Workplace Wellbeing: Rights and Local Resources

Bendigo workers gained clearer access to mental health leave provisions under the Fair Work Act amendments that took effect in March 2025, allowing up to three days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave to cover stress-related absences without penalty.

Local employers in manufacturing and health care report rising absenteeism tied to burnout, with the Bendigo Health campus on Lucan Street logging 14 percent more mental health related claims last financial year than in 2023. This pattern aligns with national trends where prolonged high-pressure rosters leave staff without recovery time, pushing more people to seek formal protections before conditions worsen.

Local programs offer practical outlets

The Rosalind Park parkrun, held every Saturday at 8am, draws dozens of shift workers from the central business district who use the 5km loop around the park and adjacent Bendigo Creek recreational trail for low-cost stress relief. Participants often combine the run with follow-up sessions at the Bendigo Health campus wellness clinic, which runs free mindfulness workshops on alternate Tuesdays for anyone holding a current Medicare card.

These options sit alongside the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail access point near the Bendigo railway station, where staff from nearby offices log evening walks to meet the 150 minutes of moderate activity recommended in the 2024 National Mental Health Commission guidelines.

Numbers show the scale of need

Safe Work Australia data released in June 2026 recorded 9,200 serious mental health claims across Victoria in the prior 12 months, with regional centres such as Bendigo accounting for 312 of those cases at an average cost of $48,000 per claim in lost time and medical expenses. Employers must now display the updated psychosocial hazard code on site noticeboards by 1 August, spelling out duties to assess workload and support flexible arrangements.

Staff can request a formal risk assessment through their union or the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission hotline, then book an appointment at the Bendigo Health campus occupational health unit to document symptoms. Those steps often lead to adjusted rosters or referral to the Rosalind Park based employee assistance program sessions that start at no out-of-pocket cost for eligible workers.