How to re-spark RUOK day in the workplace

According to R U OK? research, 90% of people who are regularly asked “Are you OK?” feel more supported, connected, and cared for.

After more than a decade of R U OK? Day, it’s natural for engagement to dip, but its message has never been more important. With a direct impact on wellbeing, it deserves a meaningful place in your workplace calendar.

Those who are engaged with R U OK? are also more likely to:

• Ask someone face-to-face if something is troubling them

• Listen to someone talk about their problems

• Refer someone to a support service

With 42.9% of Australians having experienced a poor mental health, the importance of making the workplace, a space where most of us spend a third of our lives, a mentally healthy and supportive environment is clear. But with the message diluting over the years, how do we re-engage employees?

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How to make R U OK? Day count in 2025

To reignite interest and embed R U OK? Day into your workplace culture, it must feel personal and purposeful. Here are some simple, cost-free ways to make it meaningful:

• Remind employees of existing wellbeing benefits. Encourage group participation in initiatives like exercise classes or counselling services to normalise support-seeking.

• Change the setting for deeper conversations. Walking side-by-side can feel less confronting than face-to-face. Suggest a prompt like, “What’s one thing you’re stressed about and one thing you’re looking forward to?” to get conversations flowing.

• Display R U OK? Day posters in high-traffic areas like bathroom stalls and kitchen spaces. Rotate them to keep the message fresh.

• Share official R U OK? videos and use them to prompt discussion. Then workshop together how to ask "Are you OK?" in real-life workplace scenarios.

• Ask your team how they’d like to engage. Let employees vote on topics, speakers, or activities for R U OK? Day to ensure relevance and buy-in.

• Create a company-specific theme. For example, at Health at Work, our theme is Resilient Reactions, exploring how to support someone acting out of character, and how to manage your own reactions when you’re the one struggling.

• Update your email signatures for September with an R U OK? Day message and include links to trusted support services like Beyond Blue and Lifeline.

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Support from the top matters most

While campaigns and activities are important, employees need to hear mental health support from those shaping their workplace experience, your leaders.

Psychosocial legislation now requires workplaces to actively manage risks like stress, anxiety, and burnout. This includes identifying hazards, assessing their impact, and implementing measures to reduce harm. Leadership plays a key role in this.

Our Leading Mental Health program empowers managers to:

• Understand psychosocial risks and mental health

• Identify the impacts of mental ill-health in the workplace

• Recognise early signs and offer support

• Have effective, confidential wellbeing conversations

• Report and respond appropriately to risks

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When leaders are trained in mental health, they do more than meet compliance, they model compassionate leadership. Research shows that training and coaching can improve manager performance by up to 28%, while also boosting team engagement and psychological safety.

If you’re unsure whether your leaders are equipped to support mental wellbeing, now is the time to upskill. Our program helps you meet legislative requirements and build a genuine culture of care.

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Program details:

• 4-hour workshop (online or on-site), or a comprehensive annual program

• Aligns with psychosocial legislation

• Practical, engaging, and led by experts

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R U OK? Day is more than a date on the calendar, it’s an opportunity to reignite empathy, connection, and care in the workplace. But to make it count, we must move beyond posters and hashtags. We need purposeful conversations, everyday support, and empowered leadership.

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By re-sparking R U OK? Day and equipping leaders with the right tools, your workplace can go from passive awareness to active care, creating an environment where mental health is prioritised every day of the year.

If you or someone you know is in distress, these services offer confidential support:

Lifeline Australia – call 13 11 14

Beyond Blue – call 1300 22 46 36

13YARN – Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Support - call 13 92 76

QLife – call 1800 184 527

MensLine Australia – call 1300 78 99 78

Kids Helpline – call 1800 55 1800

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling – call 1800 011 046

Black Dog Institute – Better Mental Health

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