With thousands of team members across hundreds of sites, Metcash is helping make mental health support part of everyday workplace culture, with care and connection at the heart of its approach. We spoke to Metcash, a Master MHFA Recognised Workplace, about how Mental Health First Aid is helping strengthen confidence, connection and support across their organisation.
As part of its broader commitment to mental health and wellbeing, Metcash recognised that mental health is just as important as physical safety. The leadership team set out to create a workplace where people felt safe, supported, and equipped to respond to the mental health of their team members.
Identifying the need for change
Meg Tecson, Group Manager of Workers Compensation & Injury Management at Metcash, said the organisation proactively recognised the need to evolve how mental health is understood and supported across the workplace. With a geographically dispersed workforce, Metcash saw both an opportunity and a responsibility to build stronger, more consistent mental health capability in a practical and scalable way, with genuine care being within the DNA of the business.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training was identified as a practical, evidence-based program that could support earlier conversations, provide clear guidance for responding with care, and help normalise mental health as part of everyday work culture.
Leading with training and advocacy
Given the size and complexity of the organisation, Metcash took a considered approach to implementation. They knew that early buy-in from the leadership team could build early support, shared understanding, and ensure strong rollout across the organisation.
“We invited some of the influential leaders across the business to go through the training as a group,” said Meg.
“One of the most powerful outcomes that’s come from this journey is seeing leaders being able to – confidently and with care – deal with something that’s in front of them.”
“Because of the MHFA training they can confidently triage, and know where they can get support when it’s bigger than what they can do on their own.”
This leadership-first approach set the tone for a culture where care is modelled from the top and carried through every conversation.
Transforming culture
What started as a workplace initiative has become a major driver of culture change, helping people feel more confident and caring within and outside the workday.
“Since the introduction of Mental Health First Aid training, we’ve seen a shift in culture – especially where we’ve got a very blue-collar workforce,” Meg explained.
“People who wouldn’t normally interact with each other but are undergoing the same kind of challenges can now connect and debrief with each other, while also building skills together and have that kind of shared learning experience.”
The effect of training over 600 MHFAiders can be felt by team members who haven’t had the chance yet, with workplace staff surveys showing the impact across the workforce.
“Last year’s staff survey was quite a big jump with respect to how our employees were feeling. The sentiment of ‘my leader cares for me and my wellbeing and mental health’ was in the top three overall for the last 2 years,” said Meg.
The program has also sparked new initiatives across their supported stores. Team members in Hardware created the Mitre 10 “401 Club” – a peer-led wellbeing initiative with run clubs, barbecues and community events – showing how awareness of mental health can inspire positive change.
Overall, MHFA training has helped people put care into action, creating safer, more connected workplaces and communities where mental health conversations are normal and ongoing.
Where to next?
Since 2019, Metcash has trained more than 600 team members – ensuring every site and shift has a trained MHFAider. Team members now know that mental health support in the workplace is never far.
Conversations about mental health have become more open and the team have also expanded the training to independent retailers and joint ventures, opening the opportunity to their retailers, including those in rural and remote areas.
Mental Health First Aid training is now a key part of Metcash’s wellbeing strategy. Looking ahead, the organisation plans to go beyond triage and grow their focus on prevention as well.
Their goal is simple: keep building confidence, reduce stigma, and make sure every conversation has the power to make a difference.
