Creating a Supportive Work Environment: HRM and Mental Health in Australia

This essay endeavours to discuss mental health issues that are currently prevalent in contemporary Australian workplaces and the strategies that current human resource management (HRM) teams can implement to ease the ramifications that these issues have in order to create equal opportunity for all employees. For the purpose of this essay, the scope of the analysis will be based on. Throughout the essay, the theoretical framework that was utilized to form the analysis was based on Human Resource Management strategies of Job Analysis and Description, Performance Management & Recruitment and Selection. The essay argues that the diverse range of mental health issues that are prevalent among contemporary Australian employees is one of the largest challenges that human resource management teams are faced with today. The theoretical ways that HR management teams can address these issues will be discussed in chronological order: Job Analysis and Description, Recruitment and Selection and Performance management.

The importance of managing and maintaining strong mental health has been an increasingly prominent priority for Human Resource Managers to ensure prosperity within their organization and for the general wellbeing of their employees. The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2005: 2) broadly defines Mental health as the absence of psychopathologies, such as depression and anxiety. Further, “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with normal stressors of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”. Research by Westerhof (2009:2) has shown that there are three main determinates to measure someone’s mental health or to indicate whether someone may be suffering from mental illness. The three main components are emotional wellbeing: feelings of happiness and satisfaction, psychological wellbeing: positive individual functioning of self-realisation and social wellbeing: perceived social wellbeing and functionality in social situations. If an individual is lacking in any of these areas, then it can be concluded that they are usually struggling with some form of mental illness. Mental illness is multi-factorial, involving complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors (NIMH 2021). The two main factors that cause mental illness are Biological and Personal Factors such as genetics, pathogens, injuries, problems during gestation and birth, substance abuse and cognitive style. The other main factor that can cause mental illness is environmental factors such as: Poor nutrition, Exposure to toxins, stressful life events, chronic stress, culture, abuse, poverty and war (NIMH 2021). Within Australia, across all levels of socio-economic status, gender and culture different forms of mental illness are prevalent.

In recent years, there has been significant data collection on mental health demonstrating that there are high trends of mental illness in Australia. Research conducted by Australia’s National Health Survey on 21,000 Australians in 2017-2018 with both adults and underage participants showed that the prevalence of mental illness varied significantly across socio-economic groups. The research presented that in Australia, the difference in overall mental disorder prevalence rate between the poorest and the richest class is 11.38%. It has been found that the lower socioeconomic groups consistently have a higher prevalence rate than the higher socioeconomic groups in all 14 types of mental health disorders. It was concluded that this is attributed to lower socio background, low education, labour force conditions and underdeveloped geography (Hashmi, Alam, Gow and March 2020:533-542).

In other research conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, they recorded a record high volume of calls at 96273 in September 2021 to Lifeline which was up 14.1% compared to 2020 which was up 33.1% from the previous year. These record-breaking statistics are derived from the effects of COVID-19 and the widespread restrictions of movement, social distancing, physical isolation and the inherent uncertainty of the future due to the global pandemic (Mental Health Services in Australia, Workforce - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022). They presented that most of the calls made were depression and anxiety-related, therefore highlighting the need for initiatives to be created in order to tackle the influx of these mental disorders within society.

Finally, the National Health Survey in Australia found that in 2017-18 that:

· One in fine(20.1%) or 4.8 million Australians had a mental or behavioural condition, an increase from 4.0 million Australians (17.5%) in 2014-15

· 3.2 million Australians (13.1%) had an anxiety-related condition, an increase from 11.2% in 2014-15

· One in ten people (10.4%) had depression or feelings of depression, an increase from 8.9% in 2014-15.

(Australian Bureau of Statistics: 2018)

