Jeff Kennett calls recruiters to address workplace depression

A cause of loss to productivity
Education the only cure
Doctors and farmers the hardest hit

Recruiters were called on to educate colleagues and clients to invest time and money on employees suffering from depression in the workplace, at a Recruitment and Consulting Services Association (RCSA) breakfast in Melbourne last Thursday.

Jeff Kennett, Chairman of the national depression initiative, BeyondBlue, also said the illness was costing Australian businesses billions of dollars a year in lost productivity.

ìOne in five Australians directly suffers from some form of mental illness each year and the impact on the workforce from the hours and days that are lost to depression is immense,î Mr Kennett said.

ìThe recruitment industry can help spread the message about depression by educating the their own businesses and encouraging their clients to offer assistance, even if it means paying for them to see a doctor,î he said.

Mr Kennett noted that professionals working long hours and with high expectations imposed on them are likely to find themselves at greater risk of depressive illnesses, while doctors and farmers are among the biggest sufferers in the community.

ìDoctors are one of the largest groups in the community who suffer from depression as a result of work pressures and often try to treat themselves for the illness.

ìHowever, among the highest sufferers are also young male farmers as a result of pressures relating to droughts and partners leaving to follow career paths in the city,î Mr Kennett said.

The RCSA encourages recruiters to educate themselves about the symptoms of depression and to pass this knowledge onto employees internally within their own workplaces.

ìAs an industry we have a responsibility to show a duty of care to colleagues who may be struggling to deal with depression, as well as to the community,î President of the RCSAís Vic/Tas Region, Mr Robert Van Stokrom, said.

ìOne of the simplest ways we can fulfil this duty is to raise awareness and make the issue easier to talk about with workplace managers and colleagues,î he said.

ìIt costs nothing to educate yourself to help make a positive contribution and giving someone five minutes of your time can save a life,î Mr Kennett concluded.