PANDA at Work

The PANDA at Work Toolkit helps workplaces better support the mental health of staff who are expecting or having a baby or returning to work after parental leave.

The resources in the Toolkit have been written with staff, managers and HR professionals in mind, and were developed in collaboration with mums and dads who have experienced mental illness during pregnancy or in the first year after the birth.

Resources include:

• expert, practical advice for talking about pregnancy, new parenthood and perinatal mental illness in the workplace
• tips on how to support staff returning to work after perinatal mental illness
• advice on how to check in on staff who are on parental leave
• personal stories written by parents whose perinatal mental illness affected their working lives
• videos and downloads.

Resources from the Toolkit can be shared or reproduced in internal communications, included on a business intranet or other internal location.

You must register to access the PANDA at Work resource kit. Registration takes a couple of minutes to complete.

Registered workplaces are eligible to become PANDA Aware Workplaces. This means a listing on PANDA’s website, as well as a PANDA Aware Workplace logo that can be displayed through your own channels for one year after registration.

Why you should be a PANDA Aware employer

The PANDA at Work Toolkit can help you build a positive workplace culture and increase productivity and overall staff satisfaction. Resources in the Toolkit will:

• assist your employees who are having a baby to understand the importance of looking after their mental health. This is good for your staff and also good for your workplace.
• help your managers support staff who might be affected by perinatal mental illness.
• demonstrate that you are taking steps to raise awareness of the importance of perinatal mental health and help break down the silence that can further complicate this illness
• help expecting and new parents who are struggling with mental health issues to recognise what is happening and get help sooner.

PANDA Aware Workplaces are workplaces where staff feel wanted and valued and managers feel empowered to support staff who are struggling. This means happy, productive team members and teams working together effectively.

PANDA gratefully acknowledges the funding provided by the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation to support this new initiative.