MEDIA RELEASE: 21 June 2023
Thursday, 15 June 2023: SuperFriend, a leading workplace mental health not-for-profit organisation, has unveiled significant findings from the 2022 Indicators of a Thriving Workplace survey, shedding light on workplace mental health within the Accommodation and Food Services industry. This national survey encompassed close to 10,000 Australian workers across 19 industries. The 2022 survey identified five core Domains—Leadership, Connectedness, Safety, Work Design, and Capability—that play a crucial role in a thriving workplace. Industries were evaluated by these Domains with their performance compared to a national average score. Additionally, the survey analysed industries based on key psychological hazards, which included: Inappropriate Workload, Low Recognition, Poor Change Management, Poor Management Support, and Low Job Control.
The Accommodation and Food Services industry showcased a strong score for the Connectedness Domain compared to the national average, indicating positive social connections among workers. However, the survey uncovered an area of concern, revealing that less than half of Accommodation and Food Services workplaces had formal policies against Bullying, Harassment, and Discrimination. Despite the industry's high Safety Domain score, signifying a zero-tolerance approach to such behaviours, the absence of formal policies raises a need to better safeguard employee well-being.
Moreover, the Capability Domain score was notably low, suggesting that workers may not have adequate access to the necessary resources to support their mental health. While many workers seek support from friends or family (47%), it is in the best interest of workplaces to provide additional resources, such as confidential counselling services, to offer comprehensive support.
SuperFriend's CEO, Darren Black, emphasised the urgency of addressing these findings, stating, "The findings from SuperFriend’s national research underscores the critical need for the Accommodation and Food Services industry to prioritise formal policies against Bullying and Harassment. From there, the next step is to ensure those policies are implemented. By proactively addressing these issues, industry stakeholders can foster a mentally healthy work environment and enhance the well-being of their employees, which is good not only for workers but also for improved business outcomes ." Said Darren.
This is the eighth year that SuperFriend has conducted the Indicators of a Thriving Workplace survey. The latest survey introduced updated measurement tools to capture more factors influencing workplace mental health than ever before.
