2022 HeadFit Awards Winners Announced – Changing the Game for Workplace Mental Health

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    (Auckland – 30 November 2022) Workplaces from across Aotearoa came together tonight for the 2022 HeadFit Awards – a celebration of people, teams and organisations who are helping change how we talk about and address mental health at work.  Rugby League icon and mental health advocate Paul Whatuira hosted the ceremony, with 16 awards being presented and Kiwi jazz legends Nairobi Triotaking guests on a musical journey through the evening. The event included special remarks from Minister for Workplace Relations & Safety Hon Michael Wood, WorkSafe New Zealand GM, Health & Technical Services Catherine Epps and Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand CEO Shaun Robinson.

    Fulton Hogan took home the HSE Global Large Workplace of the Year award and the coveted WorkSafe Supreme Award for the organisation’s outstanding leadership and effort in supporting staff mental wellbeing. The construction sector can be hard on people, with workers experiencing high levels of stress, mental health challenges and higher suicide rates compared to other industries.  Fulton Hogan is leading the way in facing into these issues, with the judges describing them as “a top performer in a challenging industry — a case study on the impact of strong engagement and doing the basics well”.

    A key theme of the awards nominations was the power of staff with lived experience of neurodiversity and mental illness to make a difference in their workplaces. From Air New Zealand’s Chris Collins winning the Mental Health Foundation Lived Experience Leadership award, to Mitre 10’s Nicky Primrose taking home the All About People Specialist of the Year award – staff with lived experience of mental distress and mental illness are playing a crucial leadership role within workplaces.

    Smaller workplaces are also stepping up and changing the game when it comes to mental health at work. Coffee Supreme took home the nib New Zealand Emerging Programme of the Year award, with an energetic and impactful programme for strengthening mental wellbeing a work – including measuring team leaders on the engagement and happiness of their staff. And Worldline NZ was awarded Spark Small Workplace of the Year for its remarkable mental health and wellbeing programme focusing on culture, connection, supporting leaders and meeting the individual worker needs.

    Auckland Transport was recognised for its innovative and accessible mental health and wellbeing response – winning both the Xero Innovation & Technology Excellence award and My Everyday Wellbeing Public Sector Workplace of the Year. The judges were particularly impressed with AT’s holistic approach to engaging with staff across the workplace and their creative “Hauora carton of goodness” creative assets, which are helping surface mental health as an everyday topic for staff. AT also drew on local and international best practice guidelines to better support frontline staff experiencing aggressive or inappropriate customer behaviour.

    BNZ was awarded the Business Leaders’ Health & Safety Forum Learning & Development Excellence for working address a significant under-appreciated driver for health and wellbeing: sleep. BNZ identified the issue of inadequate sleep directly from staff feedback, and developed a simple evidence-based programme to help staff build better sleeping habits. Staff who completed the programme reported enjoyed an hour more sleep on average.

    Hato Hone St John was recognised as a finalist across four awards categories for their substantial work to support and strengthen staff mental wellbeing. Advanced Life Support Paramedic Mark Belchamber was recognised as Highly Commended for his lived experience leadership, and St John took out the Woo Wellbeing Diversity & Inclusion Excellence award for developing a ground-breaking framework and approach to supporting transgender and transitioning staff.

    Colonel Clare Bennett from New Zealand Defence Force joins Kiwi mental health icon Sir John Kirwan in being awarded the HeadFit Legend Award for Lifetime Achievement for her outstanding contribution over many years to improving mental health at work. “Col Bennett has led the way in systematically improving the approach to mental health within the workplace,” says HeadFit Awards Convenor Grant Pritchard. “Her tireless work, leadership and insights over many years have significantly improved workplace mental health frameworks and processes in New Zealand.”

    For the first time ever, judges awarded a Judges’ Special Commendation Award to business leader Michael Barnett for his leadership in supporting small business owners across Aotearoa to take a closer look at their own mental health, prioritise their wellbeing and be open to asking for help.

