We want our workplace to have a positive and healthy culture. To achieve that our workplace policies, practices, and environments are designed with your wellbeing in mind.
This policy applies to all employees at our workplace, and to anyone who comes into our workplace.
Mental Wellbeing
Our workplace has a role in promoting, protecting, and supporting our employees’ mental wellbeing.
We recognise the experience of mental distress is common and that anyone can be affected at any stage of their lives. We are committed to supporting any employees experiencing mental distress.
If you are experiencing distress, we will do as much as we can to help you to stay at work and/or support your return to work when you are ready. Any health conditions or disabilities will be treated in confidence.
We will never share any information about you unless you have agreed to it, and only to ensure your wellbeing and safety and that of those around you.
How we will promote good mental wellbeing
As your employer, we will do the following:
- Encourage a culture of openness – you can speak up about concerns at any time and you will be heard.
- Ensure you feel supported to seek help for issues/distress, via our conflict resolution processes.
- Make sure you understand what is expected of you at work – in your work tasks and acceptable behaviour.
- Check in with you at agreed times to ensure your workload is manageable, and to discuss any issues.
- Offer flexible work practices wherever possible and/or legally required.
- Support opportunities for professional skills development and growth.
- Employ and promote you based on your abilities, rather than any perceived disabilities.
- Not tolerate bullying, harassment, or discriminatory behaviour.Our expectations of you
You can do a lot to protect your own mental wellbeing at work. As our employee, we expect you to:
- treat everyone with respect and civility.
- speak up if you need help or support.
- speak up about bullying, harassment, or discriminatory behaviour you notice happening in our workplace.
- take your own steps to stay mentally healthy at work (e.g., taking rest breaks, speaking up if stressed)
- support workmates to speak up if they need help for anything affecting their mental health.
- access support if you need it – see the Help finding support section in this policy.
- ask about options (e.g., flexible working arrangements, special leave) if you feel you need time away fromwork to manage your mental health.
Encouraging positive actions
To maintain a mentally healthy workplace we will:
- consult with all staff about what workplace wellbeing means, and what initiatives you might like.
- provide contact details for support services you can access easily and discreetly.
- encourage you to take breaks, both to rest and to connect with others.
Training
We will train our managers and other appropriate employees how to recognise and respond to employees who need support in our workplace for whatever is causing distress.
That training could include how to recognise employees who are dealing with mental stress.
If you would like training, please talk to your manager. We will also provide resources to you about other health and wellbeing subjects. If you feel you would like information on a particular issue, please ask your manager.
Smoke-free
We are a smoke-free workplace. If you work with us, we expect you to follow our smoke-free policy.
Our smoke-free policy is about protecting everyone against the effects of second-hand smoke while they are at work.
This means you may not smoke anywhere that would be considered one of our workplaces.
We make our smoke-free policy clear in our job advertisements, recruitment materials and employment agreements.
Want to quit smoking?
If you do smoke and would like help to stop using tobacco, we can support you. See our Help finding support section in this policy for more information.
Responsible Hosting
We take our host responsibilities seriously when hosting work functions and work events.
At some events alcohol may be served. The decision to serve alcohol must be made by %The_Company% director. Our catering will provide healthy choices.
If work functions are held outside, we will make sure you are protected from too much solar UV radiation.
Stay at Work/Return to Work
We understand there are many reasons why you may need support coming back to work after time away from the workplace.
We also understand there may be times when some extra support or flexibility from us could help you stay at work during these times.
If you are away from work for any reason, we will keep communicating with you.
We will talk to you in ways you are comfortable and will work alongside your support people and health professionals (where appropriate) to see what changes we can make to help you come back to work, or to stay at work.
What we agree will be supported by a return-to-work/stay-at-work plan. This might include changing or being flexible about your work, including:
- hours
- tasks
- allowing you time off to get ongoing treatment/therapy
- your work location – if possible.
Based on our discussions, we will agree a return-to-work/stay-at-work plan that could include:
- building up your hours gradually
- swapping your usual work tasks to jobs you can manage
- regularly checking in with you to make sure you are okay and/or if we can improve anything further.
When you are back at work
When you have returned to work, we will continue to talk to make sure the plan is working for both of us.
All details will be treated in confidence. We would share your information only after discussions with you, only with your consent, and only to ensure the wellbeing and safety of you and those around you.
Breaches
These policies reflect ‘the way we do things around here’.
Depending on the seriousness of the breach, if you are found to have breached these policies we will:
- talk with you to make sure you know the terms of the policy you have breached, including what appropriate support we can offer (such as counselling, quit smoking support)
- make sure you know the required behaviour expected from now on
- take disciplinary action if necessary.
See our code of conduct and the ‘Serious misconduct’ clause of your employment agreement for more information about what behaviour is expected and what action may be taken for breaches.