Workplace mental health — supporting employees' psychological wellbeing and preventing workplace mental harm — is a growing investment area in New Zealand. Poor mental health costs NZ businesses billions annually through absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover. This guide covers the key funding sources for workplace mental health programmes.
WorkSafe is the primary workplace health and safety regulator:
- Psychological safety: Regulatory focus on managing mental harm at work
- WorkSafe guidance: Regulations and guidance on workplace mental health
- Bullying and harassment: WorkSafe enforcement of psychosocial hazards
- Sector guides: Industry-specific workplace mental health guidance
Organisations managing workplace mental health reduce WorkSafe risk and regulatory exposure.
ACC funds workplace injury prevention including mental harm:
- Workplace mental health investment: ACC-funded programmes
- Injury prevention funding: Mental harm prevention as injury prevention
- Employer levy: Levy rates reflect workplace injury rates
MBIE funds workplace wellbeing:
- Healthy Work Matters: MBIE programme for workplace wellbeing
- Employment relations: Fair employment as mental health factor
Te Pou funds mental health workforce and workplace:
- Workplace mental health resources: Tools for employers
- Mental health in workplaces: Research and guidance
Gaming trusts fund community workplace wellness:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community health including workplace
- Grassroots Trust: Community health and wellbeing
- Lion Foundation: Community health
Gaming trust workplace mental health applications:
- Mental Health First Aid training for small businesses
- Workplace wellbeing programmes for community organisations
- Employee assistance resources
Mental Health First Aid NZ:
- Training courses for workplaces
- Manager training on mental health
- Cost: ~$200–$400 per person for MHFA training
Gaming trusts and employers fund MHFA training.
Employee Assistance Programmes:
- EAP Services NZ: Short-term counselling for employees
- Workplace support: EAPs for crisis and general support
- Employer-funded: EAPs are typically employer investments
Gaming trusts can fund EAP for organisations that cannot afford commercial EAP costs.
Rural workplace mental health:
- Farmstrong: Farmer and farm worker mental health
- Rural Support Trusts: Farmer mental health in adversity (drought, flood)
- ACC: Farm injury and workplace mental health
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Employee reach: Workers accessing mental health support
- Training: Mental health literacy for managers and staff
- Policy: Workplace mental health policy and procedures
- Culture: Psychological safety and stigma reduction
- Return on investment: Reduced absenteeism, improved productivity
- Equity: Workplace mental health for high-risk industries
- EAP: Employee assistance access
- Crisis: Clear protocols for acute mental health in workplaces
Tahua's grants management platform helps organisations manage workplace mental health grant applications across WorkSafe, ACC, gaming trusts, and health foundations, tracking employee wellbeing, training, and mental health culture outcomes.