WorkCover Queensland appoints Aon as their Mental Health First Aid training partner to staff

Brisbane, 4 April 2018 – In 2017, WorkCover Queensland appointed Aon to deliver Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to its 750 staff as part of the insurance company’s commitment to championing a mentally healthy workplace.

Mental Health First Aid is a two-day evidence-based training program that will equip WorkCover Queensland employees with the skills and confidence to provide immediate assistance to colleagues and customers who are developing a mental health problem, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem, or experiencing a mental health crisis.

Over 400 WorkCover Queensland employees have achieved mental first aider accreditation since October 2017 and Aon expects all employees will have the opportunity to complete training by June this year.

“This training program encourages early intervention and aims to reduce the stigma often associated with mental illness,” said Yasmin Cox, Client Director, Work Health & Safety, Aon. “Our first aid programs and mental health webinars help businesses understand how to support staff that are experiencing mental health problems and encourage early help-seeking behaviours.”

WorkCover Queensland Manager Learning and Development, Nadiene Van Gorp, said mental health first aid training is highly sought after at WorkCover Queensland because of the care and concern our employees have for each other and their customers.

“Mental health first aid training is about helping our people to recognise the symptoms of different mental illnesses early so they can prevent negative long-term impacts on a person’s daily activities and work life,” Nadiene said.

Aon advised studies have shown that in addition to the moral imperative, there are also financial repercussions that companies can incur from mismanaged mental health in the workforce.

By developing an integrated approach to mental health in the workplace that considers support, as well as prevention of psychosocial hazards, and promotion of protective factors in the work environment, businesses can improve productivity and create more engaged employees.

WorkCover Queensland is a self-funded statutory authority providing tailored workers' compensation insurance solutions to over 159,000 Queensland businesses since 1997. WorkCover has maintained Australia’s lowest average premium rate since 2015 by continuously investing in efficient online customer services, expert in-house claims management capability and targeted benefits to employers and injured workers.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance.