With Mental Health Awareness Week just behind us, now is a good time to think about how we can normalise mental health conversations at work. Supporting workplace wellbeing requires a multifaceted approach that blends policy, leadership, and design strategies.
Dr Amanda Wallis is the Research and Development Lead for Umbrella Wellbeing, a psychology-led consultancy in New Zealand that helps organisations build stronger, more resilient teams. They offer wellbeing assessments, strategies, and mental health workshops, including manager training and upskilling.
Here, Dr Amanda shares her insights on psychological safety in the workplace.
Dr Amanda Wallis works for Umbrella and Geneva Wellbeing and is a researcher, author and behavioural scientist. Amanda has been granted a Fulbright award for her research, graduated with a PhD in psychology, and received a Diploma in Positive Psychology and Wellbeing. Amanda has authored a book, written numerous journal articles and regularly contributes to media columns, including The Guardian.
Amanda, what are the most common mental health challenges in the workplace?
At work, some of the top concerns we regularly see at Umbrella are a lack of consultation around organisational changes and a high workload.
Generally, non-work stressors like finances and family issues contribute more significantly to mental health challenges, but both play a role.
How can training help managers better support their team’s mental health?
We need to teach managers to spot early warning signs of burnout, have effective conversations, and follow up appropriately.
Too often, managers are expected to “just know” what to do without any formal training, but diverse mental health needs bring unique challenges. When managers are coached to develop these skills, they become a vital line of defence.
What are the early warning signs of burnout, and how can managers intervene?
Early behavioural changes that may signal stress include social withdrawal, speaking up more or less, and working longer or more erratic hours. Ultimately, everyone’s signs of stress will look different. Spotting these shifts early matters, but so does how managers respond. Trust, emotional regulation, and supportive leadership are the traits that best create a culture of psychological safety.
How can employers balance productivity with wellbeing support?
Wellbeing and performance are not an either-or; the two are actually mutually reinforcing. Sustainable working rhythms with regular breaks allow for fast-paced work to be done without compromising performance.
What is the best way to talk about mental health at work?
Have conversations early and often, and create a shared language around wellbeing at team catch-ups. This will look different for every team, but could include a traffic light rating (red, orange, green) or rating yourself on Umbrella Wellbeing’s Assessment Tool.
Which trends are shaping the future of workplace wellbeing?
Workers are being asked to do more with less: fewer resources, reduced staffing, quicker timeframes. This can lead to stress, strain among coworkers and fewer opportunities to thrive at work. We need to take a preventative approach to psychosocial risk management at work, focusing on changing work systems, rather than changing workers.
What aspects of workplace design most influence employees’ day-to-day mood?
People feel better in spaces designed to support how they work. If collaboration is important, workspaces need breakout spaces and social spaces. If focused work is required, open-plan designs need to offer focus zones and consider sound transfer.
Other design factors that influence mental health include layout, temperature, acoustics, private spaces, air quality, and ambiance. Research also shows that natural light and exposure to greenery are important for worker wellbeing.
For more ideas on how thoughtful office design supports wellbeing, see Workplace wellbeing — practical design tips.
Are there design elements that make it easier to talk about mental health at work?
Anything that gets people off their screens and conversing in person. While it’s possible to build and maintain strong connections online, it’s easier to build relationships with people face-to-face, especially the kind of relationships where you feel safe to raise non-work-related concerns.
Access to private spaces is important for confidential conversations, but more broadly, we need our physical spaces to foster a sense of connectedness among coworkers. Thoughtful design can help facilitate these conversations, but culture and leadership ultimately determine whether people feel safe to speak up.
What can organisations do to make sure mental health resources are seen by employees?
You need to promote wellbeing services loudly, not just set-and-forget them. For example, offering access to a wellness room also means regularly reminding people that it’s there, how it can be used, and creating a culture where people feel comfortable to use it.
Black Dog Institute is Australia’s only medical research organisation dedicated to investigating mental health across all life stages. Their Five Ways to Wellbeing poster (pictured above) highlights five simple actions — connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, and give — that can strengthen everyday wellbeing at work. You can download the poster here.
How can we reduce stigma around mental health at work?
There is some research showing that “relational pauses” – short breaks to talk about how work is affecting us – help build strong teams and normalise sharing struggles.
These moments can happen organically, but often they need to be deliberately planned. Collaborative and social spaces like breakout zones and conference rooms are great for encouraging open conversations.
Is it important for managers to use shared spaces to connect with their teams?
What’s most important is for managers to know their people well and have regular empathetic conversations about what is working and what is not. Whether it is done online, in person, or a mixture of both, it’s all part of effective psychosocial risk management at work.
Which workplace areas (kitchens, lounges, outdoor zones) foster genuine conversations?
Any kind of behaviour change is more effective when it’s integrated into existing habits and rhythms. That means conversations are most likely to occur in places that people regularly use the most (like wherever the coffee machine is!).
Koplus Kolo Duo Privacy Booths offer privacy in the workplace and can foster open conversations.
It’s time to start talking about mental health at work
If your organisation can benefit from Dr Amanda Wallis’s services, speak to her team at Umbrella Wellbeing. And to support your team with well-designed office furniture, check out Buro’s range of ergonomic seating solutions.