As established earlier in this essay, within Australia there are significant statistics indicating that there is a high prevalence of mental health issues throughout the Australian population. As employees are a major contributor to the workplace, how does this affect their ability to function within the workplace in comparison to someone who is free of mental illness? There are many different elements of the workplace such as recruitment, training, performance, rates of illness, absenteeism, accidents/ workplace injury, and staff turnover that an employee with mental health issues is more likely to be negatively affected by in comparison to someone that doesn’t share the same issues (Haddon, 2018:73). With the presence of mental illness such as depression or anxiety in future employees it can be put them at a particular disadvantage in comparison to people without mental illness when entering the recruitment phase for a job opportunity. Due to the traditional nature of job interviews and scouting it can add extra burden to someone who suffers from mental illness and therefore impact their performance in an interview setting which consequently inherently makes it more difficult for them to gain employment in a competitive market (Haddon, 2018:73). Further, in terms of absenteeism with relation to staff members suffering with mental illness is much more prevalent due to work-related stressors creating mindsets for employees that result in time needed away from the workplace in order to deal with the stress (Hadden, 2018:74). This therefore effects the productivity in the workplace due to some staff not being present at work to complete assigned tasks. According to research conducted (Hilton and Whiteford, 2010) employees who suffer from mental illness are more likely to suffer from insomnia therefore making them more likely to be involved in a workplace accident, which can cause injury to the employee, compensation costs for the employer and loss of productivity. Reflecting upon the listed disadvantages that employees who suffer from mental health issues are faced with in all areas of employment makes it extremely apparent for human resource managers to create tangible plans to implement so then everyone has equal opportunity in the workplace.

The remainder of this essay will endeavour to discuss ways in which human resource managers can ensure that mental health issues in the workplace do not act as gatekeepers for people gaining and retaining employment in the desired field that they wish to work and grow their career within.

As a Human Resource Manager (HRM) ensuring that there is a clear job analysis and description for current and future roles within an organisation is of paramount importance to prevent current and future employees hitting a roadblock in securing and obtaining a position. As defined by Stone (Stone, 2017:182) job analysis is “ …the process by which jobs are divided to determine what tasks, duties and responsibilities they include, their relationships to other jobs, the conditions under which work is performed, and the personal capabilities and characteristics required for satisfactory performance.” The purpose of the job analysis and design is to collect information to describe to the current and future employees what is performed, where it is performed, how it is performed, why it is performed and when it is performed (Stone, 2017:186). There are multiple reasons why this is important for both the employee and employer alike. It sets a framework for an array of other essential business practices to function effectively such as training and development programs, career planning and development, job evaluation, and most importantly a healthy and safe working environment (Stone, 2017: 189). In terms of creating a work environment for employees who have varying degrees of mental health issues, having a clear job description and design is a pivotal part of the framework in creating a workplace that provides equal opportunity to all their present and future employees. The main common symptoms of poor mental health as discussed earlier in the essay are an inability to deal with high-stress situations, anxiety and insomnia. By HRM creating a job analysis and design for an employee it creates a framework of what is expected currently, and in the future of the employee which inherently eases these symptoms as they understand what is expected of them and they can create a plan of how they wish to complete the job they have been given. Research conducted by Daniels showed that out of 33 participants surveyed, it could be concluded that well-being and performance were enhanced when the presence of job analysis and description were implemented alongside other HRM processes (Daniels et al., 2017: 6). Due to this success this tool can be tangibly implemented in the workplace within the recruitment phase of the job advertised. Therefore, everyone applying will understand exactly what will be expected of them from the beginning of their employment. It is essential that as the employee makes progress throughout the business this job analysis and design is evolving as they do to maintain clarity and reduce any stress triggers that could put an employee who suffers from mental illness at a disadvantage to their counterparts (Garg & Rastogi, 2006:576). This ultimately allows for equal opportunity, higher levels of productivity and job satisfaction in the workplace between employees who suffer from mental illness and those without.

Performance management is a crucial element in ensuring that employees with and without the presence of mental illness can achieve their career goals. Performance management is one of the most highly regarded elements of contemporary HRM as it is a tool for businesses to use in order to make them leaders in their industry. In the words of Armstrong (Armstrong, 2006:2) performance management can be defined as “a systematic process for improving organisational performance by developing the performance of individuals and teams… managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and competence requirements.”. Essentially the aim of performance management is for the business to provide the employees with the expectations to do, to have and to be (Armstrong, 2006:4). Further, it helps create a framework for people to achieve career goals and exceed expectations whilst ensuring that support and guidance that they may need to achieve this is readily available (Armstrong, 2006: 4). As discussed earlier in this essay, due to high rates of mental illness in Australia it has highlighted now, more than ever before in history that businesses need support their employees that are living with these illnesses so they can maintain their employment. Performance management is an integral tool for HRM managers to utilise to ensure that equal opportunity is given to all employees in the workplace. Performance Management can be utilised by managers to help identify if an employee is struggling with mental illness through their performance reviews. It can provide a safe space for the manager and employee to discuss why they are not achieving the planned goals, standards and requirements and provide extra support or services to the employee so then they can get back on track to align themselves with the company’s strategic objectives and improving their overall wellbeing. Alternatively, it can be used as a tool that the employee can gain satisfaction from as a review may highlight the positive work, they have been completing by giving a form of reward and therefore increase satisfaction, motivate and reinforce desired behaviour within the workplace (Stone, 2017:332). With the constant effective use of performance management in the workplace employees are given equal opportunity to succeed in the workplace.

