Regional workers are facing disproportionate levels of workplace mental health problems, with stress, bullying and harassment among the leading causes of claims, new figures show.
Data released by Allianz Insurance found mental injury claims accounted for 19 per cent of all workers’ compensation claims in regional areas, compared with 13 per cent in metropolitan areas.
The findings come as more than 700,000 regional workers consider leaving their jobs within the next year, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the insurer.
Nearly a quarter of regional respondents said their mental health was the worst it had been during their working lives, while almost one in five said no workplace support was available.
Stress was the biggest driver of mental health claims among regional employees, followed by bullying or harassment and workplace violence.
Brianna Cattanach, Allianz’s mental health strategy manager, said poor workplace culture was behind many of the issues, while emergency staff, teachers and retail workers were experiencing increased abuse.
“That likely reflected a broad decline in wellbeing across the community,” she said.
“People are increasingly dealing with challenges in the workplace that are … confronting and harmful and are being driven through interactions with those outside of the workplace.”
Regional emergency workers face complex pressures
A former emergency worker known as Sam said she developed severe mental distress after responding to murders, sexual assaults and drug-related incidents in a regional area over two decades.
She said an intense workload and a “blokey” culture had gradually worn her down before she left her first-responder career in 2023. For years afterwards, she struggled to drive through the town where she had worked without shaking uncontrollably.
Sam, who asked for her full name and job title to be withheld, said she had previously told her manager she was not coping, but was given additional work. When she objected, she felt she was punished for insubordination.
“That was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she said.
She also said she could not access long-term confidential mental health care through her employer because her manager had to approve the paperwork.
Research by the University of New England, released in September, found rural emergency workers faced more complex mental health risks than their city counterparts.
The study identified isolation, misogyny and expectations of stoicism as additional pressures, warning workers could “leave in droves” without adequate support.
Cattanach said employers needed to engage actively with local support services and recognise that pressures outside work could affect employees.
“Workplaces really need to consider this evolving challenge we’re seeing across our communities and how it might be interacting with your workers,” she said.
Sam, who is still recovering, said a culture of stoicism had initially concealed the extent of the problems.
“People tend to soldier on. But it gets to the point where the wheels fall off,” she said.
