BeyondBlue chief executive Georgie Harman said that openness about mental health issues could potentially help managers create the best environment to aid recovery.

But workers should speak openly only where they were confident they would be supported, she said at an event in Melbourne to promote improved mental health outcomes in businesses.

BeyondBlue still heard "horror stories" about people finding themselves stigmatised and victims of outdated attitudes to mental illness at work.

Debate over the disclosure of mental health issues has intensified in the wake of the Germanwings plane crash, after co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was later revealed to have suffered from depression.

But Ms Harman said workers considering revealing mental illness should think about what support networks employers had in place, the culture of their workplace and how their immediate manager was likely to react to the discussion.

For employees considering whether to reveal their condition in workplaces where there was little awareness of mental health issues, Ms Harman had simple advice:

"Don't, because you might not get that promotion, you might get the sack, there might be repercussions."

Ms Harman said she would like to see every workplace have an open disclosure policy and the end of discrimination.

But there was still a long way to go, she said.

"We're not encouraging full and open disclosure in every circumstance."

"But where we want to be is a workplace culture where everyone feels they are confident and safe to disclose. That's nirvana," she said.

Ms Harman said the construction and banking industries had been particularly proactive in building healthy workplaces, but businesses in other sectors needed to change to treat mentally ill employees more fairly.

Starts at the top

It was a good idea to start at the top of a business – with the chief executive announcing that creating a safe environment for employees to disclose their mental illness was a priority, Ms Harman said.

Monitoring workloads and stamping out bullying providing would help, she said, as would providing flexible work arrangements and return-to-work plans for people experiencing a mental illness.

The Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance had created an online tool to help workers weight up the pros and cons of telling their manager about their mental ill health, as part of their "Heads Up" initiative.

BeyondBlue co-hosted a workshop with Diversity Council Australia and the Business Council of Australia in Melbourne on Tuesday morning to teach employers how to build mentally healthy environments for workers.

Business Council  chief executive Jennifer Westacott said creating a mentally healthy workplace was important on both ethical and economic grounds.

She said PwC had found mental health issues cost the Australian economy $10.9 billion dollars a year.

But for every $1 businesses spent on mental health initiatives, they got $2.30 in return, due to lower absenteeism and higher productivity among other factors.

"Work should be a dignifying experience, it's not just about the money you take home," she said.

ANZ Bank, Wesfarmers and Bupa are providing adult colouring books to employees to help them handle workplace stress, a Fairfax Media report revealed last week.

Ms Harman said she was aware of only a little evidence behind the approach, but encouraged businesses to do whatever worked.

"Create a fun environment, create an environment where people know it's OK to say I need a mental health day, if that means colouring books ... if it works, great."

For help or information:

• Lifeline: 131 114
• MensLine: 1300 789 978
• Beyondblue 1300 224 636