disappointment to some employers after it revealed many Australian workers are unimpressed with their organisation’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Randstad revealed the first wave of results from its annual Employer Brand...
Financial Wellbeing
A recent survey of 200 HR professionals found that 61% said that employee mental health and work performance is being increasingly impacted by financial well-being issues. Financial well-being entails being in control of one’s finances; having the capacity to...
Workplace Employee Engagement
Organizations spend billions of dollars on tools to bolster employee engagement, but the return on those investments is unclear. According to the Gallup State of the Global Workplace report, only 15% of workers are engaged with their employers. Why should you care?...
Designing Healthy Workplaces
Designing a workplace with the employee health in mind should be the priority of all businesses. After all it’s the employees’ skills and efforts that help a business thrive. If employees are unwell, stressed and disengaged, it can disrupt the normal operations and...
How Toxic is your Workplace?
An organization can be considered toxic if it is ineffective as well as destructive to its employees. This means detrimental to the business bottom line as well as overall well-being. Toxicity can manifest in employees as well as leaders. Regardless of the source,...
Five Ways to Boost Happiness
Meditate. It can be as little as two minutes to have that moment of quiet, that noise-cancelling moment. When you have that, your brain actually gets resources back to scan the world for why you could feel happy in that present moment. Keep a gratitude journal. Your...
Emotional Agility at Work
Organisations have a long history of sidelining messy emotions. The standard view is that employees and leaders alike can be either optimistic or stoic – but never outwardly angry, sad or disappointed. In the face of change in the workplace, there’s pressure to “just...
Resilience Training for Burnout
Burnout’s tell-tale symptoms are: 1) Low energy or exhaustion 2) Disengagement or negative/cynical feelings about the job 3) Reduced workplace efficacy Burnout is an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. We can’t cure burnout with doctors. It’s up to...
Male Sexual Harassment
26% of Australian men experienced sexual harassment between 2013-2018, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) fourth national survey on workplace sexual harassment. 58% were sexually harassed by one or more male perpetrators and 47% by one or...
Dealing with Workplace Bullies
Workplace bullying has become a strategic tool to push employees to leave companies voluntarily. Isolation, intimidation and threats are just a few tactics bullies use to strip someone of their power and identity. The reasons could be as simple as feeling threatened...
Loneliness at Work
Loneliness can be defined as being disconnected from others and seeing one’s relationships negatively. Consequently, one can feel lonely in a crowd, and yet surrounded by others. Loneliness can be detrimental to health and wellbeing. In Australia, this trend is also...
Mentally Healthy Workplaces
There are lots of simple things everyone can do to make a mentally healthy workplace. You don’t need to spend a lot of money, and you can engage all the team to make it happen. Smart work design Establish flexible working hours. Address workplace culture of when,...
Stop being Intimidated
Whether the intimidation is internal and has to do with your own thought processes, or external, having to do with the actions/behaviour of others, you can learn to overcome it. The following tips may offer some solace and serve as a go-to guide on how to keep your...
Burning Out
The World Health Organization states: Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully recognised and managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion...
Ways to Develop Resilience
If there’s one skill we all need in this unpredictable world, it’s resilience. Try as we might, and however hard we work, life will not always go our way. Some people respond to challenges and setbacks by bouncing back even higher, like a superball. Other people are...
Physical Symptoms of Stress
Our bodies are equipped to deal with temporary stressors by activating our “fight or flight response”, which causes our heart to beat more quickly, our blood pressure to increase, our breathing to quicken and our muscles to tense. In addition, our immune system...
Business Owners Feeling Depressed
A new report by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) reveals 62% of business owners feel depressed at least once a week. Business owners are so busy taking care of their employees that they forget to take care of...
Enhancing Employee Well-being
Australians and New Zealanders have the highest level of wellness in the workplace, according to a new global study from The Myers-Briggs Company. But what exactly influences well-being at work? Of the six factors identified by researchers, a person’s ability to...
Workplace Sexual Harassment Case
A recent sexual harassment case shows that all businesses need to have a safe and healthy workplace culture. Businesses sometimes lack the resources to support someone who is claiming sexual harassment and can also lack the resources to look into the allegations. A...
Returning Parents
A 2017 report by Ovia Health found that 34% of women did not return to their job after having a child. Research from New York University published in 2019 found that nearly half of new mothers and one-quarter of new fathers leave full-time STEM (science, technology,...
Touching at Work
If you work a 9-5 job, you’ll likely spend a minimum of 1680 hours at work each year with your colleagues (and that’s not including those gruelling overtime hours). With some research suggesting that it takes around 200 hours to become good friends with someone, it...
Office Romance
Workplace relationships have become an especially timely issue in the #MeToo era, with employees and employers collectively asking: are workplace relationships ever acceptable? And if so, what rules should govern them? Before we even discuss workplace romance, it...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Symptoms Intrusive Symptoms Frequent emotionally intense memories of the trauma such as thoughts, images and dreams Sometimes these memories are so intense it feels like the trauma is happening again Avoidance Symptoms Avoiding situations, people or places which...
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Symptoms Mind Persistent anxiety and worry that occurs on most days for at least six months The anxiety focus does not have a specific target and skips from one issue to another Usually the person feels distressed by the extent of their worrying and finds it hard to...
Depression
Symptoms Depression can present itself in many different ways. It may come about suddenly or have built up over time. It can last months to years. There are some things that all depression sufferers have in common though. Sadness would be the number one common...
SAD: Winter Depression
The winter blues, summertime sadness, seasonal depression – seasonal affective disorder goes by many different names. You may have noticed that the colder months tend to get you down more easily and more often – you definitely aren’t alone in this! An estimated 10 -...
Dealing with a Stressed Boss
Below are several approaches to try on different personality types that may be helpful: High-strung Can be overly emotional, volatile, intense, intimidating, unpredictable, reactionary or even bullying. Approaches to try: Stay calm and resist responding until they are...
Stressed FIFOs
Recent tragedies have put the spotlight on FIFO workers’ vulnerability to stress, and on what employers should be doing about it. Tragic stories involving fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers, including recent suicides, have raised questions about what can be done and what...
The Future of EAPs
The Workplace Well-being: A summary of the 2018 Worklace Outcome Suite Annual Report (published on the 4-6-19) analysed 24,363 employee cases in addition to the data provided by a range of employee assistance providers globally & found distressed employees are...
Co-worker Relationships
A recent three-year study of more than 10,000 people from 131 countries, found co-worker relationships to be the leading contributor to workplace well-being. Having supportive, meaningful relationships is an essential element for people’s workplace well-being that...
Workplace Addiction
Addiction is an ugly beast - it has the propensity to ruin relationships, finances and careers. And while many people might believe they’ve got a handle on what ‘addiction’ looks like – would you actually be able to spot an employee in trouble? A recent report from...
Resigning to Burnout
A large number of Australian employees are looking to change jobs, according to two new reports. And a major reason is burnout. What can organisations do to stem the tide? Returning to work following a mental-health related injury takes three times longer than it does...
Online Therapy – Digital Programs
Online therapy has become the new norm for those seeking therapy on their own terms. Recent studies have found online therapy to be as effective as face-to-face therapy in treating major mental health challenges, like anxiety disorders and depressive symptoms....
Bullying & Employer Responsibility
Workplace bullying is harmful not only for the victim, but the workplace as a whole. If bullying is considered to be happening "at work" it can also expose the employer to risk of legal action. Workplace bullying is characterised by persistent and repeated negative...
Self-Care at Work
Generally, we don’t invest nearly as much time, energy or money into taking care of our minds as we do our bodies. Even though we sustain far more psychological wounds than physical ones such as failure, loneliness, rejection – the list goes on. Despite the multitude...
Calming Techniques for Stress & Anxiety
Breathing When we are anxious our breathing is disrupted. Essentially, we take in more oxygen than the body needs – in other words we over breathe or hyperventilate. When this imbalance is detected the body responds with some chemical changes that produce symptoms...
Who is accessing EAP Support
Male employees account for 55% of all calls to employee assistance program (EAP) counselling services, according to recent data. The data, released on 14 May 2019, revealed that the number of calls from men seeking support through an EAP increased by 84% between May...
Getting back to Nature
A recent review of hundreds of studies has found mounting evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship: Experiences with nature led to improvements in attention span, self-discipline, physical fitness & reducing stress. There are two different major theories as to...
The Art of Resiliency
You may have encountered someone who during a crisis just seems to rise above it all, wondering how evasive and elusive this all seems to you. The good news is that despite what your genes might say, your problem-solving skills and approach/outlook to life are not...
WHO recognises Burnout
For the first time, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is recognising ‘burnout’ in its International Classification of Diseases. Announced at its recent annual World Health Assembly in Geneva, WHO defined burnout as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from...
Workplace Feedback
Whether it is encouraging or constructive, great feedback has been proven to have a strong impact on individual performance and satisfaction. Encouraging feedback can also have profound implications on the health of our organizational cultures. Traditional performance...
Thirty-four Affirmations
Perfectionism makes us feel inadequate Perfectionism – the relentless pursuit of being flawless in an effort to prove our worth and avoid criticism — adds unnecessary stress and pressure to our already demanding lives. When we strive for perfection rather than...
Reasons Employees Leave
Employee turnover is expensive, falling anywhere between 30%–200% of an employee’s salary. An independent analysis of data collected since 2011, including insights from millions of people from the moment they join an organization through to the time they leave, has...
Suicidal Signs
About 70 percent of people who commit suicide give some sort of verbal or nonverbal clue about their intention to end their life. That means you could be in a position to guide someone to get help before they commit the one action that can never be taken back....
Suicide Rising
According to a new study, workers under thirty are more likely to contemplate suicide than any other age group. An analysis of 157,000 patient records also found that millennials are five times more likely to consider suicide than boomers. Study results showed that...
App Helps to Stop Smoking
Emerging research suggests a smartphone app that helps people stop smoking reduces activity in a brain region typically stimulated when a person experiences a craving to smoke. The app uses a mindfulness-based approach and was effective at reducing study participants’...
