Wellbeing

he end of November marks the end of Emotional Fitness Month. This provides us with a perfect opportunity to explore the small, daily actions that strengthen our emotional wellbeing and improve how we show up at work and in life. This month’s newsletter focuses on emotional regulation, micro-habits, and the subtle shifts that can make a big difference in our resilience.

Our goal is to give you useful, simple tools you can apply every day, for yourself, your colleagues, and the people you care about.

October is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re excited to share our first edition of the Health for Work Newsletter, bringing you monthly psychology insights and practical tools to support wellbeing at work.

This month’s feature explores The Window of Tolerance; a framework for understanding how stress and emotions affect your ability to stay calm, focused, and connected. You’ll also find:

• Simple one-minute grounding exercises to bring you back to balance
• Guidance on recognising and managing stress responses
• A Q&A on confidentiality in workplace mental health
• A quick roundup of the latest Australian healthcare news

In October, Health for Work attended the Western Australia Mining Exhibition, a collective showcase of the most innovative and forward thinking products and solutions available to the mining industry in 2025.

The 2 day event, held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, attracted more than 5,500 from across the world of mining, with a variety of professionals from across the sector. In attendance were mine owners and operators, experts from tech, government and service providers who brush up against the industry and deliver solutions to fix some of the biggest challenges. 

On the second day of the event, our BDM - Joe Saunderson, had the opportunity to address a collective of industry professionals from the main stage. The topic was centered around building safer, smarter mines, how we can look to prioritise people, utilise new technology and ensure productivity is not compromised.

You can find some of the stage outcomes of the discussion below, from our perspective as a healthcare provider to the industry.

Australia is grappling with a surge in workplace psychosocial hazards, issues like bullying, excessive workloads, and violence that harm mental health. These account for 9% of workers' compensation claims, with a 37% rise in recent years, costing the economy $39 billion annually in lost productivity. Psychological injuries lead to prolonged absences (34 weeks on average) and higher payouts ($58,600 per claim) compared to physical injuries.

Key hazards include bullying (27.5% of claims), work pressure (25%), and workplace violence (16%). Other risks involve poor job control, unclear roles, and intrusive monitoring. New regulations across states, including a 2022 Model Code of Practice, mandate employers to manage these risks rigorously, with tools like the People at Work survey aiding hazard identification.

In early September, I had the pleasure of speaking with Katie Siemsen, a safety and wellbeing specialist dedicated to creating practical workplace health and safety solutions that genuinely support people, going beyond box ticking and checklists. 

I was excited to talk with her and understand her point of view as well as hear her lived experiences.

This week, I sat down with Adrian Kee, who has had a tough few years in the working world and has come out of the other side a much stronger person. I was eager to learn about the factors that motivated him to push forward and how he dealt with being retrenched twice. I also wanted to know how he began building his personal brand and connected with hundreds of people through his passion for hiking to create a support network, which he refers to as his tribe.

The mining sector presents unique challenges for employee wellbeing, with fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers, remote sites, and significant psychosocial risks creating a demanding environment.

Extended hours, physical exertion, and isolation can lead to health issues, absenteeism, and rising workers compensation claims.

At Health for Work, we believe proactive healthcare programs are essential for improving employee wellbeing, mitigating risks, and fostering a resilient workforce.

Here’s why a preventative approach is vital and how it can transform the industry.

25% of Australians delayed visiting their GP in 2023-24, up from 17% the previous year, according to The Royal Australian College of GPs.

This growing reluctance to seek preventative healthcare poses significant risks for businesses, driving increased absenteeism, presenteeism, and long term health related costs.

As a result, workplace preventative health programs have become more important than ever to manage these challenges and maintain a healthy, productive workforce.