The ability of a Human Resource Manager to effectively ensure that they engage in strategic recruitment and selection for a role within their business is adequately filled with the best candidate will ultimately result in a higher level of general well-being for their employees. Strategic recruitment and selection essentially are the process of identifying, pre-screening and attracting a pool of qualified applicants from which candidates for job vacancies can be selected (Stone, 2017: 227-223). Further, it involves choosing the candidate who not only best meets the selection criteria, but also can positively contribute to organisational performance, that they can be consistent with the organisation’s strategic direction and culture (Stone, 2017:227-223). When completing the Strategic recruitment and selection process a business can decide whether they internally or externally recruit for the position. If they internally recruit it refers to selecting an applicant from the internal labour market that is already within the company (Caruth et al., 2019: 306-324). If they chose externally then they would select from the external labour market and find candidates from an external recruitment agency or talent acquisition bodies (Caruth et al., 2019: 306-324). When making the decision to hire an HRM team need to ensure that they have considered the legal requirements, to avoid discrimination when hiring. Implementing strategic recruitment and selection is an important element in ensuring the mental health of current and future employees within a business. By hiring the correct candidate for the position, that has relevant skills and aligns with the company’s strategic mission then it will be more likely that an employee will find job satisfaction within the role. If someone is underqualified for the position it could lead to feelings of inadequacy, which can lead to depression and anxiety. Alternatively, if they don’t align with the business’s mission and values then they ultimately won’t find satisfaction as they may have to engage in practices that aren’t within their ethics code. A business could implement this tangibly by creating a concise job design and analysis that outlines the position, requirements and the company’s mission and hand that to an external recruitment agency that specialises in hiring so they can find someone that fits the mould they are looking for. Choosing the ‘right’ applicant for a position with a business is no easy task and should be a thorough process to ensure that future employees are a proper fit to avoid potentially exacerbating the mental illness issues that are prevalent in Australia today.

Human Resource Managers in this climate are more important than ever. It is paramount for them to understand not only how to hire the right person for the job but to understand how to manage mental health in order to provide equal opportunity to everyone. This essay has outlined the prevalence of mental health issues within Australia and how human resource managers can tangibly implement different practices such as clear job analysis and description, performance management and recruitment to ensure that no one is at a disadvantage due to mental health issues.

References

Armstrong, M (2006) ‘The basis of performance management’, Performance Management: Key Strategies and Practical Guidelines, 2nd ed., Kogan Page, London, pp. 1-13.

Australian Bureuo of Statistics. Australia National Health Survey 2017-2018. Canberra, Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 2022. Mental health services in Australia, Workforce - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. [online] Available at: <https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/workforce>.

- Caruth, D., Pane, S. & Caruth, G. (2009) ‘Evaluating the staffing function’, Staffing the contemporary organization: a guide to planning, recruiting and selecting for human resource professionals, 3rd edn, Praeger, Westport, Conn., pp.306–324.

Daniels, K., Gedikli, C., Watson, D., Semkina, A. and Vaughn, O., 2017. Job design, employment practices and well-being: a systematic review of intervention studies. Ergonomics, 60(9), pp.1177-1196.

Garg, P & Rastogi, R (2006) ‘New model of job design: Motivating employees’ performance’, Journal of Management Development, vol.25, no.6, pp.572–87.

Haddon, J., 2018. The impact of employees’ well-being on performance in the workplace. Strategic HR Review, 17(2), pp.72-75.

Hashmi, R., Alam, K., Gow, J. and March, S., 2020. Prevalence of Mental Disorders by Socioeconomic Status in Australia: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Study. American Journal of Health Promotion, 35(4), pp.533-542.

Hilton, M. and Whiteford, H., 2010. Associations between psychological distress, workplace accidents, workplace failures and workplace successes. Springer, 83.

National Institute of Mental Health, 2021. Health Topics. [online] National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Available at: <https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics>

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Westerhof, G. and Keyes, C., 2009. Mental Illness and Mental Health: The Two Continua Model Across the Lifespan. Journal of Adult Development, 17(2), pp.110-119.

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