Colour your Workplace
The fire-red paint across one wall of a conference room plays a surprisingly important role in workplace culture and employee engagement. So does the sunshine-yellow couch inviting guests into a lobby. Colour can define a workplace setting and can manipulate workers'...
Exercise at Work
Regular physical activity is not only beneficial for your health but can be great for your career too. Exercise helps improve all aspects of your life including productivity, minimising the risk of illness and building better relationships with your colleagues....
Stigma in the Workplace
According to a recent report by the American Psychiatric Association nearly 32% of adults say they are more anxious than they were last year and only 24% reporting being less anxious than last year — these are similar to changes in anxiety reported over the last two...
Three Simple Stress Management Activities
Workplace stress can present in physical symptoms and manifest as fatigue, headaches, indigestion, insomnia and anxiety. Managing stress can be a key factor in feeling more productive and enjoying your work. A helpful technique that can easily be used is defusing...
Bad Work Habits
Everyone has bad habits, which develop over time at work when you get comfortable in your environment. It can sometimes happen without you even realising it. An extra 10 minutes on your lunch break here and there, leaving that little bit early or procrastinating. It...
Healthy Sleep
According to recent European research more than one in four employees feel exhausted on a daily basis, and 42% of UK workers have lost sleep as a result of workplace stress. Sleep is vital to reducing our risk of health conditions as it’s during sleep that our bodies...
Eating to be an Effective Leader
It comes as little surprise that taking control of your eating can help you improve your body image, prevent illness and bring you happiness. But did you know that your diet can affect your leadership abilities as well? With the rise of illnesses like obesity, heart...
Calming through Muscle Relaxation
Objective To learn and practice progressive muscle relaxation, a technique that involves tensing specific muscle groups and then relaxing them. You Should Know Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that involves tensing specific muscle groups and then relaxing...
R U Lonely at Work
Loneliness is often seen as a ‘private emotion’ but its impact on productivity and morale makes it a business challenge. It’s a paradox of the modern workplace: the more tools we have to connect with our colleagues, the more open our workspaces become, the more...
Are Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) Effective?
The 2018 Workplace Outcome Suite (WOS) Annual Report finds that EAPs improve employee well-being More than 24,000 cases analysed in study conducted by Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) and other stakeholders. The Employee Assistance Professionals...
Relax Your Mind, Body & Soul
During hectic times, it’s tough to remember that relaxation is more than a luxury. In fact, humans need to relax to maintain balance in their lives. Work stress, family strife, and mounting responsibilities can exact a tremendous toll. Relaxing should be at the top of...
Boost your Mood
Feeling constantly exhausted and lacking energy after work? Stuck in a rut where you collapse on the sofa or bed after a long day? You need to get a spring back in your step and boost your energy levels. Move more Regular physical activity boosts energy levels and...
SITTING RISKS
You’ve probably already heard it—sitting too much can slowly kill you. Indeed, too much time in the chair can harm your body in multiple ways. Here’s what happens from head to toe: When you’re sitting, blood flow to the brain decreases. When you’re sedentary for a...
Two Stress & Anxiety Calming Techniques
Breathing When we are anxious our breathing is disrupted. Essentially, we take in more oxygen than the body needs – in other words we over breathe or hyperventilate. When this imbalance is detected the body responds with some chemical changes that produce symptoms...
Six Burnout Tips
Just as it took time to become burnt out, the recovery process can be just as long. Below are a few tips you can try to help along the healing process. Leave the House Every Day The burnout symptoms and recovery period can make you feel like turning into a homebody if...
Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces
Between April and June 2018, the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) conducted a national survey to investigate the prevalence, nature and reporting of sexual harassment in Australian workplaces and the community more broadly. The Commission has...
Three Mental Health Mistakes
Three Mistakes You Make Every Day That Harm Your Mental Health The World Health Organisation estimates that mental disorders affect one in four people. While research shows that some mental health disorders such as major depression and schizophrenia have genetic...
Internet Stress
In Australia stress has never been higher. Doctors are recording more and more cases of mental health issues triggered by stress. The amount of money lost to business as a result of work-related stress is rising continuously. So what’s going on? We tend to get...
Addressing Absenteeism
According to a recent study negative work experiences are impacting absenteeism more than other wellbeing elements. People who feel a low sense of achievement, feel disengaged or do not align with the ethics and values of their workplace are taking nearly twice as...
Building Resilience with Online Tools
Resilience, the ability to adapt and recover from personal and professional setbacks, is increasingly recognized as a key driver of job performance. For those who lack resilience, a bad day can seriously throw them off their game. Recent research looked at whether...
Power Yoga – Exercise your Mood Video
https://youtu.be/62Y-FqT-lVs
Workplace Bullies
According to a new study people who are treated badly in the workplace may actually be seen as bullies themselves. The study found that supervisors may view bullied workers as bad employees, regardless of their performance. The bullies themselves were often viewed in...
Mindfulness Program reduces Stress
Mindfulness Program reduces Stress Stress is the leading cause of employee illness and absenteeism. Mindfulness training is one proven way to reduce absenteeism and keep employees healthy as well as aiding them to become more resilient and improve their sleep and...
Company Culture
Company culture is the personality of a company. It defines the environment in which employees work. Company culture includes a variety of elements, including work environment, company mission, value, ethics, expectations, and goals. Company culture is shaped by...
Mental Health & Workplace Disability
Mental health disorders are now the leading cause of work disability in every country around the world. Poor mental health in the workplace can directly trigger physical health problems, heightening unproductivity and absenteeism. Employers need to be more proactive...
Managing Stress through Breathing
When under stress, we tend to engage in more shallow, rapid breathing. This can amplify the intensity of any unpleasant or negative emotions we are experiencing by sending a signal to the brain that we may be at some sort of imminent physical risk. Shallow breathing...
Mitigating Stress through Thought
The Power of Your Thoughts Our thoughts – or the way that we interpret events in our life (past, present or future) – are integral to whether we emotionally feel stressed. Most of our thoughts are unconscious (i.e., below our level of awareness); however, with...
Enhancing Self-Esteem
There are lots of reasons why people might have low self-esteem, but most of the time the roots go back to childhood and the view that you might have internalized as a result of criticism or negative messages you heard and, perhaps, believed (and still believe). Maybe...
Culture of Wellbeing
Many employers create a wellbeing program but fail to build a culture of wellbeing. Behaviour change happens because of a movement, not a mandate. As an organizational leader your wellbeing offerings alone are often not enough. Creating a wellbeing culture is...
Flexible Working – Video
https://youtu.be/xWTBCsLmsOg
Unfair Dismissal/Workplace Investigation/Disciplinary Meeting
Unfair Dismissal Dismissing an employee is always a difficult decision to make. However, if you do need to let an employee go, then it’s critical to make sure you do so legally. Unfair Dismissal claims against employers are costly and problematic – but you can help...
Professional Workplace Stress
Nearly two-thirds of professionals say their stress levels at work are higher than they were five years ago. There are many factors that cause increased stress levels at work, including keeping up with changes in technology, increased workloads and interpersonal...
How to Handle a Toxic Boss/Manager
A toxic boss doesn’t just fly under the radar. They go out of their way to criticise, sabotage and humiliate any threat or nuisance in the workplace. ‘Power-hungry’ and ‘incompetent’ Having a toxic boss isn’t as uncommon as one might think. In a 2018 survey by...
HEALTHIER FOOD CHOICES AT WORK
While we all know that eating right is “good for you” sometimes we forget why. Diet is a major factor for several chronic diseases from diabetes, to cancer, to heart disease. These are major illnesses that not only impact lifespan, but also contribute to absenteeism...
Ignoring Employees’ Ideas
When employees share novel ideas and bring up concerns or problems, organizations innovate & perform better. Employees are often the first to see issues on the frontlines, so their input can really help managerial decision making. Yet, managers do not always promote...
Productive Work Environments
The environment in which you work can have a huge impact on employee productivity levels. An uninspiring, drab space can often leave employees feeling low on energy and unmotivated, so make sure your office design boosts those productivity levels rather than dragging...
Work Stress Strategies
Workplace stress is a serious issue for Australian employers. It is an issue that has no respect for position or seniority – it is just as likely to affect a new recruit in the post room as the chief executive. We are expected to work longer hours than ever before,...
Maintaining a Healthy Work-life Balance
We often spend a lot of time pursuing a healthy work-life balance, however, sometimes it can seem like an impossible goal. Being always on the job does not help you achieve tasks quicker, it can actually slow down productivity. Finding a healthy balance between work...
Smile to Manage Stress
Smiling releases happy and healthy hormones. We win in so many ways when we smile. It is one of the most basic biological functions for humans. We are born smiling and even in the womb we smile. Even blind babies smile at the sound of the human voice. Serotonin, one...
Happier at Work
What would make workers happier? More money, of course! But perhaps surprisingly, a majority say that a higher salary is not the one change that would most improve their job satisfaction. This was revealed in the first CNBC/Survey Monkey Workplace Happiness Index...
In Search of Happiness
Happiness has been described as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful and worthwhile.” The key to this definition is that positive emotions do not indicate the absence of negative...
Building Workplace Resilience
Resilience – the ability to bounce back in the face of challenges – is crucial to combating stress, which recent studies have revealed as the most significant psychological hazard in the workplace. That’s according to Dr John Kearney, Director of Psychological...
Creating a Culture of Psychological Safety
There isn’t an industry, organization, team or person which hasn’t experienced some level of disruption or change in recent times. Nobody is immune to it: shifting organizational priorities, mergers, adopting new technologies or changing processes to suit your global...
Winter Working Blues
According to new research from Canada Life Group Insurance over half (55%) of workers under 30 yoa are more stressed than usual during the winter months, compared to half (49%) of all employees. One in three (29%) younger workers are also more likely to be depressed...
Can Corporate Social Responsibility Boost Wellness
Today’s workforce is becoming increasingly aware of how both they and their organisation impact the world around them; according to a survey of 540 full-time employees by market insight organisation Clutch in December 2018, 93% see high ethical standards as either...
