Allianz today flagged concerns over employee wellbeing at Australian workplaces after its data shows workers’ compensation claims for active psychological injury remain 12% above pre-pandemic levels.

Chief GM Julie Mitchell says organisations must do more to understand how workplaces have changed since 2019, and address the renewed challenges employees are experiencing.

Research commissioned by Allianz found two in five or 43% of employees are uncomfortable initiating crucial conversations in the workplace, with nearly a quarter not satisfied with how often their manager checks in with them about their mental health.

“While having open and honest conversations is extremely important to facilitate a mentally healthy workplace, the research shows employees are avoiding them or find them somewhat uncomfortable, creating a disconnect between managers and their staff,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Whether it be about flexible working arrangements, annual leave or even a promotion, these topics are going to surface, and they need to be prioritised.

“The steady rise in psychological injury claims highlights that this needs to be a focus, yet our research has shown that the majority of employees have not had training on how to conduct these conversations.”

The research, conducted last December online with a nationally representative sample of 834 Australian employees and 259 senior managers, indicated gaps in how workers and management feel about the state of affairs.

More than a third of employees do not feel satisfied with their employer’s ability to create a mentally healthy workplace but nearly a quarter of managers say they proactively check in with team members regularly to create opportunities to share their concerns about mental health.

In other key findings, two in five or 43% of managers believe that facilitating crucial conversations and having an open discussion promotes a mentally healthy workplace.

However 65% of employees would not turn to their manager first to conduct these conversations, with 41% saying they will approach their peers or someone outside their workplace before their manager.