If you broke your leg at work, no one would hand you some painkillers and tell you to “toughen up” or “get over it”. You’d get medical care, time off to heal, and support to ease back into your usual routine.
But when it comes to mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, or the aftermath of workplace stress, that same level of care and understanding may not be offered. Mental injuries may be invisible, but they’re just as real, just as painful, and just as deserving of treatment and support as any physical injury.
When workplaces fail to treat these mental injuries with the same level of urgency and compassion, the consequences ripple far beyond the individual. They can impact the wider team, the business, and entire communities.
Why the Comparison Matters
We accept without question that a physical injury can stop someone from working at their best. A broken bone or torn muscle makes it obvious that rest and recovery are needed.
Mental health challenges work the same way. They can limit focus, energy, and resilience, making everyday tasks feel overwhelming. Ignoring the signs is like trying to run on a badly sprained ankle; the damage gets worse, recovery takes longer, and the risk of lasting harm increases.
Facts and Consequences
Around one in five Australians experiences a mental health condition each year, and nearly half will experience one in their lifetime. In the workplace, that means colleagues, leaders, or even you.
When help is delayed, recovery takes longer. People may withdraw, struggle to perform, or leave the workforce altogether. At an organisational level, silence and stigma creep in, creating cultures where no one feels safe to speak up.
Sidestepping mental health discussions fosters silence and isolation. The cost is both human and financial. Beyond the personal suffering, untreated mental health conditions cost Australian businesses billions of dollars each year through absenteeism and presenteeism. There are also legal risks. Employers have a duty of care under workplace health and safety laws to protect both the physical and psychological well-being of staff. Failing to meet this responsibility opens the door to workers’ compensation claims, penalties, and reputational damage.
The message is clear: acting early and compassionately is better for everyone.
What Treating It the Same Looks Like
Treating mental injuries with the same seriousness as physical ones means creating consistency in care and support. If someone came to work with a broken arm, you wouldn’t expect them to carry heavy loads or type for hours. The same principle should apply when someone is experiencing a mental health challenge.
Here’s what it looks like in practice:
- Encourage people to seek professional support early, just as you would with a physical injury.
- Normalise conversations about mental health so colleagues feel safe to speak up.
- Offer reasonable adjustments like flexible hours or temporary workload changes.
- Check in regularly, rather than assuming one conversation is enough.
- Train leaders to recognise early signs of mental health concerns, the same way they’re trained in physical safety.
- Promote mental health days that can be taken without stigma.
- Provide access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or similar confidential services.
When workplaces respond early, adjust expectations, and create a culture of understanding, people recover faster, and teams stay stronger.
The Bottom Line
Mental health support isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s essential. When we treat mental and physical injuries with the same care, we show that people matter. And when people feel valued, workplaces become healthier, safer, and more productive.
By closing the gap between how we view physical and mental injuries, we not only protect individuals but also strengthen workplaces and communities.
How We Can Help
At Strawberry Seed Consulting, we know that every workplace is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to supporting mental health. Our team can help you put practical strategies in place, whether that’s designing flexible policies, coaching managers, or building proactive wellbeing initiatives that stick.
Don’t miss our Mental Health Month free webinars on a range of topics, with one per week. Register to receive a recording and share them with your team!
We also run Mental Health First Aid training, with public courses open for booking now. MHFA gives you the confidence to recognise when someone is struggling, start the right conversation, and connect them to support, skills that are just as valuable in your personal life as they are at work. We can also deliver MHFA in-house, so your whole team builds these capabilities together. Click here to book your spot.
And because strong leadership is the foundation of a healthy workplace, we offer a range of public and in-house leadership training options, both online and in-person. These programs equip managers with the practical skills they need to support their teams, navigate challenges, and lead with confidence. You can explore our training options here.
If you’d like to talk about how your business can better support mental health in your workplace, get in touch today:
📞 (03) 4216 5200
✉️ info@strawberryseed.com.au
🌐 www.strawberryseed.com.au
References Used
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022) National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
- Beyond Blue (n.d.) Mental Health in the Workplace. h
- Black Dog Institute (2023) Workplace Mental Health: Research and Resources.
- Safe Work Australia (2021) Work-related Psychological Health and Safety: A Systematic Approach to Meeting Your Duties
- World Health Organisation (2022) World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health For All.