Bad Boss
The path to becoming a well respected boss is a notoriously precarious one. Being able to encourage a healthy work/life balance in employees, making them feel valued and trying to keep everyone engaged is a tough ask for any manager. So, what are the signs of a...
DANISH WORKERS HAPPIEST IN THE WORLD
You will often see Denmark listed as one of the “happiest countries on the planet.” Interestingly Danes are not only happy at home, they’re also happy at work, and according to most studies of worker satisfaction among nations, the happiest employees in the world are...
Stretching at your Desk
https://youtu.be/KBaSGF6kYqw
Five Signs of Burn Out
Burnout is a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. When suffering from it, you are unable to function effectively on a personal or professional...
Is your workplace culture toxic?
The larger an organisation becomes, the more likely it is for the workplace to become toxic, according to a report by HR services firm Paychex. In a study on workplace toxicity, Paychex interviewed more than 1,000 employees about the factors they found most...
Sleep Meditation Video
https://youtu.be/6DScEC_UKKc
Workplace Harassment & Bullying Tips
We all need to speak up and take a stand against workplace harassment and bullying of any kind. Here are some things we can do when we experience or witness inappropriate behaviour at work: Take responsibility. Assume responsibility for not only your own health and...
Guided Meditation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra8199F1Vfc&t=71s
PROMOTING POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE
Work has an important role in fostering positive mental health. Promoting mental health and wellbeing should add value and uplift the overall workplace, and research has shown that promoting wellbeing is positively correlated to work performance. Many workplaces now...
Working Women & Mental Health
New research from SuperFriend found that working Australian women are far more likely than men to experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. Moreover, the report found that women were feeling less positive than men about their workplace. Only 10% felt...
Workplace Policy
A workplace policy is a set of rules and principles that aims to guide managers and workers in how to behave in the workplace. You can have them in place for numerous different issues – bullying, harassment, internet use, health and safety and social media are just a...
Fatigue & Sleep Management Video
Listen to Prof. Drew Dawson - Talk about Managing Fatigue https://youtu.be/ZrowMZGbcvY
Employee assistance programs in Australia
Abstract Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are employee services that assist in managing a range of issues. This paper posits that in order to ascertain the effectiveness of EAPs, it is critical to identify their purpose and how EAPs are embedded and utilised in...
What Employees Worry about Most
In 2018, Business.org partnered with Lux to conduct a study on workplace fears. The study surveyed 100 people from each US state—for a total of 5,000 participants—about what work-related issues concern them most. The Most Widespread Workplace Fears Three fears...
EAP Assist – Duty of Care Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgV_MRI8nuQ&list=PLFKOF6CH6gZ1WHM-eU7fm7XVR-tOM87bS
Mental Health Toolkits for Employers
Self Assessment Toolkit for Employers Domestic Abuse A Toolkit for Employers Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Toolkit for Employers Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Healthier Weight Toolkit for Employers Sleep and Recovery Toolkit
Dealing with a Difficult Boss – Worksheet
Objective To identify the problems you are having with your boss and to identify realistic strategies to reduce your related stress. You Should Know A study by Life Meets Work found that 56 percent of workers claim their boss is mildly or highly toxic. Another study,...
Dealing with a Difficult Co-Worker – Worksheet
Objective To identify the things that co-workers do that make your work life difficult and to identify better ways to deal with these problems. You Should Know Nearly every workplace has people who can be difficult to work with. You might have to deal with a bully, an...
Australian Workplace Mental Health Stats
Work-related mental health conditions take a huge toll on worker health & productivity, with the negative impact felt by individuals themselves, their families & colleagues. Work pressure, work related harassment or bullying, & exposure to workplace or...
Wellbeing at Work
https://vimeo.com/186216961
Building Personal Resiliance
https://youtu.be/pS5H7VfkuPk
Workplace Wearable Technology
As part of our ongoing commitment to the health & wellbeing of all employees EAP Assist is making workplace Smart Bands available & affordable. Smart Band health, fitness & wellbeing technology has been shown to effectively help prevent illness &...
Protection & Physical Safety
https://youtu.be/LStU2G4JBus
Psychological Protection
https://youtu.be/Y8NQcUYkcWw
Balance
https://youtu.be/n_8b2-Dnctw
Engagement
https://youtu.be/5tAHnv8Iz4o
Workload Management
https://youtu.be/eaNaYw9RjFE
Involvement & Influence
https://youtu.be/QhpwGpKjGOk
Recognition & Reward
https://youtu.be/IoL8e44qd4A
Growth & Development
https://youtu.be/1-ayikvxCXE
Psychological Demands
https://youtu.be/i5xQ0hdaOVg
Civility & Respect
https://youtu.be/dMIcbVOWvQ8
Clear Leadership & Expectations
https://youtu.be/MH3gWoGrfyA
Psychological & Social Support
https://youtu.be/tIAIwSx19SU
Organizational Culture
Whiteboard animation video on psychological health & safety in the workplace. https://youtu.be/NJia_p0c3BY
Exercise Your Mood
The physical benefits of exercise are well known but research shows that even regular low impact exercise can improve your mood and lower the symptoms of mild-moderate depression and anxiety. Please watch youtube video below:...
Stress on the Brain
New research suggests that stress can literally shrink your brain. Middle-aged people with high levels of the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol also perform worse on memory tests than those with average levels of the hormone. Professor Sudha Seshadri, who led the study, said:...
Four More New Digital Services
EAP Assist has introduced a further four new technology driven digital programs free for members providing research based on-demand prompt, accessible & flexible support imcluding: A Mental Health Wellbeing Program, A Dietary, Exercise & Alcohol Program, An...
Five New Digital Services
EAP Assist has introduced five new technology driven digital programs free for members providing research based on-demand prompt, accessible & flexible support: A Mental Health Wellbeing Program, A Dietary, Exercise & Alcohol Program, An Anger Management &...
Yoga at Your Desk
https://youtu.be/tAUf7aajBWE
The Social & Economic Benefits of Improving Mental Health
Inquiry into the economic impacts of mental ill-health Background In 2014-15, four million Australians reported having experienced a common mental disorder. Mental health is a key driver of economic participation and productivity in Australia, and hence has the...
Reasons to Quit
Research asking employees why they left their workplace cited poor management as the top reason, accounting for 75% of voluntary turnover. And that’s not all, reasons vary by generation with 50% of millennials stating burnout as the reason to quit and 35% of boomers...
Staff Retention
For HR professionals it’s crucial to understand what drives different segments of employees to consider jumping ship, even if they’re happy – or worse, stay even when they’re not happy – and what it takes to keep a diverse talent pool engaged and performing at their...
Mobile Stress
Mobile phones make us feel as though we are more productive and can get things done quickly when the evidence shows they reduce our ability to be productive. Also, recent research from Munich shows that the more you use your mobile phone, the lower your overall...
A Guide to understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Learn about PTSD PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after a trauma, or life-threatening event. A traumatic event could be something that happened to your loved one, or something they saw happen to someone else. Types of traumatic events that can...
Suicide Stats
Despite ongoing work to improve suicide prevention efforts in Australia, there has been no significant reduction in the suicide rate over the last decade. In 2015, there were 3027 deaths by suicide, or an average of eight deaths by suicide each day. Approximately 75%...
Mediterranean Diet Reduces Depression
New research from studies on tens of thousands of people around the world suggests that a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, fruits and fish could lower depression risk by up to a third. The Mediterranean Diet is also linked to reduced inflammation in the body....
Mental Health Care Tips
Much evidence shows that most of us are better off mentally and physically when we're employed and that striking the right balance of work, rest and play in a supportive workplace is the best bet. Regardless of whether your stress is due to an insurmountable workload,...
Workplace Wellness Strategies
Data compiled by the Workplace Mental Health Institute indicates that stress-related workers’ compensation claims are costing the economy over $10 billion every year while work pressure, harassment and bullying accounts for around 75% of all psychological injury...
Enhancing Self-Esteem Strategies
There are lots of reasons why people might have low self-esteem, but most of the time the roots go back to childhood and the view that you might have internalized as a result of criticism or negative messages you heard and, perhaps, believed (and still believe). Maybe...
Why Anxiety in the Workplace Matters
Globally, anxiety disorders are the sixth-leading cause of disability (defined by years of life lived with disability), with greater rates of disability occurring in females and in people aged 15 to 34 years (Baxter et al., 2014; Hendriks et al., 2014). Anxiety...
Surviving Trauma
We don’t survive trauma as a result of conscious decision-making. At the moment of life threat, humans automatically rely upon survival instincts. Our five senses pick up the signs of imminent danger, causing the brain to “turn on” the adrenaline stress response...
Employers’ Proactive Approach to Domestic Violence
No business is immune to the effects of domestic violence, but organizations can take action to protect their employees while minimizing their risk. The effects of domestic violence are not limited to victims with at least 44% of those who work with a victim of...
Goal Setting for SMART Choices
Goals define your life whether they are unconscious or conscious. They shape your relationships, your education, what you want to achieve at work and how you approach life. Setting goals can give you a picture of how you would like your life to be. In order for you to...
Workplace Complaints
Informal workplace complaints are unfortunately something that managers have to handle on a regular basis: whether it's an employee letting off steam and having a whinge about their colleagues or something more serious that an employee just wants to get off their...
Better Sleep
We all know that quality sleep is essential for health. Sleep is the prime time for our bodies to clean house, repair, rejuvenate, and even burn fat. When was the last time you popped out of bed feeling rejuvenated? Whether it is getting to sleep or staying asleep,...
Metaphors to Manage Worrying
Many people spend a lot of time and energy trying to get rid of their upsetting thoughts and worries. The newest research in helping people who are overwhelmed by their worries and intrusive thoughts is to encourage people to stop trying to get rid of them. This may...
Workplace Wellness Strategies
Data compiled by the Workplace Mental Health Institute indicates that stress-related workers’ compensation claims are costing the economy over $10 billion every year while work pressure, harassment and bullying accounts for around 75% of all psychological injury...