    Other winners on the night included Heidi Walker from Flight Centre New Zealand, who was named Groov Leader of the Year; Air New Zealand, which won the Fulton Hogan Best Targeted Programme award; Northpower,which scooped up the Vitae Engagement & Communication Excellence award; and My Everyday Wellbeing, which was awarded Top Drawer Consultants Provider of the Year. The complete list of 2022 HeadFit Awards finalists and winners is below.

    HeadFit Awards is New Zealand’s first national workplace mental health awards programme, developed by HeadFit Foundation with charity partner Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand and supported by Principal Sponsor WorkSafe New Zealand. They were created to:

    • raise awareness of the critical role workplaces can play to support the mental wellbeing of staff
    • showcase the work of winners to encourage other workplaces to take action, and
    • support the Mental Health Foundation as they work to improve mental health for all New Zealanders.

    “A massive congratulations to our 2022 finalists and winners,” says HeadFit Awards Convenor Grant Pritchard. “We are so proud of their energy and effort in improving mental health within the workplace. Their work is impacting the lives of workers and their families in a profound and positive way. They are an inspiration to us all, and show that New Zealand is just getting started when it comes to improving mental health at work. We can’t wait to see the nominations rolling in for the 2023 awards.”

    “These awards would not be possible without the generosity and support of Principal Sponsor WorkSafe, and sponsors and supporters All About People, Business Leaders’ Health & Safety ForumFulton Hogan, Groov, HSE Global, Mitre 10, My Everyday Wellbeing, nib New Zealand, Novotel Auckland Ellerslie, SparkTop Drawer ConsultantsWhittaker’sWoo Wellbeing and Xero. The last year has been an incredibly challenging time in the wake of COVID, with global turmoil and a challenging economic climate. We acknowledge the generosity and kindness of our sponsors, who have stood with us in support of this important kaupapa.”

    “We are thrilled to be supporting the 2022 HeadFit Awards and extend our congratulations all finalists and winners. Mental health is a significant challenge facing workers and organisations across New Zealand. Your creativity, courage and dedication are making a difference within your workplaces,” says WorkSafe Chief Executive Phil Parkes. “Through the awards, we can recognise and showcase best-practice examples of what’s working well.  We encourage all winners and finalists to continue your good work and keep sharing what’s working for you to inspire other workplaces.  There’s no quick-fix solution when it comes to mental health at work, but by listening, learning and sharing together, we can help create a future where thriving workers and mentally healthy work are the norm.”

    The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand has been appointed as charity partner for the awards, with HeadFit Foundation directly supporting the Mental Health Foundation with fundraising through the awards. “The awards allows us to not only shine a light on workplaces that are leading in this space, but also to support the Mental Health Foundation,” says Pritchard. “It has been a tough season for them. We’re working to raise at up to $30,000 for Mental Health Foundation by matching donations on our dedicated fundraising page.”

    Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson adds “We’re stoked to be partnering with the HeadFit team for this year’s awards. As New Zealanders work through these tough economic times, staff mental health and wellbeing needs to be a key priority for workplaces. Mental Health Foundation is working hard to create practical tools and resources to help workplaces better support staff mental wellbeing and improve workplace culture, policies and practices. Congratulations every winner and finalist for making a positive difference in the world around you at work.”

    ENDS.

    The complete list of 2021 HeadFit Awards finalists and winners is below and at www.headfitawards.org/winners/. Low resolution photography is available here and can be freely used by media with attribution to photographer Dave Simpson.

    Award winners are available for interview.

