Reduce stress, reduce costs
 

Mental health has now overtaken physical injury as the cause of the longest absences from work in Australia, according to the ABS.

The ABS says more than half the people who suffer stress or other mental conditions on the job are taking five or more sick days off in a row. Safe Work Australia puts this figure at 10.8 weeks off a year.

So what can you do about it?

This absenteeism adds up. It's estimated that stress related presenteeism and absenteeism are directly costing Australian employers $10.11 billion a year.

But you don't have to just accept this as a rising trend. There are some clear actions you can take in your workplace which can directly help your employees reduce their stress.

And with Mental Health Week coming up on 7-13 October, you have a great opportunity to start to shift the culture at your workplace and help your employees manage their stress better.

Firstly, you can make sure the environment around your employees is supportive. You can't change your organisational culture overnight, but you can remind employees of the existing programs you have in place such as confidential counselling, or a phone line to report bullying.

Another vital step is to engage and educate your employees about how to manage their stress. Information, tools and skills about positive thinking, boosting resilience, assertiveness skills, positive self-talk and techniques such as deep breathing can make a huge difference -- both immediately and into the long term.

Healthworks' Positively Well Seminar is a good example. Presented by a qualified mental health psychologist, this seminar teaches your employees about the power of positive thinking, showing them how to change their thinking, to change their response to stressful situations. The seminar goes beyond the basics to offer lifelong tools for increased resilience and decreased stress.

Call us on 1300 90 10 or email us to find out more.

Safety begins with S but starts with U
 

Do your employees prioritise safety above all else, everywhere everyday? Thought not. Blue collar and orange collar workers tend to be more safety-savvy than their white-collar colleagues, but even then the pressures of getting the job done on time often get in the way of safety.

National Safe Work Australia Week, coming up next month on 21-27 October, is a really useful event for reminding your employees about the importance of safety.

Find out how...

This year, Safe Work Australia's theme is "Safety begins with S but starts with U". If you sign up as a Safety Ambassador, you'll be able to access and download some useful resources such as posters and ideas for promoting Safety Week in your workplace. Visit the Safe Work Australia Week website for more details.

The week is also a great excuse to educate your employees on safety techniques through seminars or information resources.

We know it can be difficult to break through the clutter of your employees' workday to get their attention about safety. Ergonomics, manual handling, injury prevention -- these are all crucial topics, but too often delivered in unexciting ways.

Healthworks gives you a more engaging alternative. Our Manual Handling Seminars are presented by fully qualified Exercise Physiologists and Physiotherapists, who will clearly explain the correct techniques, and also provide exercises and tips and how to support and strengthen your body to prevent injury.

We also offer three popular booklets, Injury Prevention, Your Body At Work, and Manual Handling.

Call us on 1300 90 10 90 to find out more about our safety and WHS services, or send us an email.

National Health Events

What's happening in health and safety for the next few months?
There's lots of health events throughout 2012.
If we've missed one you think we should know about (and let's face it, we probably have), let us know!

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Did You Know:

Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.
(so what colour is the sky to all the other birds?)