EVERY YEAR PEOPLE LIKE YOU LIE ALL THE TIME ABOUT TAKING A MENTAL HEALTH DAY I’m sick, I’m unwell, I’ve got back pain!, my head hurts from a migraine!, I have diarrhoea, I’ve been vomiting all night, my child is sick, I have a stomach bug. All physical health conditions. All lies. LET’S CHANGE THAT Why? Why do we lie? In this day and age, we should be able to speak the truth and let people know we need a mental health day. Whether we are not coping, or we are burnt out, or we have a developing mental illness we should be able to disclose without fear of judgement or stigma. Being vulnerable to what life can deal us is not a sign of weakness, it is a strength to be self-aware enough to recognise the need for self-care, beat the fear, release the shame, build the courage and act on it in a proactive way.
This proactive approach can positively impact our wellbeing longer term and make us a better person, and employee. There is no courage without vulnerability. Stress, burnout, substance use and mental illness cost billions to our community.
Work-related stress alone is associated with an increased risk for ill health (e.g., coronary heart disease, depression, anxiety and musculoskeletal pain) and overall mortality. Absenteeism, presenteeism (at work but unproductive), productivity losses and workplace accidents due to stress cost around $44 billion in the US, 15.1 billion pounds in the UK, and $12.6 billion in Australia each year.
Research shows that employers who invest in mentally healthy workplaces would see a reduction in sickness and absence, along with increased productivity and higher retention.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers found each dollar spent on workplace health meant a $14.50 return on productivity for some industries. Let’s include Mental Health Days in this investment.
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Our MissionEncourage and support all workers and tertiary students with information and tools to speak up and share when they are taking a mental health day knowing it is safe to do so.
Encourage all workplaces and educational institutions to declare their mental health policy showing acceptance of mental health days, and a declaration that their workplaces are mentally healthy safe places free of stigma and discrimination.
Our Vision
A community where all people are safe to share when they are taking mental health days, and workplaces and educational institutions are mentally healthy safe spaces, free of stigma and discrimination.