New report finds widening workplace mental health gap between regional and metro Australia
Regional employees in Australia are seeing higher levels of compensation claims related to mental injuries when compared to their metro counterparts, according to a new report, which found a widening workplace mental health gap in the country.
Allianz Australia data revealed that workers' compensation claims for mental injuries in regional areas make up 19% of claims, significantly higher than the 13.4% recorded in metro areas.
The top drivers of workplace mental injuries in regional Australia include:
- Workplace stress
- Bullying and/or harassment (31%)
- Workplace violence (31%)
Returning to work also takes longer for regional workers, who take an average of 88 days following a mental injury claim.
This is 16 days longer than their metro counterparts, according to Allianz.
"We're seeing a disproportionately higher rate of mental injury claims in regional areas, and those workers are taking significantly longer to return to work than their metro counterparts," said Brianna Cattanach, national manager mental health strategy – personal injury, Allianz Australia.
"These trends point to a widening workplace mental health gap that demands our attention."
Worsening wellbeing among regional workers
The widening mental health gap in Australian workplaces also comes as regional workers report worsening wellbeing.
According to the report, nearly a quarter of regional employees said their current mental health is worse than it has ever been during their entire working life.
Nearly a third (32%) of employees cited their workload, work pace, and deadlines as their top issues associated with mental health.
Others cited their personal financial situation (43%) and the quality of their relationships and sense of connection (33%).
As a result, nearly a third of employees, or around 703,000 regional workers, are now considering leaving their current job in the next six to 12 months.
What can employers do?
The gap in workplace mental health support stems from limited access in regional Australia, according to the report.
The findings revealed that 73% of surveyed regional employees admit they have never used mental health support from their current workplace or employer.
The report said this is likely due to the perceived lack of support from employers, as 18% said they don't think workplace mental health support is available to them.
Only 14% of the respondents said they are aware of access to mental health training or workshops, while 26% said they are aware of workplace wellness or health programmes.
Meanwhile, 61% said they do not know how to access support through their workplace even if it was available.
"When we look at the claims experience of regional workers, we see evidence that recovery is often more complex. Longer periods away from work suggest there may be barriers beyond the injury itself," said Mark Pittman, executive general manager, personal injury at Allianz Australia.
"Access to services, workforce capacity, and local support networks can all influence how quickly someone is able to recover and return to work."
Myf Pitcher, Mental Health and Wellbeing Manager for Rural Aid, underscored the need to implement support that is connected to local communities to make it more accessible to employees.
"Rural communities are built on people looking out for one another, but accessing support is not always straightforward. Long distances, limited services, and demanding work schedules can all stand in the way," Pitcher said.
"We need support that is connected to local communities, easy to access and designed around the realities of life and work in the bush."
