NSC Business and Industry Division news NSC Construction and Utilities Division news NSC Labor Division news Federal agencies Worker health and wellness Worker Health and Wellness

‘Mental Health at Work: What Can I Do?’: DOL launches PSA campaign

Mental-Health-at-Work---What-Can-I-Do-Poster
Photo: Department of Labor

Washington — Promoting mental health in the workplace is the goal of a new public education campaign from the Department of Labor.

Mental Health at Work: What Can I Do? is a public service announcement campaign that “highlights how everyone in a workplace setting – whether you’re a CEO, manager, co-worker or an employee who voluntarily identifies as having a mental health condition – can promote workplace well-being. These roles can range from setting the tone for an inclusive workplace, to providing and requesting assistance and accommodations, to being a source of support to peers and colleagues.”

Campaign resources include a video PSA – distributed to TV and radio stations nationwide – and related resources such as a workplace guide, a poster, an outreach toolkit and a mental health toolkit.

“Today, 1 in 5 working-age Americans has a mental health condition,” Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said in a March 29 press release. “As America recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health-friendly workplaces will be more important than ever. This timely public education campaign reminds us that we all have a role to play and that we all benefit from flexible, supportive workplaces that promote good mental health.”

Post a comment to this article

Safety+Health welcomes comments that promote respectful dialogue. Please stay on topic. Comments that contain personal attacks, profanity or abusive language – or those aggressively promoting products or services – will be removed. We reserve the right to determine which comments violate our comment policy. (Anonymous comments are welcome; merely skip the “name” field in the comment box. An email address is required but will not be included with your comment.)

Title

Bernard Fontaine Jr CIH CSP FAIHA
April 5, 2022
Mental health is a real concern for many workers. From on-the-job stressors to family life, stress is everywhere. Other types of stressors include long working hours, unwanted advances or bullying, sexual harassement, lack of control over job duties, and so much more. Compounding the issue are the all of the polical, social and economic factors. Leadership and the workforce needs to come together in an open forum and dialog to talk about the issues and what can be done to alleviate these concerns. There is help outside of work from religous organizations to local social venues such as the local barber shop or nail salon. When there are more serious concerns, there is professional help from suicide prevention to mental health counselors in the public domain. The point of this conversation is that nobody has to suffer alone. As occupational health and safety professionals, we have a duty to protect workers from harm. Talk to us and we will listen and take the appropriate measures to get the help needed. Substance abuse is not the answer to the problem.