Most bosses ignore workers' mental health: survey 07 October 2008

Most Australian bosses ignore their workers' mental health, a new survey shows.

The nationwide survey of 1,000 workers found 70 per cent of respondents'
workplaces do not offer programs to support employees' mental and emotional
wellbeing. Half of respondents said they often felt stressed and one quarter
often felt depressed. The online survey was conducted late last month by
Sweeney Research for the SuperFriend Industry Funds Forum Mental Health
Foundation. The foundation is comprised of superannuation funds, life insurers
and mental health organisations including beyondblue and Lifeline. The chair
of the foundation's mental health reference group, John Mendoza, said employers
should recognise the importance of looking after employees' mental health.

"There is increasing evidence of a link between stress in the workplace and
mental illness," he said. "The cost of workplace stress to Australian business
is potentially crippling. "I would call on all Australian employers to learn more
about what they can do to support their staff and encourage them to seek help
when they need it."

The survey also found half of respondents thought drinking alcohol was a good
way to maintain or improve their mental health, while four in five believed
watching television positively impacted on mental health. Three-quarters of
respondents participated in activities to improve their physical health and half
engaged in tasks to improve mental health.

The most unhappy age group was 40 to 49-year-olds, with people in that age
bracket most likely to feel stressed and depressed and the least likely to look
after their physical and mental health.


7/10/2008, by AAP.CANBERRA

Beyond blue National Workplace Program

Did you know...

• More than one million people in Australia experience depression, anxiety or related alcohol and drug problems each year.
• Depression is currently the leading cause of non-fatal disability in Australia, but only 3 per cent of the population identifies it as a major health problem.
• Each year, undiagnosed depression in the workplace costs $4.3 billion in lost productivity and this excludes Workcover/insurance claims, part-time or casual employees, retrenchment, recruitment and training.
• On average, every full-time employee with untreated depression costs an organisation $9,665 per year.
• Each employee with depression will, on average, take three to four days off work per month which is equivalent to over six million days lost each year in Australia.
  In addition to absenteeism, depression accounts for more than 12 million days of reduced productivity each year.
• Sixty-two per cent (62%) of people with depression don't get help for it.
• Research shows that implementation of early diagnosis and intervention programs can result in a five-fold return on investment as a result of increased employee productivity.
  Workplace stress is a significant risk factor for developing depression.

WCV's would like to know how much Jeff Kennett contributed to the above depression figures, by leaving injured workers out in the dark with no chances of re-employment or income opportunities to support themselves and their families.

Many injured workers develop depression while on workcover and many commit suicide whilst on workcover too, so how much responsibility should Mr Kennett be taking here? He lied to have the changes passed by the parliament and in doing so, has ruined the lives of many injured workers and their families, friends and colleagues.

WCV's finds it hard to see why Beyond Blue would have Mr Kennett as one of their ambassadors, considering the lives he has wrecked with his lies and deceit. We have not seen Mr Kennett stand up and be responsible for this mess called worksafe he created, nor has he ever apologised to the very people he effected.

Mr Kennett may suffer depression himself, but we here at workcover victims have no pity for him, as we believe that any type of depression he suffers from would be caused from a guilty conscience in which he carries from the lives he has destroyed during his time as Premier.

Shame on you Mr Kennett!!!!

Premier dumps depressed Minister !

The Australian -Matthew Denholm - September 13, 2008

TASMANIAN MP Paula Wriedt has attacked Premier David Bartlett's decision
to sack her from cabinet while she is on leave battling depression as "deeply
distressing" and lacking understanding.

Ms Wriedt, on sick leave since trying to commit suicide on August 4,
responded angrily to her dumping. She had asked Mr Bartlett to give
her two more weeks to decide her future.

