Your how-to: Establishing a council for diversity and mental health advocacy
Establishing a council for diversity and mental health advocacy at your place of work is a strategic measure to create a supportive, inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and mental wellbeing is prioritised. It is about creating a forum or a committee in the workplace that serves as a voice for employees and leads initiatives to promote equality, diversity, and mental health awareness. This council would engage employees in conversations about their mental wellbeing, create safe places for these discussions, and develop strategies to improve the overall mental health of your workforce.
In the Australian context, this council adheres to the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986, reinforcing an equally-inclusive and discrimination-free workplace. Moreover, it aligns with the current mental health policy landscape, supporting The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan of Australia in promoting mental health at work.
Step by step instructions
Identifying the Need: Before setting up a council, it is important to identify if there is a gap within your business for promoting diversity and advocating mental health. This would involve reviewing existing policies, gauging employee sentiment and analysing the current workplace culture. Depending on the size of your workplace, you may wish to conduct an anonymous survey to understand employee perspectives on diversity and mental health.
Define the Council's Mission and Objectives: Outline the mission, which should include promoting diversity and mental health in the workplace. Then establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) objectives that guide the council's activities.
Recruit Members for the Council: Once the structure of the council has been determined, a call for members can be made. This can be done via a nomination process or an application procedure, depending on your workplace's preference. The selection process needs to be transparent and fair, ensuring that each council member is committed to promoting diversity and advocating for mental health.
Set Up Regular Meetings: The council needs to meet regularly to discuss issues, brainstorm solutions and action initiatives. This might be quarterly, monthly or fortnightly meetings, depending on the size of your organisation and the scope of the council's activities.
Getting Management Approval: Approach senior management or the business owner to discuss the idea of establishing a council for diversity and mental health advocacy. The council's aim should align with the business's values and ethos. Show how it would enhance employee wellbeing, productivity and overall workplace culture.
Establish the Structure of the Council: This includes determining its size, the roles and responsibilities of each council member and the decision-making process. The council should consist of a diverse group of employees that reflect the overall workplace demographic. A model could be appointing a chairperson, a secretary and members who represent different elements of the workplace (e.g. different departments or job roles).
Provide Diversity and Mental Health Training: Provide training sessions for the council members in areas such as equal opportunity, anti-discrimination, active listening and mental health first-aid. This step ensures that the council members are well-equipped to deal with issues around diversity and mental health.
Communicate the work of the Council: Actively communicate the council's work and initiatives to the entire organisation. For transparency and employee buy-in, it would be beneficial to establish a regular communication channel such as a newsletter, workplace bulletin or staff meetings.
Use this template to implement
To ensure you can execute seamlessly, download the implementation template.
Pitfalls to avoid
Ensure that the initiative has full support from upper management and executives. A lack of support from leadership can result in insufficient resources, misdirection, and overall failure of the council. This support should not only be verbal but actively demonstrated throughout the process.
Considering Australia's multicultural setting, cultural sensitivity in approaching mental health issues is crucial. Never underestimate the role of culture in shaping perceptions and attitudes towards mental health.
Ensure that the council’s mandate and goals are clear and shared amongst all members. Without a clear understanding of what the council aims to achieve, there is a risk of members becoming disillusioned, leading to low performance and engagement.
When creating a council for diversity, it’s essential to include a broad array of voices. Exclude no one based on their position, seniority, or perceived lack of experience. There is a risk of failing to represent all viewpoints and experiences in the workplace which can be counterproductive to your diversity objectives.
Fail to provide proper training for your council members, and the whole initiative could crumble. Remember to give training sessions about diversity and mental health to council members, equipping them with the knowledge they need to contribute effectively.
A fundamental part of encouraging diversity is having firm policies against discrimination in place. Under the Australian Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, workplaces are expected to maintain an environment free from discrimination. Failure to do so could result in legal consequences and overall ineffectiveness of the council.