Workplace Mental Health Moodometer

Download the Mental Health at Work Moodometer report

Workplace mood improves slightly

The mood in Australian workplaces has improved slightly in the last 3 months, up from 58% in June to 63% in September according to the 2nd Mental Health at Work Moodometer.

It also shows that while people’s personal good mood has declined from 66% in June to 60% in September, 56% see their mental health improving over the next 3 months.

3 top barriers to creating WELL workplaces

When employees were asked to nominate the No 1 barrier to building a mentally healthy workplace, 27% said their workplaces were too busy to focus on mental health, 23% believed mental health was not seen as a priority at work and 18% think that leaders lack the necessary skills to deal with mental health issues.

Removing these 3 barriers is the key to ongoing improvement in workplace mental health.



"Managers are the key to building mentally healthy teams, which then lead to robust organisations. They can do this by promoting a sense of connection and care, having each other's back, and involving colleagues in key decisions." said Graeme Cowan, WeCARE365's co-founder.

Great investment in workplace mental health

In reponse to rising concerns about workplace mental health Aaron Neilson, CEO of specialist HSE recruitment agency The Safe Step has seen organisations increase their investment in wellbeing. “Organisations are increasingly developing enterprise-wide strategies and hiring specialists to drive a more informed, evidence and risk-based approach," Neilson said.

Demand for more specialised skills is also increasing within the wellbeing space "Organisations are starting to steer away from employing ‘passionate advocates’ in the wellbeing space and are moving towards a stronger demand for specialists with a clinical or organisational psychology background and experience,” explains Neilson.

Sunnier outlook

76% of employees say they are able and willing to support a colleague in distress.and 62% say that they feel they can talk to their manager about a personal mental health problem.

"It's wonderful that employees feel confident in being able to support a colleague in distress, however stigma and neglect of mental health issues still exist at an organisational level," explains Jo Skipper Managing Director of The Next Step. "Employers can support, retain, and attract workers by creating ‘well’ workplaces with strong cultures that engender trust and demonstrate care," she said.

In positive news 1 in 2 people surveyed believe that their mood was likely to improve in the next 3-months.



About the Moodometer

The October 2022 Mental Health at Work Moodometer study surveyed 1000 employees across Australia.

Conducted by The Next Step in conjuction with mental health expert Graeme Cowan, the study looks at mood on a personal, team and organisational level, addressing issues such as stress, psychological safety and access to support.

The results of the earlier June Mental Health at Work Moodometer survey can be viewed here

How can we help?

We can assist with providing subject matter experts on a permanent or temporary basis to support HR and Workplace Health and Safety teams develop or execute wellbeing strategies.

You may also wish to sign up to receive invites to participate in future Moodometer surveys and to receive updates on Mental Health at Work research. 

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