Australian managers need help managing mental illness

An Australian national survey has shown most respondents have been unsatisfied with their employers and managers on supporting employees with mental illness in the workplace, the charity Sane Australia said on Thursday. The survey, Australia's Working life and mental illness, by the national mental health charity Sane Australia, found that 95 percent of the 520 respondents thought employers and managers needed education on mental illness and how to manage its effects in the workplace. While more than 60 percent said their mental illness had not been a barrier when finding a job, the majority said that they haven't got any support from their employers or mangers once they were at work. "The survey paints a concerning and unsatisfactory picture of Australian workplaces," SANE Australia's Executive Director Barbara Hocking said in a statement on Thursday. "Many employees, including those who care for a family member with a mental illness, are being disadvantaged by a lack of flexibility, such as being able to work part-time, to work from home at times or to have adjustments made in the workplace," she said. According to the survey, two thirds of people reported to have revealed their histories of mental illness to their employer or manager.