Australia has a mental health crisis. The Productivity Commission has found mental health issues cost Australia up to A$200 billion to $220 billion per year – one tenth of annual economic output.

Job stress is a major contributing factor to that crisis, affecting both physical and mental health.

Using data from 2007 to 2021, an Australian study found employees who suffered moderate or high psychological distress took more sick leave, were less productive at work and were more likely to be underemployed.

This is backed up by data from Safe Work Australia. In 2022–23, work-related mental-health problems kept employees off work five times longer (or about 35 weeks) than average serious claims. Women are more affected than men.

Working from home, or even hybrid work, does not seem to be a simple solution either. Recent Australian research conducted post-pandemic found employees experienced more negative emotions, loneliness, depression and anxiety if they were working from home or had a hybrid working arrangement.

The key factors behind workplace depression

Our recent research, based on UK data, matches workers and employers to show how managers can potentially affect the work-related depression of their employees – for better and for worse.

We found work-related depression is widespread; about 49% of the 20,000 employees surveyed said their job made them feel depressed at least some of........

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