While Virgin Australia suffered financial turmoil during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns of air travel, by the start of 2022 it was forecasting a return to pre-bankruptcy volumes of domestic travel on its salvaged airline.82 The company had previously set an example in people management, such as in 2018 when it pioneered its mobile- and web-based platform for health and wellbeing, Better Me, which was compiled by organisational psychologists and mindfulness experts at Smiling Mind. The program was available for staff and included guided meditations for minimising stress, maximising sleep, and improving decision making, concentration and focus.83 Virgin Australia passengers and staff could also access the program to counter the common phenomenon of the fear of flying. It started in 2019 with passengers able to note if they have travel anxiety when they book their ticket. Tailored communications to ease anxiety arrive ahead of their flight, and then trained staff interact with them during the flight to create a calming environment. Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, has broadly supported mental health initiatives for Virgin’s staff and customers around the world. Commenting as the 2022 new year commenced, Branson said, ‘Supporting the mental health of employees, customers, and the wider community should already be a major priority for companies around the world. In the year ahead, as working from home becomes more common and our lives grow more interconnected than ever, there will be even greater focus upon mental health alongside physical health and wellbeing. This should have a positive impact on individuals, businesses, and communities.’84 The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) aligned with Branson’s view in a report to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in which pilots and air traffic controllers were identified as being at high risk of mental stress, especially during the pandemic and other pivotal safety events.85 Branson also promotes the companies that assist and support other companies to address mental health issues, including Smiling Mind, Headspace and Soma Analytics. While Branson and Virgin Australia set a good benchmark, there is a rising cadre of companies that recognise and address the stresses and strains of workplaces and implement mental health initiatives as a result. Other examples you may like to investigate are Australia Post (first government business enterprise to appoint a Chief Mental Health Officer),86 and iNSPIRETEK a \($2.5\) million seed-funded start-up aiming to help young athletes around the world better manage emotional wellbeing.

 Questions:

Mainstream 

1. What are the main reasons why mental health initiatives would be adopted by organisations such as Virgin Australia and Australia Post?
2. Complete a brief cost-benefit analysis of Virgin’s Better Me platform, based on the main points in the case study.
Critical 

1. Discuss whether your own organisation is doing what it should in order to address the mental health issues of all of its staff.
2. Is mindfulness in the workplace just a management fad, or is there something substantial in its core?