Signs of an impending Panic Attack
The two main bodily symptoms of a panic attack are breathing too fast and an increased heart rate. These symptoms can begin up to an hour before a panic attack, although people often do not notice them until the last moment. One of the best ways of dealing with a...
Wellness Breaks from Work
Wellness and self-care may seem like the buzzwords of the moment, but it is true that we are leading lives that seem more and more demanding on our physical and emotional wellbeing. Though we try to resist it, it is a struggle to sometimes keep up with modern...
Five Apps to Help Reduce Stress
Increased stress has been connected to everything from headaches, muscle tension and sleep problems to overeating, drug and alcohol abuse and depression. And all of those things can rob you of your mental clarity and general quality of life. There are a variety of...
Rising Mental Health Compensation Claims
While workplace injuries and deaths are decreasing, more compensation claims for mental health issues are being made. The economic cost of work-related injury and disease has been estimated by Safe Work Australia as $61.8 billion per annum for the 2012-13 financial...
Dying from Job Stress
A recently published paper in the Lancet involving a 14-year observational study of more than 100,000 people looked two types of work stress: job strain (having high work demands and low control over them) and effort–reward imbalance (putting in lots of effort but...
Family Violence Affects Workplaces
The Human Rights Commission has estimated that violence from an intimate partner affects one in six Australian female workers. Therefore, at some point employers will encounter an employee who has experienced family violence. Evidence shows that support provided by...
Workplace Sexual Harassment Statistics
Statistics from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s emanating from a 2018 national survey of 10,000 Australians representative of the working population found: 43% of respondents reported having experienced sexual harassment at some point in their lifetime on the...
Positive Workplace Culture around Death
Don’t shy away from the conversation Don’t avoid the staff member and don’t avoid yourself. If it causes you to have a reaction, you need to notice that and respond. Start a conversation, maybe by asking how the funeral was. People ask about weddings all the time,...
Retaining Employees
In this ultra-competitive recruitment and hiring environment, retaining current employees is a critical component of firm success. Not only is a low turnover rate good for the bottom line, but it also means you are creating and building upon a firm foundation for the...
Brief Screening Measure of Posttraumatic Stress
If you have experienced a traumatic incident in the recent past please answer the following questions with a Yes or No response: Do you avoid being reminded of the experience by staying away from certain places, people or activities? Have you lost...
Social Media Misbehaviour
It is likely that many, if not all, of your employees, use social media. Many of their profiles will have references to their job somewhere on their page or throughout their account history. Often, employees positively use social media, however, some employees may...
Depression: A Costly Condition for Business
Why are more employers focusing on workplace mental health? Because they recognize it is costly to ignore. Depression costs employers billions each year in lost productivity. About half of employees with depression are untreated. Yet with proper treatment, people with...
How can I cure my depression & anxiety?
How can I cure my depression & anxiety? This article was recently published on Quora & contains many practical suggestions. I was clinically depressed for more than half a decade. Even in the midst of phenomenal business success and achieving a life beyond my...
Avoiding Unfair Dismissal Claims
As an employer you should try to avoid unfair dismissal claims. You may be liable under the Fair Work Act if an employee’s dismissal is held to be “harsh, unjust or unreasonable” by the Fair Work Commission. This will involve being involved in a stressful and...
Unfair Dismissal
Unfair Dismissal is when an employee is dismissed from their job in a harsh, unjust or unreasonable manner. The employee’s dismissal must not be a case of genuine redundancy and not inconsistent with the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code (which applies only where the...
Tired at Work
A National Safety Council survey report recently released found 69% of employees – many of whom work in in safety-critical industries – are tired at work, increasing the risk of injuries and incidents on the job. The report summarizes the results of two national...
Grounding Techniques
Grounding techniques are a set of tools used to assist individuals to stay in the present moment during episodes of intense anxiety or other over-whelming emotions. Staying in the present moment allows people to feel safe and in control by focusing on the physical...
Workplace Mental Health
We spend most of our waking weekday hours at work as well as potentially spending more time with our workmates and clients than we do with our own families and friends. It's important that we feel mentally healthy, safe and valued at work, so we can perform at our...
Burnout
Prolonged exposure to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job will increase the likelihood of burnout. Employers who see once highly engaged employees experiencing exhaustion, cynicism and inefficiency should beware that those employees may soon...
Anxiety Disorders
Craske, M. G. et al. Anxiety disorders. Nat. Rev. Dis. Primers 3, 17024 (2017). Abstract Anxiety disorders constitute the largest group of mental disorders in most western societies and are a leading cause of disability. The essential features of anxiety disorders are...
Workplace Mediation
Mediation is a process by which employs a neutral third party called a mediator. This person helps people in conflict negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. The parties to the mediation control the outcome. A mediator facilitates communication and promotes...
Co-Workers with Benefits
There are many studies highlighting the benefits of having friends in the workplace with one recent study indicating employees who have “best friends” at work are seven times more likely to feel engaged in their work and more likely to be satisfied with their lives....
Emotional Contagion Stress Test
Emotions humans express, other humans are able to catch, because we are designed to mimic others, with negative emotions such as stress, anxiety and depression being particularly contagious. There is a basic evolutionary reason for this behaviour. Humans are...
Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness
Stigma remains a major barrier to people with mental health issues, such as depression, getting help when they need it. This leads to conditions worsening, often along with job performance and many other aspects of life. There are effective ways to combat stigma and...
Workplace Stress Survey
A recent survey of almost 400 Australian workers asked: what are the most effective avenues through which one can combat harmful workplace stress? 84% said exercising more 78% said taking breaks during the day 63% said speaking to a manager or colleague 60% said...
Stress Kills Brain Cells
A recent article published in Scientific American reports on an animal study that shows that a single, socially stressful situation can destroy newly created neurons in the hippocampus, the brain region involved in memory and emotion. Although most of the brain stops...
K-10 – Screening Tool of Psychological Distress
The K10 is widely recommended as a simple measure of psychological distress. Answer the following ten questions using the scale below: None of the time A little of the time Some of the time Most of the time All of the time In the past 4 weeks, about how often...
Anger & Impulsivity
Anger is a useful emotion when used well. It can get you moving, stimulate you to be honest (say something you’ve been meaning to say), give you the energy to protect yourself or your values, to stand up for something. Used inappropriately, it can lead to aggression...
Quick Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation has been described as ‘a state of consciousness characterised by feelings of peace and release from tension, anxiety and fear’. The term is usually taken to mean either lack of muscle tension or lack of inner ‘mental tension’. It is now recognised that...
Mindfulness Treatment for Depression
Mindfulness is a of self-awareness training adapted from Buddhist mindfulness meditation. It has been adapted for use in treatment of depression, especially preventing relapse and for assisting with mood regulation. It has been described as a state of being in the...
Work is Killing Me
Recent research from the USA named homicide as the third most common cause of death in the workplace, sitting below falls and roadway collisions with other vehicles. The research into murder in the workplace, also know as “red collar crime”, found that approximately...
Ask a Co-worker – R U OK?
ASK R U OK? Be relaxed, friendly and concerned in your approach. Help them open up by asking questions like "How are you going?" or "What’s been happening?" Mention specific things that have made you concerned for them, like "You seem less chatty than usual. How are...
Depression Screening Tool (K-10)
The K-10 is a simple checklist aims to measure whether you may have been affected by depression and anxiety during the past four weeks. The higher your score, the more likely you are to be experiencing depression and/or anxiety. Please answer the following questions...
Depression
What is depression? Depression is one of the most common and serious of the mood disorders which interferes with a person’s mood (the internal emotional state of a person). Today saying "I'm depressed" is as common as saying "I have a cold". Depression can make...
Exercising away Depression
Depression is one of the most common, and most stigmatized, illnesses of our time. Emerging research finds even more evidence that exercise can help ward off depression in some people. Exercise is one of those recommendations everybody loves to dish out. It’s easy to...
Supportive Managers Combat Employee Depression
A new study suggests that employees struggling with depression take less time off from work if they receive support and help from their managers. Many people suffer depression at some point during their working lives. But they often don't disclose their condition or...
Corporate Culture – Why it Matters
Corporate culture is made up of behaviour, ideas, actions and beliefs that determine how employees feel and act, how the company’s employees work together and how the staff is treated, regarded and respected. It is sometimes described as the personality of the...
Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying is a common occurrence in Australian workplaces, and has important implications for the well-being of employees, and productivity of organisations. In Australia it is estimated that 5 – 7% of employees have experienced recent workplace bullying...
Positive Employee Experience Drives Business Performance
The ‘Employee Experience’ has five major dimensions: Belonging – feeling part of a team, group, or organization Purpose – understanding why one’s work matters Achievement – a sense of accomplishment in the work that is done Happiness – the pleasant feeling arising in...
Email Incivility
Rude emails come your way most days. They may not be blatantly “rude”, but they are rude in the sense that they annoy you one way or another. Either the sender is demanding things from you quickly, or interrupting you when you want peace and quiet, or they are poor...
Ergonomic Tips for Workstations & Chairs
What is Ergonomics? “Ergonomics” is a word being used more frequently, as companies become aware of the importance of safety and comfort. Ergonomics is the science of how human physical abilities and limitations interact with the layout and properties of the...
Winter Blues
A longitudinal study examining the patterns of depressive symptomology demonstrated that individuals with depression tended to report elevated symptoms during winter. So if you often experience low mood during this time, you are definitely not alone. What causes us to...
Bad Boss Index
TOP 10 BAD BOSS BEHAVIORS Takes credit for your work Doesn’t appear to trust or empower you Doesn’t appear to care if you're overworked Doesn’t appear to advocate for you when it comes to monetary compensation Hires and/or promotes the wrong people Doesn’t back you up...
Five Ways to Build Corporate Wellness
Create well designed, inspiring workplaces 66% of employees still rate the office as the most productive place to get work done, even with all of the remote workforces. But sadly, many workers describe their workspaces as being less than inspiring. The majority of...
R U Depressed?
The checklist below will help you to discuss with someone you trust your feelings of possibly being depressed. Recognizing early warning signs may assist in finding finding the support that’s needed to help overcome depression. Please also know that if you are...
