Mental health at work for workers

An Easy Read guide about how your mental health can be supported and respected at work.

Pictogram man's brain health support human on laptop

In this guide, we talk about how to support mental health at work.

A person with their thoughts and feelings

Your mental health is about how you: 

  • think and feel about yourself 
  • deal with things in your life 
  • manage your feelings.
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On this page

Why it’s important to support mental health at work

4 people holding thumbs up signal

A workplace that supports mental health is good for everyone.

Pictogram of office building blue and red door

A workplace is any place you might work, such as:

  • an office
Pictogram of factory building blue and red door and van outside
  • a factory
Pictogram of shop blue and red sign
  • a shop
Pictogram of two people customer service
  • a service.
Scales of justice man and women shaking hands

Everyone has the right to a safe and healthy workplace.

Rights are rules about how people must treat you:

  • fairly
  • equally.
Pictogram of people putting their hands up and brain health sign

 

Everyone has a role to make sure their workplace supports mental health.

pictogram employer and employee blue with red tie and badge

This includes:

  • workers
  • employers.

An employer is a person who hires other people to work for them.

What workers need to do

Pictogram of heart thumbs up check tick

Workers need to help take care of everyone’s health and safety in the workplace.

Pictogram of employer speech bubble health and safety check tick

This includes:

  • following the rules about health and safety
  • listening to their employer about how to support health and safety.
Pictogram warning sign and employer with report speech bubble

Workers need to tell their employer if something at work is not:

  • safe
  • healthy.
Pictogram photograph combo employer complaining with thumbs down in speech bubble

Workers can make a complaint if their workplace isn’t protecting people’s health and safety.

When you make a complaint, you tell someone that something:

  • has gone wrong
  • isn’t working well.
Pictogram monitor with thumbs down

Find out more about making a complaint on the SafeWork NSW website.

Pictogram monitor with thumbs up

Find out more about what workers need to do on the SafeWork NSW website.

Your rights as a worker

Man wearing PPE with thumbs up and the scales of justice

Workers have the right to work in a safe and healthy workplace.

Female employee in pink shirt on lap top thinking about mental health support

Workers have the right to keep their job when they need support for their mental health.

Male employee with hand up asking for adjustment

Workers have the right to ask for reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Employee working hours of work life balance

Reasonable adjustments are things an employer can change to support you at work.

For example, changing:

  • your work hours
  • parts of your workplace.
Women at desk working looking away from two men pointing and laughing sad

Workers have the right to be safe from discrimination because of their mental health.

Discrimination is when someone treats you unfairly because of a part of who you are.

Male employee thinking who will know about his mental health

Workers have the right to choose who knows about their mental health.

human resources telling employee you dont need to tell anyone about mental health

This means workers don’t have to tell employers about their mental health.

But they should tell employers if they need support.

Female employee wondering if she is ready to inform employer

The READY? tool can help workers decide if they want to tell their employer about their mental health.

Mental health support online on the headspace website

Find out more about mental health support for workers on the headspace website.

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