Workplace Profiles

2021 Thriving Workplace Score

Rank

#8

of 19

Agriculture, forestry and fishing

65.7/100

-0.1

65.7

-0.1

0
100

The Agriculture, forestry and fishing industry includes crop growing, livestock farming, aquaculture, logging, fishing, hunting and shearing services.

Graph – Thriving Score for the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Industry over time

Industry Thriving Score: Progress over Time

The Agriculture, forestry and fishing industry’s overall thriving workplace score is just above the national average in 2021, despite facing plenty of challenges around COVID-safe practices, transport logistics and extreme weather conditions.

In line with the national scores, the industry lost some of the gains made in leadership during 2020. However, there was also substantial growth in capability as workplaces have increasingly provided workers with resources they need and people are better prepared to support their colleagues’ mental health. The domain furthest from thriving is policy, which lost some ground in 2021 after strong growth in the previous year.

What can you do?

If your workplace doesn’t have a mental health policy or strategy, you can learn how to develop one from the resource in the link below.

This graph depicts the Thriving Score for the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Industry over time

Graph – Thriving Score for the Agriculture, forestry and fishing industry over time

Create a Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Learn more about developing a strategy

Within this industry…

52.8%

of workers have experienced a mental health condition* in the last 12 months
*Refer to Technical report notes

46.9%

of workers feel their workplace is highly supportive of workers’ mental health and wellbeing

68.0%

of workers plan to stay with their workplace for the next 12 months

Psychosocial Risk Profile

Psychosocial risks are workplace operations that increase stress and reduce mental wellbeing.
Read more

Inappropriate workload

2.6

Low recognition

2.5

Poor change management

2.5

Poor management support

2.4

Low job control

2.3

Poor role clarity

2.3

Poor workplace relationships

2.2

Poor working environment

2.2

Traumatic events

2.0

Key:

Table – Psychosocial Risk Profile for Agriculture, forestry and fishing industry

Highest Psychosocial Risk

The highest psychosocial risk facing the Agriculture, forestry and fishing industry is inappropriate workload.

How can you manage this risk?

Work in this industry is often physically demanding so it’s important to make sure workers have appropriate workloads, especially given the current shortage of seasonal workers due to pandemic-related border restrictions. Regularly review the workload of you team and remember not everyone can do the same amount of work.

You can also:

  • Ensure workers have adequate breaks between shifts
  • Avoid extended periods of long or irregular working hours
  • Regularly review staffing levels to ensure they’re adequate
  • Where possible, rotate between tasks that are mentally, physically, or emotionally demanding, and
  • Encourage workers to have input into the pace of their work.
Learn more

Agriculture, forestry and fishing was one of the industries identified as a national priority for health and safety prevention activities in SafeWork Australia’s Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022. Click below to read more.

SafeWork Australia: Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022