Drug & Alcohol Testing in the Workplace
While drug testing, as a means of managing alcohol and other drug related risks in the workplace is a valuable tool, is has a number of significant limitations. Including: a positive test for alcohol and other drugs is not in itself evidence of impairment of ability...
An Employees’ Workplace Plan
A workplace plan is a document that helps an employee identify what may be needed to be successful at their job. It is not a legal contract but a request from an employee to an employer asking for reasonable changes that will allow the employee to be successful at...
Well-Being Index (WHO 5)
The World Health Organization (5) is self-reported validated measure of current mental well-being which can be used as a quick Mental Health Screening Check-Up for your staff. Individuals with low scores maybe identified for the provision of further mental health...
WORKPLACE TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS
Early intervention is simple and cost effective Initial support after a critical incident is normally limited to education, brief emotional support and ‘psychological first aid’. Psychological first aid includes actions to help people feel safe and calm, connected to...
Anger Management at Work
The cost of workplace aggression in Australia is said to amount to around $3 billion annually. Workplace anger happens when people are unable to contain their anger in a workplace environment. Workplace anger includes inappropriate behaviour such as: yelling pushing...
Workplace Drug Safety
A recent United Nations report on worldwide drug use showed that, per capita, Australia has the highest rates of dangerous and illicit drug use in the world. In effect, Australians are the world’s highest users of Ecstasy, Ice and Cannabis. Key facts about alcohol and...
Workplace Stress on the Rise
A recent Australian study reported that Australian workplaces are expected to become more stressful in the future. The study found that: 76% of Australian CFOs believe the stress levels of their staff will increase over the next three years The top three causes of...
Busy or Not?
Are your employees as busy as they say? These tools will help you measure how workers spend their time and how many tasks they’re really juggling. You’ve probably had to deal with at least some of your employees or colleagues telling you how busy they are. It could be...
Workplace Psychological Health & Safety Considerations
A psychologically safe workplace is no longer something that is simply nice to do, it is increasingly becoming a legal imperative. Changes in labour law, occupational health and safety, employment standards, workers compensation, the contract of employment, tort law,...
Four Ways to Foster Employees’ Mental Health
Stress management Some stress is normal, but when it becomes chronic and unmanaged, it can be debilitating. This not only hurts employee well-being but also costs employers a lot in lost productivity. 33% of workers indicate that they always, often or sometimes miss...
Workplace Design – Air, Light & Colour
The right environment for staff can have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing as well as on their job satisfaction and productivity levels. Physical design can affect our mental health and happiness. For example, research has shown that air quality and...
Workplace Loneliness
Loneliness in the workplace is on the rise and is proving detrimental to worker well-being and bad for business. Nearly 75% of Australians experience loneliness. For many it’s not an occasional occurrence but a persistent problem, with one-third saying that they feel...
Canine Company
A recent study from a Japanese university has reported that the bond between dogs and owners is similar to the bond of a mother and new baby. The researchers found that just by looking at each other, humans and dogs experience a spike in the “Happy Hormone” or...
Reducing the Risks from Alcohol
In Australia alcohol is a significant risk factor for injury and ill health, violence, crime, family breakdown, road accidents, loss of productivity in workplaces and death. Many people seem to understand how much alcohol they can drink to remain under the legal...
Workplace Policy – Addressing Alcohol & Drugs
With alcohol and other drugs forming such a central part of our day to day life, it’s not surprising that they have a significant impact on our workplaces. $6 billion dollars each year is the estimated cost of alcohol and other drugs to businesses – a significant...
Understanding Depression
Depression is a serious mental health concern where sadness or a sense of emptiness is prolonged for weeks, months or even years, interfering with our daily life and relationships. Signs and symptoms of depression can be both physical or emotional. These may include:...
Employees’ Psychological Protection & Employers’ Responsibility
Psychological Protection is present in a work environment where employees’ psychological safety is ensured. Workplace psychological safety is demonstrated when workers feel able to put themselves on the line, ask questions, seek feedback, report mistakes and problems...
Addressing Psychological Support in the Workplace
The list below contains actions that you can take to respond to actual or potential concerns related to Psychological Support in the workplace. Many of these actions have been found to be effective in research studies, recommended as best practices or have been found...
Psychological Support in the Workplace
What are Psychosocial Factors? Psychosocial factors are elements that impact employees’ psychological responses to work and work conditions, potentially causing psychological health problems. Psychosocial factors include the way work is carried out (deadlines,...
Sleep Recommendations for Optimal Work Performance
Sleep is essential for optimal health. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Sleep Research Society (SRS) developed a consensus recommendation for the amount of sleep needed to promote optimal health in adults. Findings: Adults should sleep 7 or more hours...
Overexertion – A Leading Cause of Injury
Overexertion continues to be a leading cause of injury over all age groups. It was the second leading reason, after falls, that adults age 25-64 ended up a hospital emergency department. Overexertion causes 35% of all work-related injuries and is by far the largest...
Seven Stress Management Strategies
Set clear boundaries for yourself Think about separating yourself physically from the stressed-out person until he or she has a chance to calm down or vent to someone else. If they must vent to you, email or phone is more manageable than being in someone’s presence...
How to Motivate Employees
Highly motivated employees tend to be more productive, better skilled and more willing to grow and learn when compared to their unengaged counterparts. But one of the hardest things to do when stepping in to a leadership role is figuring out what you can do as a...
Drugs at Work
Up to 2 million Australians are living with a substance use disorder with 75% of those struggling with addiction to alcohol, pain medication, marijuana and other substances are employed. Workers with substance use disorders miss nearly 50% more work days than their...
Managing Workplace Fatigue Risks
Fatigue describes feelings of tiredness, reduced energy and increased effort needed to perform tasks at a desired level. It decreases a worker’s ability to think clearly, make informed decisions and be a safe and productive worker. Fatigue affects every workforce....
Managing Shift Work Risk
Shift-work challenges people to work and sleep in opposition to their circadian rhythm, also known as the body clock. Sleeping during the day often reduces both the quantity and quality of sleep. Working at night requires pushing past fatigue to remain alert and...
Workplace Mental Health Summit
A recent comprehensive summit examining mental health in the workplace recommend establishing healthy company cultures that prevent work-related stress and support the identification and treatment of mental illness. Building cultures of health at the workplace should...
Mental Health & Violence at Work
Violent, threatening or harassing behaviour should never be acceptable in the workplace. Having effective and enforceable policies in place can be a first step to preventing violence in workplaces. Fear about employee violence when mental illness is a factor is often...
What Is Stress
The dictionary definition of stress is mental, emotional or physical strain or tension caused by things such as anxiety or overwork. Mostly we think of stress as a bad thing, but we need some stress to stimulate us into action. Stress is a normal and natural part of...
Managing Conflict at Work
Suggestions when looking to resolve conflict with others at work: Understanding your own needs Conflict is often the result of unmet needs. Some examples of needs at work are recognition, fairness, understanding, security, predictability and balance. Try to understand...
Heavy use of Social Media linked to Mental Illness
The British Mental Health Foundation recently reported that around 25% of British adults have been diagnosed at some point in time with a psychiatric disorder, costing the economy an estimated 4.5% of GDP annually. Such illnesses have many causes, but a growing body...
Separation & Divorce affects Children
Separation and divorce happens often, close to 40% of relationships eventually end up in separation or divorce within 15-years. Separation and divorce is stressful to children and youth for many reasons. Their family, as they know it, is changing profoundly, and they...
Grief & Bereavement
What is Grief? Grief is the normal response of sadness and other feelings that come from losing someone close to you. Feeling grief is a natural part of life, because at some point, we will all face the loss of a loved one. Bereavement is the period after a loss...
Managing Anger
Anger and Positive Change ANGER is an emotion that tells us someone or something has interfered with our goals, gone against us or wronged us in some way. Anger can make us feel like defending ourselves, attacking or getting revenge. Everyone experiences anger from...
Problem Gambling
Gambling involves any activity in which a person takes the chance of losing money or belongings and when winning or losing is decided mostly by chance. Gambling is a common activity in our society. Common forms of gambling include buying lottery tickets, playing poker...
Addressing Alcohol Use
Many people who drink moderately put themselves and others at risk of alcohol-related harms. These people often believe that only “alcoholics,” people who are dependent on alcohol, cause car accidents or bar brawls. They believe that because they are not dependent...
Food for Mood at Work & Elsewhere
Knowing what foods we should and shouldn’t be eating can be really confusing, especially when it feels like the advice changes regularly. Evidence suggests that as well as affecting our physical health, what we eat may also affect the way we feel. Improving your diet...
How the Internet Interferes with Time Management
Five things that can happen to you when you use the Internet and how they impact upon your ability to manage time: Altered sense of time. Using the Internet appears to distort our sense of time. In studies where people have been asked to perform an online task and...
Depression – Tips for Coping at Work
Problem Solving Most of the stress we encounter at work can actually be traced to worrying or being upset about things we can’t control. This leaves us with less time, energy and focus to put to work to solve real issues. How you frame problems and plan to tackle them...
Depression – Taking Care of Yourself
Depression is a chronic disease, meaning that it is persistent, and repeated episodes can occur over time. But it’s also a manageable disease. As is the case with other chronic conditions such as diabetes or asthma, treatment focuses on taking daily steps to lessen...
Depression – A Workplace Issue
WHAT IS DEPRESSION? Depression is a real illness that impacts the brain. Anyone suffering from depression will tell you, it’s not imaginary or “all in your head.” Depression is more than just feeling “down.” It is a serious illness caused by changes in brain...
Substance Abuse – A Workplace Concern
WHY DO PEOPLE ABUSE ALCOHOL AND DRUGS? People use substances like alcohol, tobacco, prescription or over-the counter medications, or illicit drugs (such as marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine or heroin) in an attempt to alter the way they feel. Initially, substance...
Workplace Alcohol Issues
Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive (mood-changing) recreational drug in Australia. Alcohol-related problems can be present in almost every workplace. Below we look at some of the ways that alcohol can impact on your work and your workplace and outlines some...
