The Australian Resources and Energy Group (AMMA) will aim to assist employers with mental health challenges under a new framework.
The Resources and Energy Industry Workforce Mental Health Framework is the latest initiative from AMMA aimed at assisting employers in their shared commitment to building and maintaining mentally healthy workplaces.
The framework was developed through consultation with leading mental health authorities and professionals within the resources and energy industry, including the guidance of AMMA’s Resources and Energy Mental Health Advisory Board.
AMMA chief executive officer Steve Knott said the organisation is proud to launch the industry-specific workforce mental health framework to support employers in understanding how to deal with sector-specific workforce issues.
“We are proud to continually support the resources and energy industry’s shared commitment to mental health and psychological safety across their workplaces, including as they navigate the added workplace and social disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Knott said.
“The industry’s unique characteristics add to the challenges of building and maintaining mentally healthy workplaces.
“This makes it all the more important we deliver a framework with the tools employers need to benchmark and grow their mental health initiatives and capabilities.”
As part of the framework, organisations are provided with the theoretical tools to breakdown their workforce mental health and wellness capability from a policy, program and practical perspective.
Employers can then benchmark their specific programs and initiatives against the ‘maturity scale’, illustrating what actions look like at five different stages from ‘compliant’ through to ‘progressive’.
“The maturity scale reflects the varying stages of employers as they continue their mental health and wellness journey – from basic compliance and fundamentals, all the way through to being proactive and progressive,” Knott said.
“As organisations constantly evolve and adapt to changing mental health pressures on their workforces, the programs, actions and initiatives they undertake will be selected based on what is practical and appropriate for their circumstances.”
The framework builds on AMMA last year launching an industry-first online training program for psychological health and safety across resources and energy workplaces.