Male-dominated workplaces offered helping hand

Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) chief executive Phil Naylor said the broking industry is heavily male-dominated, with the MFAA comprising a membership that is 70 per cent male.

While more women are now entering the industry, still around 60 per cent of new members are male, according to Mr Naylor.

Small to medium sized enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, unions and businesses in construction, mining, manufacturing and transport are eligible for free or heavily-subsidised workshops.

Beyondblue CEO Kate Carnell said depression, anxiety and other mental health problems have a huge impact on productivity in the workplace.

“It is estimated that depression alone causes six million lost working days and 12 million days of reduced productivity each year and also costs Australian businesses $12 billion annually in lost productivity and staff turnover,” she said.

“Male-dominated businesses can take advantage of beyondblue’s subsidised National Workplace Program (NWP) sessions to put in place policies that promote good mental health in the workplace and support employees with mental health problems in the same way those with physical health problems are supported”.

Mr Naylor said it would be up to individual brokers and franchisees to make a decision regarding the training but noted many brokers operate as 'one man or one woman bands' and do not operate in typical workplaces.   

Beyondblue NWP training sessions deliver a range of strategies to help establish mentally healthy workplaces, help employers and employees recognise the signs of mental health difficulties in their colleagues and to take appropriate action to support them.

“Since 2004, more than 81,000 people have completed 3,050 NWP sessions at 1,050 workplaces across Australia with 98 per cent of participants saying they would recommend the program to others,” said Ms Carnell.

“By creating mentally healthy workplaces across the country and educating people so stigma and discrimination are reduced, we hope to give everyone with mental health problems a fair go,” she said.