Alcohol & Drugs at Work
5% of Australian workers have admitted working under the influence of alcohol, enhancing the likelihood of injury or death. Some workplace sectors, and workplace cultures, may increase levels of risky alcohol consumption. Industries such as construction, financial...
Grief & Loss in the Workplace
Ways to support a grieving employee at the time of a loss: Acknowledging and saying something simplesuch as "I'm sorry for your loss" Avoidingclichés such as: You'll get over it or It's for the best Attending the funeralor service. Sending a card or flowerson behalf...
Generosity can make us Happy
Recent psychological research findings indicate that a small amount of generosity towards others makes people happier. Even just promising to be more generous was enough to trigger changes in our brain that lead to greater feelings of happiness. Brain scans revealed...
Diet may help Reduce the Risk of Depression
The recent study which surveyed over 400 people aged 18 to 25 about their dietary habits and mental health found that eating raw fruits and vegetables is linked to better mental health. The research suggested that people eating raw fruit and vegetables were at lower...
Women Talking About Mental Health
The following findings were the result of 1,300 women surveyed on how mental health issues—theirs or a colleague’s—impact their careers and workplace happiness. 30% of women said that things like depression and anxiety are affecting their performance on the job. 28%...
OH&S Top 10 violations for 2017
Employers are encouraged to examine this list to ensure that their workplace is safe. Fall Protection Hazard Communication Scaffolding Respiratory Protection Lockout/Tagout Ladders Powered Industrial Trucks Machine Guarding Fall Protection Electrical – Wiring...
25 Steps to a Safer Office
Falls: Slips, trips and falls are the most common type of office injury. Stay clutter-free Boxes, files and various items piled in walkways can create a tripping hazard. Be certain that all materials are safely stored in their proper location to prevent build-up of...
Successful Workplace Health & Wellbeing Program
Gain Leadership A successful health promotion program starts with a commitment from company leaders, and its continued success depends on ongoing leadership support at all levels of the organization, including middle managers. Measure VOI not Just ROI Successful...
Five steps to effective Workplace Wellbeing
The health and wellbeing of employees is suffering with up to 87% of the world’s workers reporting being disengaged and a sedentary office culture being linked to lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. This five-step checklist can guide...
Emotional Agility in the Workplace
Emotional agility is marked by an individual’s ability to experience their thoughts, emotions and experiences in a way that doesn’t drive them in negative ways, but instead encourages them to reveal the best of themselves. This is an essential skill in the complex...
Stress at Work
Spot signs of stress: Poor sleep and impaired performance Irritability and a tendency to be overwhelmed Interpersonal conflict and grievances Frequent absence being used to manage stress Low engagement and job satisfaction Frequent accidents or mistakes How to...
Ageism in the Workplace
Nearly one third of Australians perceived some form of age-related discrimination while employed or looking for work, starting as early as 45 years of age, with men and young people being more likely to exhibit ageism. Among people under thirty years of age, ageist...
Trauma – Dealing with Reactions
There are a wide variety of positive reactions that survivors can experience during and immediately after a traumatic event. Negative reactions may include: ■ Intrusive reactions ■ Distressing thoughts or images of the event while awake or dreaming ■ Upsetting...
Sugar linked to Anxiety & Depression
There has been increasing evidence that sugar damages our physical health. A recent study suggests that this may also be true of our mental health, finding that men who consumed over 67g of sugar per day increased their risk of developing mental health disorders like...
Risk Factors for Suicide
Thoughts of suicide are a common symptom of mood disorders 80% percent of suicides are carried out by individuals suffering from a depressive illness 50 to 80% percent of seniors who commit suicide have a history of major depression Women suffering through a...
Sleep Deprivation & Work Performance
Sleep deprivation is a serious workplace issue and becomes even more of a concern if employees are doing things like operating vehicles, working with heavy machinery or providing medical care. Recent research has found evidence that sleep isn’t just a “nice to have,”...
Mindfulness – A Means of Coping
‘Mindfulness’ means paying attention to the present moment. Practising mindfulness can help you cope with everyday life and deal with tough times. Here are some different strategies you can use to build mindfulness, plus tips on what to do if you’re finding it hard....
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Techniques
Why progressive muscle relaxation is useful Progressive muscle relaxation is an important way to reduce stress and anxiety. When you feel stressed out or anxious, or if you have an anxiety disorder, you often develop really tight muscles. The good news is by learning...
Job Interview – Five Suggestions
Dress to impress What you wear to a job interview makes a strong first impression – good or bad! Don’t panic, you don’t need to buy a suit if you’re after a job at the local supermarket. Just make sure you have an outfit that is neat, simple and conservative. Avoid...
How to Write a Great Resume
Your resume (sometimes called your "CV") is your most important tool when applying for a job. It doesn't matter how qualified you are, or how much experience you have - if your resume is poorly presented or badly written, you're going to have trouble getting the job...
Self-Help Strategies for Depression
There are things you can do to help improve your mood. You might not notice a difference straight away but practising these skills each day can help overcome the ‘cycle’ of depression, where feeling bad about yourself leads you to doing less and feeling worse: Track...
Helping Employees to Manage their Money
Many employees find themselves experiencing financial difficulties for a variety of reasons, including poor budgeting skills. They will then sometimes turn to a financial support service, which often places them under further financial stress. A free alternative is a...
Employers Role in Preventing Domestic Violence
In Australia one in six women have experienced violence at the hands of a current or former partner. Domestic violence is estimated to cost the Australian economy $21.7 billion a year. 94% of employees agree that employers should take a leadership role in educating...
The Anti-Bullying Jurisdiction – Fair Work Commission
Bullying in the workplace has an undeniable financial and personal cost for the victims. Workplace bullying affects businesses, bystanders and even those who may be accused of the unreasonable conduct. The risk of experiencing mental health issues is increased when...
Four Employer Benefits of Business Mentoring
Set a Leadership Example “The boss is mentoring John Smith on his presentation skills, I wish it was me”. Employees talk amongst themselves and good news travels fast setting the tone for workplace morale. Employees are also making conclusions about the type of leader...
Dealing with Emotions at Work
Plan for them When you know that you may become emotional, plan in advance how you will manage tears, frustration or anger in a way that preserves your dignity and well-being. Write it down When you write down your fears, hurts or concerns, they often lose...
Responding to Stress
Sometimes we are unable to choose what happens to us, but it may be possible to choose how we manage our response. When you are stressed the following may occur: Muscles tighten Heart beats faster Blood pressure rises Breathing becomes shallow Perspire more Jaw...
Self-Care & Self-Calming Techniques for Employees
Most of us spend a significant amount of time every day doing things to ensure our physical health but not so much time doing things to improve your mental health. By practicing self-care and self-calming you can develop a more positive attitude towards life, control...
Depression – A Costly Condition for Businesses
Depression costs Australian employers an estimated $4 billion each year in lost productivity. About half of employees with depression are untreated. Yet with proper treatment, people with depression can get better. The key is to help employees access effective care....
Practical Ways to Deal with Email Overload Stress
Email overload is a reality. We get more emails than we want, more emails than we need and more emails than we can handle. Each year we see study after study saying we are spending more and more time each day just handling emails with the average office worker now...
Strategies for Encouraging Workplace Flexibility
While employees know that they need to clock a certain number of hours to get their job completed how and where they spend that time often allows space for choice and flexibility. When employers foster autonomy they enable their employees to feel they have ‘agency’ in...
Workplace Flexibility
A 2017 workplace report examining employee benefits found that one perk stood out among the rest: workplace flexibility with employees demanding more autonomy and control over their working lives. 53% of employees said that a role that provides greater work-life...
Does Email Cause Anxiety?
There are many reasons employees may feel stressed at work – job insecurity, interpersonal conflict, lack of control over workflow, and so on. These require close attention, and perhaps a culture shift, but as an employer there’s one source of stress you can target...
Sleep – Key to Business Success
Sleep deprivation is linked to many health risks that make it nearly impossible for employees to bring their best selves to work. Sleep deficiency decreases productivity and increases absenteeism and presenteeism – the phenomenon where employees are present on the...
Electronic Devices Cause Stress & Sleeplessness
Electronic devices can cause stress and sleeplessness that affects working lives. The recent Waking up to the sleep problem research based on the responses of 97,000 employees in 33 industries and 139 countries warns employers that constant connectivity to mobile...
Anxiety & Mood Disorders
What is anxiety? Anxiety is a natural response to a stressful or dangerous situation. The body reacts to a situation with a racing heart, sweaty palms & shortness of breath. For those with an anxiety disorder, this reaction is more intense, occurs frequently &...
Bullying – Self Protection Strategies
Our mental and emotional wellbeing is likely to be affected when we perceive that we are the target of behaviour that could be described as bullying. These situations can also have a significant impact on our productivity and interactions with others. Yet sometimes it...
Workplace Bullying Processes & Procedures
Workplace Watch on harassment & bullying Ask employees to be watchful for harassment & bullying in the workplace. Ask employees to report the situation to their managers, providing as many details as possible. Reassure all employees that they should come...
Workplace Bullying Policy
Bullying in the workplace can impact an employee's psychological safety and the overall psychological health and safety of the workplace. Unaddressed aggression or unresolved conflicts among co-workers have the potential to escalate into a crisis in the workplace. A...
Relationship between Physical & Mental Health
Approximately one in five Australians aged 16-85 experience mental illness in any given year, with 45.5% experiencing a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime. Approximately one in five adult Australians are above the healthy weight range, have higher...
Employee Well-Being Checklist
Sometimes when we are struggling it's hard to step back and get a clear look at how we are doing. Here are questions you can ask yourself to help you get a picture of what's going on with you. If you find that you are agreeing with these statements you may want to...
Employee Self-Care Strategies
Creating and maintaining healthy daily habits involves: Finding out what daily habits contribute to your well-being Creating a plan that will help you maintain your healthy daily habits Staying active & doing things that you enjoy Being aware of your thoughts...
