One in five workers will suffer a workplace mental health injury, making this the fastest-growing form of workplace compensation claim. Unlike physical health hazards, which are now well documented and managed in workplaces, little was previously understood about workplace mental health. The Shape Agency was engaged by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and Employers Mutual Limited to develop, launch and manage a new workplace mental health campaign.​

Improving workplace mental health required a tandem approach. First, cultural attitudes toward workplace mental health needed to be challenged and a different, more collaborative approach to improving workplace mental health introduced. Second, workers and employers needed the tools to identify workplace mental health hazards and address them.​

Undertaking a co-development process with the University of South Australia, campaign partners created a six-step process, including training, research, intervention, action, support, and evaluation. This process was rolled out through a pilot program that involved six worksites and reached over 6,400 workers.​

This was supported by an online campaign that combines earned media, digital and social media. The campaign was designed to engage and educate our target audiences to identify workplace mental health hazards and provide guidance on how to mitigate these risks. ​

The first phase of the campaign, which focused on public education, recruited over 5,000 supporters and reached over 600,000 people via social media. The Mind Your Head Pilot project was also highly successful, with over 70 per cent of participants reporting that the engagement was beneficial. ​

Phase 2 of the Mind Your Head campaign now focuses on making the tools and processes developed in Phase 1 to identify and mitigate workplace mental health hazards accessible to a much broader audience. A second key objective is to maintain continued advocacy focused on ensuring governments deliver legislation that improves and protects workplace mental health.  ​

One in five workers will suffer a workplace mental health injury, making this the fastest-growing form of workplace compensation claim. Unlike physical health hazards, which are now well documented and managed in workplaces, little was previously understood about workplace mental health. The Shape Agency was engaged by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and Employers Mutual Limited to develop, launch and manage a new workplace mental health campaign.​

Improving workplace mental health required a tandem approach. First, cultural attitudes toward workplace mental health needed to be challenged and a different, more collaborative approach to improving workplace mental health introduced. Second, workers and employers needed the tools to identify workplace mental health hazards and address them.​

Undertaking a co-development process with the University of South Australia, campaign partners created a six-step process, including training, research, intervention, action, support, and evaluation. This process was rolled out through a pilot program that involved six worksites and reached over 6,400 workers.​

This was supported by an online campaign that combines earned media, digital and social media. The campaign was designed to engage and educate our target audiences to identify workplace mental health hazards and provide guidance on how to mitigate these risks. ​

The first phase of the campaign, which focused on public education, recruited over 5,000 supporters and reached over 600,000 people via social media. The Mind Your Head Pilot project was also highly successful, with over 70 per cent of participants reporting that the engagement was beneficial. ​

Phase 2 of the Mind Your Head campaign now focuses on making the tools and processes developed in Phase 1 to identify and mitigate workplace mental health hazards accessible to a much broader audience. A second key objective is to maintain continued advocacy focused on ensuring governments deliver legislation that improves and protects workplace mental health.  ​