In an increasingly multicultural workforce, simply providing generic employee assistance programs (EAPs) is no longer enough. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) employees often navigate unique psychological challenges at work, including cultural stigma, language barriers, and migration-related stress.

To move beyond “tick-the-box” compliance and create a truly supportive environment, organizations must adopt strategies that are culturally safe and lived experience-informed.

Here are five essential steps to actively improve the wellbeing of your CALD workforce:

1. Create Culturally Safe, Stigma-Free Spaces

Many CALD communities carry significant stigma around mental health, which prevents employees from seeking help.

• Action: Invest in educational programs and workshops that are specifically designed to break down stigma and address cultural barriers directly.
• Outcome: Build safe, culturally inclusive spaces where employees feel comfortable sharing their stories and developing practical skills to improve wellbeing.
• My Approach: I deliver tailored training and workshops that use authentic, story-driven learning experiences to address cultural stigma and foster connection.

2. Implement Leadership Training Rooted in Lived Experience

Managers are often the first line of support, but they require specialized tools to understand challenges outside of their own cultural context.

• Action: Equip leaders with the skills to recognize and respond to mental health challenges that are often unique to migrant and CALD employees, such as acculturation stress and generational conflict.
• Outcome: Managers become more supportive and considerate of the complex personal lives of their diverse team members.
• My Approach: I train leaders and teams to support diverse employees, helping to build resilient, connected organizations that truly value mental health.

3. Prioritize Language and Accessibility in Resources

A lack of appropriate language support is a major barrier to accessing mental health care.

• Action: Ensure mental health resources, early intervention programs, and communication are accessible to employees with varying levels of English proficiency.
• Outcome: Employees who may struggle with language barriers feel included and are more likely to utilize support services.
• My Approach: I offer tailored mental health training (e.g., Mental Health First Aid) for both English- and Hindi-speaking communities, directly addressing communication barriers.

4. Consult on Policy and Culture Design

Wellbeing isn’t just about programs; it’s about the fundamental policies and culture of the organization.

• Action: Conduct audits of existing policies and staff resilience strategies through a cultural and psychological safety lens.
• Outcome: Policies and culture are proactively designed to mitigate risks like migration-related stress and build a psychologically supportive environment.
• My Approach: I provide consulting services on psychological health policy and wellbeing culture design, moving organizations beyond compliance to real, structural change.

5. Offer Confidential, Culturally Sensitive Individual Support

For deeply personal issues like identity, trauma, and family dynamics, a confidential external channel is crucial.

My Approach: I offer 1-on-1 confidential counselling for a wide range of personal and work-related issues, informed by my over 500 sessions with multicultural clients.

Action: Provide access to counselling services that are known for their cultural competence and expertise in complex family/cultural issues.

Outcome: Employees have a trusted, confidential space for reflection and support for issues like acculturation, anxiety, depression, grief, and burnout.