    Individual Award Winners

    Award NameFinalistsWinner
    All About People
    Specialist of the Year
    John Frear Giltrap Group
    Ross Larsen Flight Centre NZ (Highly Commended)
    Nicky Primrose Mitre 10
    Nicky Primrose
    Mitre 10
    Mental Health Foundation
    Lived Experience Leadership  
    Mark Belchamber Hato Hato Hone St John (Highly Commended)
    Chris Collins Air New Zealand
    Natalee Scripps-Hawkins Auckland Airport
    Chris Collins
    Air New Zealand
    Awards Judges
    Special Commendation for Leadership
     Michael Barnett
    Auckland Business Chamber
    Groov
    Leader of the Year
     
    Mark Lewis Connetics
    Dr Tony Smith Hato Hone St John
    Heidi Walker Flight Centre New Zealand
    Heidi Walker
    Flight Centre New Zealand
    HeadFit Foundation
    Legend Award for Lifetime Achievement
     Col Clare Bennett
    New Zealand Defence Force

    Programme & Excellence Award Winners

    Award NameFinalistsWinner
    nib New Zealand
    Best Emerging Programme
    Coffee Supreme
    Giltrap Group
    Coffee Supreme
    Fulton Hogan
    Best Targeted Programme
    Air New Zealand
    Hato Hone St John
    nib New Zealand
    Air New Zealand
    Woo Wellbeing
    Diversity & Inclusion Excellence
     Hato Hone St John
    Xero
    Innovation & Technology Excellence
    Auckland Transport
    Giltrap GroupWorldline NZ
    Auckland Transport
    Business Leaders’ Health & Safety Forum
    Learning & Development Excellence
    BNZ
    Flight Centre New Zealand (Highly Commended)
    Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury
    BNZ
    Vitae
    Engagement & Communication Excellence
    Fulton Hogan
    Northpower
    Worldline NZ
    Northpower

    Workplace Award Winners

    Award NameFinalistsWinner
    Top Drawer Consultants
    Provider of the Year
    CoLiberate (Highly Commended)
    My Everyday Wellbeing
    Shine DVFREE
    My Everyday Wellbeing
    Spark
    Small Workplace of the Year  
    Coffee Supreme
    Whitaker Civil Engineering (Highly Commended)
    Worldline NZ
    Worldline NZ
    HSE Global
    Large Workplace of the Year
    Flight Centre New Zealand (Highly Commended)
    Fulton Hogan
    Giltrap Group
    Fulton Hogan
    My Everyday Wellbeing
    Public Sector Workplace of the Year
     Auckland Transport
    WorkSafe
    Supreme Award
     Fulton Hogan

    About the awards
    The HeadFit Awards is New Zealand’s first national workplace mental health awards programme. They were established to celebrate individuals, teams and workplaces who are leading in the area of workplace mental health and have three primary goals:

    • raising awareness of the critical role workplaces can play to support positive mental health for staff
    • showcasing the work of winners and finalists to inspire and support other workplaces
    • supporting the Mental Health Foundation as they work to improve mental health for all New Zealanders

    About HeadFit
    HeadFit provides mental wellbeing training, development and consulting services to New Zealand workplaces. HeadFit was created to help workplaces take a fresh look at how they do mental health at work. Because if we can change how we do mental health at work, we can change the world.

    About the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
    Mental Health Foundation is New Zealand’s leading mental health charity. It provides resources, information, advocacy and programmes aimed at helping to create a society that is free from discrimination, where all people enjoy positive mental health & wellbeing.

    Media contacts

    For more information and interviews please use the following contacts or the contact details at https://www.headfitawards.org/contact/:

    • Grant Pritchard
      Director
      HeadFit Foundation
      Mobile: 021 343 121
    • Mark Wilson
      Team Lead, Public Relations & Media Engagement
      Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
      Mobile: 021 998 949
    Principal Sponsor
    WorkSafe
    Charity Partner
    Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
    Sponsors
    All About PeopleBusiness Leaders' Health & Safety Forum
    Groov
    HSE Global
    nib New ZealandSpark
    Top Drawer Consultants
    Whittaker'sWoo Wellbeing
    Xero

    Selected sponsorship packages are still available. Please call 021343121 or submit an enquiry form to request a sponsorship prospectus and talk through the available options.

    Event Support Partners
    Awards Trophy & Engraving ExpertsCreative Eye
    Dave Simpson PhotographyMatley Chartered Accountants
    Mitre 10Outspoken
    Our 2022 winners have been announced!
    Check out the media release and photos from the night!
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