Flourish - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 10
Other Initiatives Workplaces
Can Offer To Support Men
On-site support: Converge has
a 60-year history of providing
on-site support to maledominated workplaces. Why?
Because in many work
environments, the trust built
through regular support from
the same individual or small
team provides the opportunity
to notice change in team
members over time and allows
opportunistic help-seeking that
would not happen if it required
some people to pick up the
phone and ask for help. Being a
trusted face around the
workplace really matters and
can make a life-changing
difference.
Manager training: Line
managers should be trained in
looking out for the symptoms
of poor mental health. Perhaps
an extrovert becomes quiet and
withdrawn in team meetings, or
a highly productive person
suddenly falls behind their
peers. Whatever the case,
spotting the signs of poor
mental health can make a
massive difference to someone
who is suffering. Line managers
can be trained to have difficult
conversations about mental
health.
Create safe spaces: From peer
group discussions to 8buddy
programs,9 create a safe space
for employees to talk about
their mental health so they
don9t feel alone in their
experiences. Ensure these are
well-advertised and easy to
access.
Have an open approach:
Having a CEO, leadership team,
or manager be open about their
mental health issues will help
teams feel like they can be
open too. Role modelling and
normalising vulnerability, and
overcoming challenges, can be
compelling in male-dominated
workplaces.
Clearly signpost places of
support: For example, EAP
counselling for men, including
specific men9s mental health
support, peer support, and
buddy programs. Ensure all of
these supports are clearly
signposted throughout the
workplace. It can also be
beneficial to create email
banners outlining where
employees can go for specific,
funded Men9s mental health
support Australia.
Normalise conversations: An
environment where men can
open up about their feelings
will help support conversations
around mental wellbeing.
Charities such as Movember
make it easy for workplaces to
raise awareness of male mental
health issues by providing
men9s mental health resources
and event ideas that address
more challenging topics in an
engaging, light-hearted way.
Keep it confidential: In dealing
with sensitive disclosures that
arise from open discussions,
ensure sound principles of
privacy and confidentiality are
understood by team members
participating in these critical
discussions.