Resolving Conflict at Work
Ten things to think about when looking to resolve conflict with others at work: Understanding your own needs Conflict is often the result of unmet needs. Some examples of needs at work are recognition, fairness, understanding, security, predictability, balance, etc....
Managing Emotions at Work
When you know that you may become emotional plan in advance how you will manage tears, frustration or anger in a way that preserves your dignity and well-being. When you write down your fears, hurts or concerns, they often lose their power over you. Writing it down...
Christmas – A Time for Giving
Research indicates that over 80% of millennials want to work for a company that is a good corporate citizen & that more than 70% of all employees want their company to make a positive impact socially and environmentally. Donating to charities is currently...
Domestic Violence
Domestic & Family Violence - A Serious Workplace Issue In Australia Australia also has a range of federal, state and territory legislation that prohibits discrimination, as well as legislation which requires employers to create workplace environments that are safe...
Keeping Workplace Stress at Bay in the New Year
The following strategies came as the result of a recent study completed by research teams from La Trobe University and The University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Cognitive change/Analytic strategies If a worry comes into your head, ask yourself...
Signs of Depression in the Workplace
Depression can come in many forms. Often the person suffering from depression feels alone and isolated and may not realize their symptoms are serious. That’s why education about depression in the workplace is so important. Becoming aware of the signs like those below...
Survey of Workplace Health Priorities (2017)
The 2017 Workforce Health & Wellness Benefits survey was completed by 631 HR practitioners & other executives with the following summary of findings: 1. Increasing employee engagement is the top driver for offering wellbeing programs, including Employee...
Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying involves multiple, repeated, intentional acts of aggression, hostility, social isolation, or disrespect. These acts often happen in person but also can occur through email, text messaging, and social media. Between 15-19% of working adults are...
Paid Domestic Violence Leave
The Labour Party intends to insert 10 days paid domestic and family violence leave into the national employment standards if it wins the next federal election. In July this year The Fair Work Commission rejected the ACTU claim for 10 days paid domestic violence leave....
The Role of HR in Domestic Violence
This study sampled the views of 1,125 HR professionals from private and public-sector organisations around Australia and was conducted in April and May 2017. The study was conducted against a backdrop of estimated incidents of violent abuse by a current partner of...
Employees Engaged & Productive through Technology
Choose tools that bring employees together – no matter where they work. Most employees understand the importance of working together: according to Forrester research, 56% believe improved collaboration benefits their customers. Employees are also acutely aware of the...
WORKPLACE ANGER MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP
WORKPLACE ANGER MANAGEMENT – Part 1 Anger Diary Keep an Anger Diary to assist in developing personal skills to better manage current situations. Things to think about: Being aware of how your anger works is the first step to change. Anger has signals in our bodies,...
Employee Engagement
Employee Engagement - Part 1 Teaming The first and most important engager is creating a sense of ‘teaming’ – people who are dynamically able to come together to meet objectives. What this really speaks to is the psychological sense of belonging. If you...
Developing a Mentally Healthy Workplace
Developing a Mentally Healthy Workplace: Part 1 Mental health is an increasingly important topic in the workplace. It is estimated that, at any point in time, one in six working age people will be suffering from mental illness, which is associated with very high...
Coaching as a Leadership Approach
Coaching is increasing in popularity as a leadership approach with many Australian businesses adopting coaching as a preferred leadership style both with individuals and with teams. Equipping managers with basic coaching skills such as listening, questioning,...
Mindfulness Matters
‘Mindfulness’ means paying attention to the present moment. Practising mindfulness can help you cope with everyday life and deal with tough times. Here are some different strategies you can use to build mindfulness, plus tips on what to do if you’re finding it hard....
First Responders – A Framework for Mental Health & Well-being
First responders, such as police, paramedics and fire-fighters, are repeatedly exposed to distressing situations, violence, trauma and death. They can also face day-to-day workplace stresses, such as heavy workloads, tough shifts, sometimes discrimination and...
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Workplace
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that occurs in people who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events such as natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist incidents, war, or violent personal assaults. The disorder can be diagnosed...
Work – Life Balance
Here are some ways you can start to manage your work-life balance. Communication: Don’t bottle up your feelings if you are worrying that you are not spending enough time with your family. Talk to your partner, co-parent, colleagues and mates. Together you may come up...
Happy Relationships at Work
If you’re keen to take steps to shift your workplace into an environment that facilitates happy relationships, here are some tips to getting things started: Respect: Valuing your colleague’s input, ideas and capabilities are integral to a respectful relationship. With...
Employee Engagement
Employees today are more selective throughout their search process and demand a more well-rounded and fulfilling approach to work and life. They are looking for companies that address their needs to stay healthy, to know their work has meaning, to learn and grow and...
Family Support for Mental Illness
Mental illness affects around 20% of Australians every year as well as the families and friends of people affected. Many forms of mental illness first appear when the person is in their late teens or early twenties. Whether it is depression, anxiety or a less common...
Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
HOW SLEEP HELPS Sleep may seem like a waste of time. You could instead be answering e-mail, doing the dishes or repairing the deck. But research shows that you're more likely to succeed at your tasks—and enjoy greater well-being—if you get some good quality sleep. Of...
Some Relaxation Strategies for Managing Stress At Work
Stress is common in our working lives with up to 60% of workers reporting experiencing stress. When employees are stressed they won’t feel content with their work. Furthermore, the effects of stress have subsequent significant productivity loss costing Australian...
Addressing ‘Brain Drain’ with Phased & Flexible Retirement Strategies
The population is aging and so is the workplace potentially leaving employers with a skills and knowledge shortage. 'Brain drain' occurs when experienced employees exit the workforce, leaving a knowledge void behind. To ward off ‘brain drain’ employers may consider...
Creating Positive Learning Experiences Matters
In order to create a competitive organization employers need to firstly hire good people and then continue to develop their talents through ongoing training. Employees don't feel like their boss cares A new poll indicates that an overwhelming 72% of employees do not...
Volunteerism – A way to Boost Employee Engagement
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is more than just taking comfort in the knowledge that a company is a good community steward; employees want to work for businesses that have an impact — and they want to be active participants in those efforts. Research indicates...
Managing Stress at Work – Some Suggestions
Stress is common in our working lives with up to 60% of workers reporting experiencing stress. When employees are stressed they won’t feel content with their work. Furthermore, the effects of stress have subsequent significant productivity loss costing Australian...
Employment Agreement: Five essential terms to include:
An employment agreement is a legal agreement between employers and their employees which dictates the terms and conditions of the employer’s relationship with their employees. Set out the pay in an employment agreement. There are national minimum wages that must be...
Anxiety Disorders in the Workplace
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, being the sixth-leading cause of disability worldwide, with greater rates of disability occurring in females and in people aged 15 to 34 years, and are associated with a poorer quality of life compared to not...
Fatigue at Work
Fatigue describes the feelings of tiredness, sleepiness, reduced energy and increased effort needed to perform tasks at the desired level. Fatigue in the workplace can be caused by the time of day, sleep deprivation and time on task. Fatigue can cause a worker to...
Dealing with Children’s Trauma – Eap Assist Self Help Worksheet
Parental responses are very important in helping children cope with the aftermath of trauma. It is crucial not to be angry or blame the child. Keep communicating. Talk about what is happening and how the child is feeling. Reassure the child that they...
Dealing with Trauma – Eap Assist Self Help Worksheet
Dealing with Trauma - Eap Assist Self Help Worksheet Seek out support from understanding others around you. Talk about the traumatic experience as often as possible. Don’t be scared to express your emotions, such as crying. Participate in...
Staff Communications at Work
https://youtu.be/6LJCsJmydjI Today we are going to be talking about what managers should know about staff communications. Communication should instil a sense of mutual respect, understanding and support. When making requests state what you need directly in the...
Time Management at Work
https://youtu.be/UP0lX335P7U Today we are going to be talking about time management at work. Never commit to more work than you can actually accomplish. Focus on the most important task first. Don’t multitask as swapping between tasks takes up time. Only...
Workplace Injuries
https://youtu.be/i8Jkhvqc9Qs Today we are going to be talking about managing workplace injuries. When it comes to returning an injured employee to work employers have certain legal obligation. The employer must ensure return-to-work information is available to...
Collaborative Thinking in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/UoZma9WRKhA Today we are going to be talking about collaborative thinking in the workplace. For managers there is an inherent value in working together with others to share ideas, concepts or skills. Where possible split up your own role so...
Boost Workplace Productivity
https://youtu.be/HJyLjz643jc Today we are going to be talking about how to boost productivity in the workplace. Set up an email protocol to reduce the amount of time spent on unnecessary emails. Reduce the number and time spent in unnecessary procedural meetings....
Workplace Arguments
https://youtu.be/7r09-MtA040 Today we are going to be talking about workplace arguments. Don’t just focus on what you’re saying but also how you’re saying it, your choice of words and expressions. Keep your cool no matter what as well as be polite. Don’t argue...
Commuting to Work
https://youtu.be/XBl8_DgekZA Today we are going to be talking about the commuting to work. In Australian currently two million workers spend an average of 90 minutes a day commuting to and from work. Also the time it takes employees to commute to work is highly...
Meditation in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/vuscXhG1v14 Today we are going to be talking about the benefits of workplace meditation. Some research has suggested that meditation can reduce stress, make us more compassionate and boost self-confidence. Find in a quiet spot and give...
Relaxation Techniques in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/mUgPAzcx0KU Today we are going to be talking about five simple relaxation techniques to help manage stress at work. Breathe in deeply through your nose and hold for a few seconds and then exhale slowly through your mouth for four to five...
Workplace Loyalty
https://youtu.be/PAbadwaWHWg Today we are going to be talking about customer loyalty. Generally 80% of a company’s profits come from 20% of its customers. Research indicates that loyalty is not being influenced by price or duration but has much more to do with the way...
Managing Workplace Stress
https://youtu.be/sIb3T4oe0TM A recent study indicated that more than 50% of employers surveyed believed that their employer did not offer support to manage their workplace stress. 29% of respondents felt that long working hours was the main cause of their workplace...
