WorkSafe Victoria Helps Young Workers Recognise When Things Feel Off

Due to a lack of experience and on-site education, young workers, aged 15 to 24, are considered some of the most vulnerable in the workforce. To connect with the audience and assist in recognising what is and isn’t acceptable, WorkSafe Victoria has again engaged SICKDOGWOLFMAN to expand on the ‘UMM…’ campaign launched in 2022.

The new campaign utilises ‘UMM…’, a visual and verbal representation of when something doesn’t feel quite right, to help young workers identify workplace issues like sexual harassment, insufficient safety equipment, bullying and aggression, and empower them to seek support with WorkSafe.

Says James Orr, creative director and co-founder, SICKDOGWOLFMAN: “With campaigns of this nature, there’s a huge amount of effort that goes into getting the subtle balance of tone right. It needs to be insightful and true but just as importantly engaging. It can’t make light of such a serious situation, but also can’t come across as a heavy handed point of authority. To see it resonate with young workers is testament to all involved.”

Initially existing in a series of still executions, SICKDOGWOLFMAN this time teamed with Matt Weston to bring ‘UMM…’ to life across six films and will support the campaign with digital and social executions.

‘UMM…’ talks to the diverse range of workplaces and situations young people can find themselves in.

WorkSafe executive director external affairs Sam Jenkin said, “We were looking for a creative approach to support communications to young workers; a vulnerable and sometimes difficult group to engage in occupational health and safety.

“The UMM campaign is a clever response that allows us to talk about real and relevant workplace safety examples that young workers can relate to, in an informal tone that doesn’t detract from the seriousness of the issue.”

“We’re excited to deliver the next iteration of UMM and continue to reduce workplace harm for young workers.”