Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Workshop #1 - Exploring the Benefits and Techniques of Good Work Design

The Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Landmark Study found that while levels of psychological distress and burnout were high, those who experienced good work design also reported better mental health outcomes. These findings are in line with decades of research showing that good work design practices have positive impacts on individuals, teams and organisations.

This FREE workshop, funded by the MARS Program and delivered by the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University, is designed to develop and enhance the skills of frontline managers and HR/WHS (or related) professionals in the WA mining industry to design good work within their organisation and amongst their teams.

This workshop will cover the fundamentals of designing good work in the mining industry, explore how work design is linked to mental health, and provide hands-on guidance on how to design effective work to reduce burnout and psychological distress. This workshop will further equip you with the skills to identify, understand and address psychosocial hazards at your workplace as identified by WorkSafe WA.

Event details

Date: Thursday 19 June 2025Time: Registrations commence at 8:30 am, Workshop 9:00 am - 12:30 pmLocation: ANZAC House Veteran Central (28 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA)Tea and coffee will be available upon arrival, with a short break during the workshop for morning tea, including light refreshments.

In this workshop, you will gain an understanding of:

• The fundamentals of designing good work

• How work is linked to mental health and well-being

• How to design effective work to reduce burnout and psychological distress

• Identifying, understanding and addressing psychosocial hazards in the workplace

  
  

Who is this workshop for?

• Frontline managers and supervisors working in the WA mining industry

• Other managers and professionals working in functions such as as HR, WHS, well-being and related areas

  
  

Please note enrolment in the MARS Program Workshops prioritises eligible participants employed primarily in the mining sector. If a registrant does not meet this eligibility criteria, we may be in touch to discuss their registration. If you are unsure about your eligibility, we encourage you to contact us at marslandmarkstudy@curtin.edu.au.

Important notes:

• This is an in-person workshop only, and no online option is available. 

• Early registration is recommended as places are strictly limited to 50 participants.

• To maintain workshop cohort diversity, there is a cap of a maximum of 5 employees per organisation. If there is exceptional interest you may have the opportunity to be placed in a waitlist.

• While an organisation may register multiple employees from the same department or function (e.g., HR), we recommend nominating individuals from a range of functions (e.g., frontline managers and supervisors, HR and WHS) to ensure the greatest overall benefit for the organisation.

Enquiries: marslandmarkstudy@curtin.edu.au

About the facilitator: Dr Cheryl Yam

Cheryl is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Transformative Work Design. She holds a PhD and a Masters in Psychology (Industrial and Organisational), and is an Organisational Psychologist Registrar. Within the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University's Future of Work Institute, she is the lead Research Fellow on the MARS Program Landmark Study. She has also previously provided support in a wide range of projects, including the 2018 FIFO worker mental health study conducted for the Western Australian Mental Health Commission, and Women in Research – an initiative aimed at supporting the unique gendered experiences of women working in academia, as well as an ongoing large-scale, national project aimed at reducing psychosocial risks in the workplace.

About the Centre for Transformative Work Design

The Centre for Transformative Work Design is a Research Centre where passionate organisational psychology researchers and professionals are working together to transform work under the directorship of Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow, Professor Sharon K. Parker.

We conduct high quality, independent and innovative research to understand the role of work design in generating healthy and productive work. We are committed to fostering the design of good work across all industries.

For more information, visit https://curtin.edu/ctwd/.

About the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Landmark Study

The Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Program is a WA Government initiative that aims to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of workers and others in the mining industry. The MARS Landmark Study - led by Professor Sharon Parker at the Centre for Transformative Work Design (CTWD) based at Curtin University's Future of Work Institute - aims to design and implement a research and evaluation project focused on the mining industry, regarding three focus areas: 1) mental health and well-being, 2) sexual harassment, assault, and a respectful culture, and 3) the future of work in mining.For more information, visit https://curtin.edu/mars-lms.

The MARS Landmark Study workshop series is an initiative funded by the MARS Program.