Victims of Crime Compensation
https://youtu.be/vTmILaaCS3Q Employees who sustain an injury at work as the result of a violent crime may be entitled to access state government funded Crime Compensation. Victims of such crimes in Victoria may be entitled to up to $10,000 in Special Financial...
Workplace Influence
https://youtu.be/c7s2zxROnqw Influential leaders know how to get things done. They do this in a way that is highly consultative and collaborative. An effective leader knows they can’t do it alone and that they need each team member operating optimally. To achieve this...
Workplace Conflict
Employers should attempt to ‘mend fences’ as a first option before things get out of hand. Act immediately as conflicts don’t general go away by themselves. Meet with people involved in the conflict separately to get a clear understanding of the issues before you try...
Happiness Matters at Work
https://youtu.be/uDm0gIBoMWM Economists have shown that employees who are happy with their jobs are 12% more productive. Happiness should be viewed as a starting point and not an end-point. You should choose to be happy each day because of who you are and what...
Workplace Functions
https://youtu.be/Z1qzcU-EXtY With Christmas party season soon upon us employers need to ensure they have alcohol management policies in place and that these policies are known by all staff. If alcohol is to be consumed ensure that there is also plenty of low...
Trust in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/-YQxIEIeviw Recent research indicates that almost 50% of employees don’t trust their employer which can adversely affect workplace culture. Always be honest with your staff even when delivering bad news. Admit your mistakes and take...
Toxicity in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/Rl7BcBNBBME Often there is at least one toxic worker in the workplace who can poison the air for others. Workers should treat each other equally without contempt, intimidation or humiliation. Negativity including sarcasm and cynicism should be...
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/K5btyAs0j9I A recent study found that 30% of workers have experienced sexual harassment in the past 12 months. With the majority of incidents involving a senior manager or a colleague at peer level. 44% said that their organisation did nothing...
Workplace Mental Strength
https://youtu.be/9VRSHLblIoQ Take insurmountable goals and break them down into smaller ones. Visualize scenarios of success over and over in your head. Practice emotional control. Reframe external events in a positive light. Celebrate small victories. Remember...
Gambling in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/f7vLSts0kvE A recent report found that 25% of gamblers said that the activity affected their work resulting in reduced productivity and lower quality of work. When approaching the problem gamblers start by normalising the conversation. Express...
eap.org.au
Eap.Org (Inc) is the Peak Australian Body representing employers, practitioners & providers that use & deliver Employee Assistance Programs throughout Australia with the objective of delivering the most effective & efficient employee assistance services to...
Engaging Employees in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/wjgTL4B-q48 Managers and employees should establish goals together that clearly define desired behaviours and support organisational objectives. Managers need to stay in the loop on staff workload, concerns and successes, as well as...
Happiness in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/_wV9_369vTI Happiness often results from the pursuits and activities we engage in. People experience joy from giving so give your time, knowledge & experience freely to co-workers. Physical movement is also a great mood elevator so try to...
Confidence in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/s3U1FfAKfhk Challenge what you believe about yourself by making positive affirmations, such as “my contribution is important”. Build habits that result in improved self-esteem, such as reading or exercising daily. Step outside of your comfort...
Workplace Performance
https://youtu.be/BIB_L2jHmJY Engaging employees is the best way to ensure consistent performance and one of the easiest ways to get engaged workers is to listen to them. When employers listen to their workers they open their business up for innovation and growth. A...
Participation in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/esDSv3mnuE8 Listening to a variety of opinions from your workers will not only makes them feel more invested in the business, but it will also give you a greater field of view when tackling problems and challenges. Let your employees know that their...
Innovation in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/HofQWr009gI Research indicates that up to 80% of business grown now comes from innovation. Be proactive and continually check the pulse of your innovation programs. Ensure there are opportunities for rapid paced ideas to emerge and be converted to new...
Workplace Nightmares
https://youtu.be/D8RNLnGIN34 Do you experience repeated nightmares relating to traumatic workplace experiences? If so write this nightmare down as soon as you can. Then write a different ending to this nightmare so it no longer has a terrifying impact. Read this...
Insomnia in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/pUJDNxXP_YI Insomnia in the Workplace If you have trouble falling asleep due to worrying about workplace issues. Don’t stay in bed tossing and turning get up and do something relaxing, such as reading. Return to bed once you feel tired enough to fall...
Domestic Violence in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/7ZE-ATbHRoY In Australia domestic violence is the number one non-disease related cause of disability, injury and death for women aged between 15 and 44 years. As we spend so much time at work employers and colleagues are uniquely positioned to...
Workplace Safety
https://youtu.be/VwqYaEPl3hM In Australia in 2016 195 workers were fatally injured at work with on average two thirds of worker fatalities involving a vehicle. Employers need to invest in workplace safety training and on personal protective equipment. Attention...
Workplace Fatigue
https://youtu.be/ifEl8z9aHvM Australian Research indicates that poor alertness due to fatigue causes almost 10,000 serious workplace injuries each year. With half of the organisations surveyed believing their workers are more fatigued now than in previous years....
Workplace Burnout
https://youtu.be/dmv02MQkr-Y Listen to your employees to get to the heart of any problem. Immediately address practical concerns around tools or equipment. Be fair and address any perceived issues of injustice. Encourage employee to contribute to the...
Motivation in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/jknDBWmUrec Research suggests that around one third of staff do not put their best effort into their work. Ensure that employees understand their purpose in the business and that you trust and depend on them. Set regular...
Workplace Productivity
https://youtu.be/cC-HYyWrYlU Recent research suggests that we work better in shorter sprints rather than 8 hour marathons. Neuroscience is showing us that we have 90-minute attentiveness cycles during the day, just as we have 90-minute sleep cycles at...
Trauma in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/IPBj3_kicJs After a traumatic incident provide opportunities for employees to explore their thoughts and feelings about the incident. Encourage staff to express any intrusive memories as often as possible. Also encourage employees to address feelings...
Measuring Alcohol Use
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) 1. How often to do have a drink containing alcohol? Never Monthly 2-4 times monthly 2-3 times weekly 4+ times weekly 2. How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when...
Measuring Anxiety
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) Tick how much you have been bothered by each of the following during the past week: Not at all Mildly Moderately Severely 1. Numbness or tingling 0 1 2 3 2. Feeling hot. 0 1 2 3 ...
Measuring Depression
CES – DEPRESSION SCALE Instructions: Circle the score (0, 1, 2 or 3) for each statement that best describes how often you felt this way during the past week. Rarely or none of the time (less than 1 day) Some or a little of the time (1-2 days)...
Drugs & Alcohol in the Workplace
Alcohol and other drugs cost Australian workplaces an estimated $6 billion per year in lost productivity. An employer has a legal obligation to address alcohol and other drug issues through the 'duty of care' provisions in the Occupational Health & Safety Act....
Bullying in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/jcSvLXXK7SI Recent research indicates that 50% or workers have experienced some form of workplace bullying or harassment. Management should lead by example by behaving respectfully and demonstrating that workplace bullying is never tolerated....
Crime in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/c45p8TPgsJc Criminal behaviour, such as workplace robberies and assaults, often impacts adversely on employees with some developing conditions such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. In many Australian states there is a government funded support known...
Depression in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/SBKto4cr0Qs Depression often results as a consequence of how we treat one another. In the workplace it is important that an employee has a sense of meaning and of purpose. It is also important that they have opportunities for social inclusion and...
Anxiety in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/4Cco33SuG8Q Anxiety often results from triggers in the environment. It is important for employees to recognize what those triggers are and attempt to deal with them individually and gradually. Employers should recognize when employees are becoming...
Stress in the Workplace
https://youtu.be/cTx5NDFldWo 1. Practice time management. Make to-do lists to prioritize as well as to schedule your work. 2. Plan and prepare. Get started on major projects as early as possible setting mini-deadlines along the way. 3. Do it right the first time....
A Great Place to Work
According to a recent survey of some 52,000 employees from 135 companies a great place to work is one where you: Trust the people you work Have pride in what you do Enjoy the people you work with Achieve organisational objectives Have a level of team collaboration...
Eap Assist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgV_MRI8nuQ Half of all Australians will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime, with around 20% affected every year by conditions such as depression and anxiety. This increasing prevalence of mental health issues...
Talking About Mental Illness in the Workplace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVWbdUBUeGE The workplace is one of the most important places to discuss mental health yet generally employees are afraid of discussing such issues concerned about their job security, promotional prospects and relationships with...
EAP Helpline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV9IYS2sAuA Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are employee benefit programs offered by employers intended to help employees deal with personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health and well-being. ...
What is an EAP?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od7RHhLMoRg An EAP (Employee Assistance Program) is a confidential counselling service offered by employers to their employees to support their physical, psychological and emotional well-being in the workplace and in their personal...
Reaching Out in the Workplace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqkLEZuLEoM It is good business to encourage employees to reach out to one another for support. People are now more connected to their multitude of screens than to other people with around half of all Australians spending less than two...
Workplace Suicide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtaw5KuQtJc A recent US study looking at 12,312 deaths in the workplace by suicide found: 77% occurred in males and 23% in females. 85% occurred in individuals aged 16-64 years. With the greatest proportion, 23%, in people aged 45-54...
Employee Assistance Program – EAP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EtAGVPcMu4&feature=em-upload_owner Employee assistance programs (EAP) help employees with personal and/or work-related problems that may impact their work, health, mental and/or emotionally well-being. While EAPs are mainly aimed at...
Supportive Work Environments Foster Mental Health
Managers can most effectively motivate and engage employees to procure their best work when they create supportive environments that foster mentally healthy practices. When an employer recognizes a mental health issue in the workplace they should immediately provide...
Victims of Crime
If you have been the victim of crime, such as a physical assault or an armed robbery, while at work you may be entitled to state government financial assistance. For more details go to: www.victimsofcrime.com.au
Supportive Mental Health Workplaces
Mental health issues at work that are kept in the dark not only harm employees but damage company productivity and performance levels. Research indicates that when employers create supportive environments that foster mentally healthy practices, managers can...