Geelong employers needed to do more to support the mental health of their workers, a Geelong HR expert said.

Geelong employers needed to do more to support the mental health of their workers, a Geelong HR expert said.

Harvest Talent Recruitment and People Solutions director Maree Herath said a recent survey of 85 organisations in the region gave an insight into how they had tackled the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Unfortunately, our employers did not fare that well,” Ms Herath said.

The Geelong HR Index has highlighted key issues such as moving to remote working and abiding by hygiene and social distancing measures.

She said concerns about mental health was the big-ticket item for employers.

“Over two thirds of survey participants said the psychological safety of their workers was their biggest concern,” she said.

“Employers have an immediate task to ensure workers have the resources to address mental health challenges and access to support networks.”

The survey found the biggest sectors impacted by mental health challenges were property, construction and real estate, education, public sector, health and not for profits.

Ms Herath said many organisations had mental health programs but more needed to be done.

“There are programs and resources but we need to be more vigilant in transparently communicating these and providing employees with the time to be able to address their individual mental health journeys,” she said.

The survey will be released on November 25.

As appeared in the Geelong Advertiser 11 November, 2020