mhtraining

How to support a colleague experiencing workplace bullying?

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:18:49 GMT

Sophie works in a large public sector team where one senior staff member frequently belittles junior colleagues during meetings. He often makes sarcastic remarks about their competence and dismisses their contributions. The behaviour is often visible to the rest of the team and never challenged by leadership. Sophie has reported feeling unsafe expressing her views and has started disengaging from team discussions. A colleague has gone on stress leave citing a “toxic work culture.”

Psychosocial Hazards:

Poor workplace interactions and behaviour (bullying)
Poor organisational justice (lack of response to inappropriate behaviour)
Inadequate support from leadership

Impacts:

Damage to mental wellbeing and workplace engagement
Increased staff turnover and sick leave
Legal and compliance risks under WHS obligations

How do you offer support?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

How to support remote workers who feel isolated and overlooked?

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:18:22 GMT

Tom is a remote field officer for a resource management company in the NT. He works mostly alone in remote areas, conducting environmental compliance inspections. He can go days without seeing a colleague in person and has limited mobile coverage. While Tom enjoys the work, he often feels disconnected from the broader organisation and unsure if his contributions are noticed. Recently, Tom expressed feeling "out of sight, out of mind" and unmotivated.

Psychosocial Hazards:

Remote and isolated work
Poor organizational support and communication
Lack of role clarity (uncertain about expectations or priorities)

Impacts:

Reduced motivation and work satisfaction
Heightened risk for mental ill-health due to isolation
Risk of safety incidents due to lack of support systems

How do you offer support?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

Spotting the signs of burnout and what you can do to help

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:17:36 GMT

Emma is a project coordinator at a growing engineering firm. Over the past six months, the firm has increased its project load significantly without hiring additional staff. Emma now regularly works 60-hour weeks, including weekends, to meet deadlines. She feels guilty asking for help, as her manager often remarks on how "busy everyone is." Emma has recently started experiencing sleep issues, anxiety, and has taken several sick days due to stress.

Psychosocial Hazards:

High job demands

Poor managerial support

Inadequate reward and recognition (effort not acknowledged)

Impacts:

Risk of burnout and longer-term psychological injury

Increased absenteeism and reduced productivity

Potential turnover and loss of organisational knowledge

How can you help?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

Supporting your mates through mental health

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 07:05:49 GMT

One of your mates, Clint has been struggling lately with his wellbeing. It is common

knowledge his marriage ended a few years back and his two sons are becoming more

independent. Whilst there hasn’t been any major changes that you have noticed, he just

seems a little ‘off’ he comes out occasionally, but doesn’t hang around for long and isn’t as outspoken as he is usually, he just looks sad.

How do you offer support?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

Supporting your daugther through mental health

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 07:05:03 GMT

Your daughter Louise is always up for a challenge, particularly if it means beating you at

something. Louise Caitlin loves playing football and is very competitive with fishing. Over

the past few months Louise has been spending more time in her room than normal. She

isn’t going out with her friends like she once did. Louise has pulled out of footy. When you encourage her to get out of the house it ends in a yelling match and Louise in tears

slamming her bedroom door.

How do you offer support?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

What to do if you notice an issue with a staff member?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 06:11:06 GMT

Over the past couple of weeks, you have noticed one of your co workers coming to work late and is having trouble concentrating on tasks. They are not sitting in the staff room as they would usually, they are heading to their car and have lunch on their own. This is out of character.

How do you offer support?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

How to support your NDIS team?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 06:09:58 GMT

You are working in the support team with an NDIS agency. One of your co workers has had a distressing time with a participant who was attacked in their home which has landed them in hospital. The support worker has just returned from visiting the participant in hospital and visibly upset.

How do you offer support?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

How to support your peers after a stressful event?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:50:22 GMT

Staff and community members have just been exposed to a very serious assault outside your workplace. Police and ambulance have arrived. The workplace is now locked and secure, staff and community members in the building need to remain in place until the

police say it is safe to leave.

Several staff and community members are quite distressed at what they just witnessed.

How do you offer support?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

How do you support stressed staff?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:48:10 GMT

Simon is your manager, the project you are on has blown out and getting reliable staff is an ongoing frustration which has contributed to the delays. You are aware Simon is under enormous pressure juggling many competing priorities. Simon looks really tired and is yelling at staff, not something he would normally do. He has been a great manager and are worried about him.

What are your options?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

How to support someone through loss?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:34:25 GMT

Your neighbour Stan lost his wife six months ago. After having lots of people in and out his place, visitors have dropped of now. His two sons live interstate. You have the occasional chat out the front, generally about the weather and the noisy neighbours down the road.

You notice his garden, which he is normally very proud of, is looking very neglected. You want to help him out, so you head over to his place to make the offer. Whilst he is grateful, he says no its ok, it doesn’t matter, it will all be sorted soon enough. You are uncomfortable with his last comment.

How do you repond?

Ask Pauline is she wants to add the answer to the question

How do you support your collegue through mental health?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:32:49 GMT

Ronnie has been working in the customer excellence area for two years. Recently there has be a couple of customers that have been verbally aggressive while Ronnie was on the front desk. This is not the first time Ronnie has experienced aggressive customers. You work in an unrelated area and notice that Ronnie seems agitated and keeps looking over to the door.

You get up and sit next to Ronnie and ask her if she is ok? She said she is worried that a customer is going to make it through to the staff room, she feels unsafe.

How can you help?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

What are the steps to supporting an overworked team?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:31:39 GMT

You are a member of an eight person team. Currently the there is only five in the team to manage all the work. Finding suitable replacements is an ongoing challenge. The workload has significantly increased, and your colleagues are starting to struggle with the load. When two of the team go on sick leave, leaving the team extremely vulnerable.

What steps can you take?

Ask Pauline is she wants to add the answer to the question

What are the impacts of organisational change on mental health?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:29:35 GMT

You are working in an office. Your work is manageable, and you enjoy the office environment. Over the past few months there has been some movement in management, and you now have you second acting manager. The direction they want you to take means all the work you have been doing for the last 5 weeks is redundant. Whilst irritating, you do as instructed. Four weeks later that acting manager moves to another department, this person is replaced, and you are now onto your third acting manager. They are now instructing you to go back to the original work you were doing. Along with your frustration, stress levels peak.

What are your options?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

How to support your NDIS client through mental health?

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 06:06:48 GMT

As an NDIS worker you are offering support to your client Sam, he has been a participant of the service for a few years now. You call him to arrange an in-person visit. When he answers the phone, you hear that his demeanour has change he seems irritable and asks you what’s the point, it is never going to get any better than this.

How do you offer support?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

You have experienced trauma at work, what support options are available?

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 05:28:47 GMT

What steps can you take?

Join our workshops to learn how to provide support in this situation.

How can you support young people through mental health?

Sat, 26 Sep 2020 18:03:05 GMT

You are team manager for the Under 18’s, Stewie is a consistent player, although he has been plagued by niggling injuries early in the season. He broke up with his girlfriend 2 weeks ago and hasn’t been to training since. No one really noticed until you go looking for those who haven’t responded to attend the Best and Fairest night next Saturday night. When you approached the coach, he said he hasn’t been around for a couple of weeks.

What do you do next?