Introduction

Mental health is a key element of a healthy workplace culture.  Business owners and organisational leaders have a critical role in driving a long-term commitment to policies and practices that create mentally healthy workplace cultures.  Engaging with business owners and organisational leaders is a key strategy for beyondblue to achieve changes in business practices and culture regarding workplace mental health. beyondblue has developed a resource to assist businesses of all types create mentally healthy culture. 

Method

beyondblue’s approach has included:

- engaging with business owners and organisational leaders to inform resource development and act as ‘Workplace Mental Health Champions’ to communicate its messages regarding workplace mental health

- establishing partnerships and advisory groups involving organisational leaders and business owners.

Results

Feedback from business owners and organisational leaders has highlighted the need for online resources specifically targeting these audiences and identified key guiding principles including:

- the value of adopting a peer based approach whereby business owners and organisational leaders communicate key workplace mental health messages on behalf of beyondblue

- ensuring resources highlight the business case for action, recognise that  business owners and organisational leaders have workplace mental health concerns, and provide practical guidance.

Conclusion

Engagement with business owners and organisational leaders by beyondblue has been critical in informing the development of online resources for these target groups, particularly identifying guiding principles for the development process to ensure the resources meet their needs.