"I am deeply distressed by his refusal to do so, and am concerned by the
Premier's apparent lack of support and understanding," Ms Wriedt said.
"I have been a hard-working member of the Government for the last 10
years as a minister, holding several senior portfolios during this time, as
well as juggling the demands of family life." Depression was a "very real and
complex illness" and recovery was "not as simple as recovering from a
broken limb". "However, with the right medical treatment and management,
I have been told there is no reason why I couldn't make a complete recovery
and return to work," Ms Wriedt said. "I conveyed this to the Premier in my
meeting with him yesterday (Thursday)."

Mr Bartlett argued he had no choice but to sack Ms Wriedt after concluding
on the advice of her family, friends and doctor that she would not be fit to
return to work in the short term.

"I have not taken this decision lightly; in fact, decisions don't come any tougher
than this," Mr Bartlett said. He received support from former Victorian Liberal
premier Jeff Kennett, the chairman of depression support group Beyondblue.

After speaking to Mr Bartlett, Mr Kennett told The Weekend Australian, he
believed the decision was a very tough call for the Premier, but added: "When
you balance up all his responsibilities, the correct one. It might just be what
Paula needs to start rebuilding her health. "That is, she doesn't have other
ministerial responsibilities now and she can now focus more directly on her
recovery."

WCV's:What would Kennett know, he helped create this narrowminded mess
called worksafe. The blood of suicided Workcover Victims and their families is
on his hands alone!

What would Kennett know about Paula Wriedt? Does he know her personally or
enough to be able to make such a comment? Mr. Kennett is not a trained
psycholocogist and should not be aksed to comment or to provide any
experianced advice by any member of the Government.

Being the face of beyondblue does not qualify him to pass judgement.

Just because you had to quit Mr. Kennett doesnt mean that everyone else should; some of us have the nads to keep going!

A cabinet reshuffle will be announced early next week, the fourth this year.

The Weekend Australian understands Mr Bartlett will increase the size of
cabinet from eight to nine. He would not rule out a return by disgraced
ex-ministers Bryan Green and Steve Kons, but will probably turn to youth,
with parliamentary secretary Lisa Singh a favourite.

Upper house MPs Allison Ritchie and Lin Thorp are also in contention.
Mr Bartlett said Ms Wriedt was a good minister and that there was "a way
back to a ministerial position for Paula in the future". However, it was not
good governance to have already heavily burdened ministers acting in her
key portfolios, economic development and tourism, any longer.

Ms Wriedt, who remains an MP, tried to kill herself days after being informed
by Mr Bartlett that he could not keep secret her affair with ministerial driver
Ben Chaffey. This was because Mr Chaffey, like Ms Wriedt married with children,
had demanded a payout of about $140,000, arguing that fallout from the tryst
made his job untenable.

Mr Bartlett advised Ms Wriedt during a meeting at her office on Thursday
that quitting cabinet was in the best interests of her long-term health and of
good governance. Ms Wriedt, 39, was still a hospital patient and had been
unable to make a decision on her future, he said. "Therefore, I had no other
choice than to make that decision myself," the Premier said.

WCV's: Will this story bring the issues of unfairness to the attention of
Parliament? It may be different if it happens to one of their own?

This story clearly shows just how this government handles stress
claims within their own ranks (unfairly & unreasonably).

It shows just how, stressed workers are not supported
within the Government hierarchies and worksafe.

When is mental illness going to be looked upon as an illness?

If the Government don't acknowledge it then who will?

Lets watch how they handle it, shall we?

Work-Related Stress: a Review of Developments in the UK

OHS Labour Review, issue no. 190
By N Ellis

In the United Kingdom, community surveys have shown that stress is a leading
cause of work absence and that work-related stress is a leading cause of
musculoskeletal disorders as a perceived cause of self-reported work-related
ill-health.

These findings resulted in the British Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
adopting stress as a priority issue and developing a ten year action program,
including the development of stress management standards which were released
in 2005. This article focuses on the potential significance of UK standards for
Australia.

(Journal of Occupational Health and Safety Australian and New Zealand. vol. 23,
no 4, August 2007. pp373-81)

Visit the Health and Safety Executive (UK) stress website