legalsuper tackles mental health issues head on

legalsuper has teamed up with national mental health charity SANE Australia's Mindful Employer program to improve lives of members of the legal community who experience mental health issues.  

The partnership will see a series of workplace programs offering support, education, and training for all members. 

"Statistically, 45 per cent of employees will experience mental health issues in the workplace in their lifetime and from SANE's own research, nearly half of those who take leave due to depression will not disclose the real reason to their employer in fear of putting their job at risk," legalsuper chief executive, Andrew Proebstl, said. 

"On occasions legal firms can be stressful workplaces and effective support mechanisms must be in place to identify and address these issues." 

The program will be tailored specifically for the legal community by complementing what the various law societies and employers in the legal community are already doing to help their staff as an added resource of support. 

Beaton Research and Consulting found that people working in the legal profession had the highest incidence of depressive symptoms of any profession. The company surveyed 7,500 Australian employees across Australia in the legal profession and found 16 per cent had experienced moderate or severe depressive symptoms. 

"Improved understanding of mental health conditions in the workplace can reduce stigma, so that employees can disclose their mental health concerns without fear of discrimination," SANE CEO Jack Heath said.