Coming Together for Employee Wellbeing

The business joined other companies across Australia to support the annual event on May 17 – a collaboration between mental health awareness organisations R U OK? and Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds. Mental health advocate and RMS Safety and Compliance Officer Daniel Langley, proudly hosted various activities including a breakfast and morning tea at our Langwarrin and Mulgrave sites in Melbourne, to generate discussion about helping colleagues feel supported when they are confronted with life’s challenges. “It’s all about driving awareness and support for mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and talking to each other regularly by asking – Are You Okay? and really paying attention to the answer,” Daniel says. “As a truck driver for example, you can be working a whole day without having a proper conversation with someone else because you’re moving to and from various locations. Shift work and tight deadlines can also contribute to people feeling less connected. “We’re encouraging meaningful conversations within the resource recovery sector, whether it’s at the office, truck yard or tip site. No matter what job you do, we all have an ongoing part to play to look after each other, by asking – Are You Okay?” Daniel knows first-hand the heartbreak of losing a friend, a school mate to mental illness four years ago. “We met in high school and stayed in touch. Five days before Christmas, I received a call about his death, he was aged in his early 30s. It was an incredible shock and of course very sad. I often ask myself could I have done anything more to help him, so he’d be here with us today. “I am very proud to work at RMS and participate in R U OK? Trucks & Sheds Day, to give workmates the confidence to checkin on others, even if there are no obvious signs they are doing it tough. “We can all be thrown curveballs in life and it’s okay to talk about it at work – taking the time to listen to one another whether it’s out on site or in the office.”

DRIVING CONVERSATION TO BUILD A POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH CULTURE FOR WORKERS IN THE ROAD TRANSPORT, WAREHOUSING AND LOGISTICS INDUSTRIES, INSPIRED RESOURCECO MATERIAL SOLUTIONS (RMS) TO TAKE PART IN R U OK? TRUCKS & SHEDS DAY.

“WITH THE ADDED CHALLENGES ARISING FROM A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THERE’S NEVER BEEN A MORE IMPORTANT TIME TO CONNECT AND REGULARLY CHECK-IN WITH THOSE AROUND US, EVEN DURING OUR BUSY DAYS.”

R U OK? has four simple steps to start a conversation: Ask, Listen, Encourage Action and Check-in. RMS State Manager in Victoria, Deane Reid, says Daniel and the team are to be congratulated for getting involved in the event. “It says a lot about our culture here, the trust and care we have for each other is very unique.” “Our industry can be very demanding for our drivers and contractors - we operate at a very high level all the time. It’s important everyone knows we’re here for each other,” Deane says. ResourceCo offers all employees support outside of the company via a third party - Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The confidential program is a free service where workers can access qualified professionals. Contact EAP on 1300 667 700. ResourceCo values all its workers and is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to fostering a workplace environment, where workers treat others with courtesy, dignity and respect, and where inappropriate behaviour is not accepted or tolerated. Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds Foundation is an industry body that was specifically created to improve mental health and wellbeing across the road transport, warehousing and logistics sector. For more information: www.healthyheads.org.au