Unions, Health Groups, and Academics Call for Mental Health Protections

A number of prominent mental health advocates, unions, and academics have released a joint statement calling on WHS ministers to agree to amend the national model WHS Regulations to prescribe control measures for psychosocial risks.

State, territory, and federal WHS ministers are set to meet on May 20 to discuss key reforms recommended in both the Boland Review of Model WHS Laws and the Respect@Work report on sexual harassment.

Both reports, commissioned by the Work Health and Safety Ministers and the Federal Government respectively, recommended the inclusion of psychological hazard regulations in the Model Work and Health Safety Act.

Reforms to the WHS laws require two-thirds (6 out of 9) of WHS Ministers to agree to changes. Minister Cash is expected to be the deciding vote.

The signatory organisations say new regulations should reflect the changing world of work to help employers eliminate or manage emerging hazards such as occupational violence, bullying, sexual harassment, and work overload.

“We, the undersigned organisations, believe workplace mental health is at a crucial tipping point in Australia and that governments must act to make workplaces mentally healthy and safe,” the joint statement reads.

“During the 2018-19 period, Safe Work Australia reported that 8% of all serious workers’ compensation claims were for mental stress. Mental stress is the fastest, and one of the only, growing injury claims in our workers’ compensation system. This doesn’t have to be the case.”

“There is a growing evidence base showing the type of workplace modifications and interventions that can help protect workers and their mental health.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the critical situation faced by many workers when it comes to mental health. Working from home, changes in work organisation, and increasing job demands have caused untold mental stress on the Australian workforce.

“Our work health and safety laws must provide an equal level of protections against risks to our mental health as it does our physical health. Currently, they do not.”

ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam O’Brien said Australia was “one of the only developed nations in the world to not have equal protections for physical and psychological health and safety.”

The signatory organisations are the ACTU, Bully Zero, the Australian Psychological Society, Deakin University, the Black Dog Institute, Curtin University’s Centre for Transformative Work Design, the University of South Australia’s PSC Global Observatory, the Asia Pacific Academy for Psychosocial Risk Factors at Work, Edith Cowan University’s School of Business and Law, the University of NSW’s Faculty of Science, and the Public Health Association Australia.