R U OK? Day: How Speedie Waste & Recycle Marks the Day and How Your Business Can Too

R U OK? Day falls on the second Thursday of September each year, and at Speedie Waste & Recycle, it is a date we actively mark. Every year, our team comes together for a morning tea — a simple, deliberate pause in the working day to connect with the people around us and create the kind of environment where checking in feels natural, not awkward.

The premise behind R U OK? Day is straightforward: a genuine question, asked at the right moment, can make a real difference to someone who is struggling. In a workplace context, that question is most powerful when it comes from a culture that has already built trust and openness, not just on one day of the year, but consistently.

For businesses looking to participate meaningfully this September, the starting point does not need to be complicated. A morning tea, a team lunch, or a brief team gathering with space for real conversation is enough to signal that your workplace takes mental health seriously. The R U OK? organisation provides free toolkits, conversation guides, and resources specifically designed for workplaces at ruok.org.au.​

From our perspective, the businesses with the strongest team cultures are the ones that do not wait for a designated day to check in. R U OK? Day is a prompt and a reminder, but the goal is to make those conversations a year-round habit. Small, consistent gestures build the trust that makes it possible for someone to answer honestly when you ask.