PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY: WHY IT MATTERS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO

Scott Mostoway SARC Senior Labour Relations Consultant

It seems, almost by habit, that when we think of health and safety in the workplace it is almost exclusively limited to physical harm or injury. Our mind might think of slips, trips, and falls or back injuries related to lifting or perhaps incidents of violence as we’ve discussed through the other two articles in this issue. Like any responsible employer, we try our best to limit these situations as we do not want to see any of our employees getting injured at work. What doesn’t always come to mind is the health and safety of our employees’ mental well-being, but just as we’ve talked about the importance of keeping our employees physically safe, it is equally as important to consider our employees’ psychological safety. A psychologically safe workplace is one which fosters an environment that focuses on supporting individuals as well as the different departments and classifications in which they work to create a respectful and engaging learning environment. It is the state of mind within employees in which they feel supported to be themselves and express their viewpoints. We as employers and leaders of our organizations play a critical role in creating a psychologically safe workplace. A workplace that is psychologically healthy is one in which well-being exists, where our employees can exercise their abilities, can deal with and manage stress, and can work productively to achieve the goals and objectives of our workplaces. This all sounds great, but what does it mean? What are some potential benefits for us as employers in relation to our workforce? According to the University of Alberta Department of Human Resources and Health and Safety, benefits can be identified and range from a micro to a macro level:

• Improved employee engagement

• Increased sustainability

• Improved recruitment and retention

• Increased health and safety

• Reduced absenteeism

• Reduced presenteeism (people being at work but not being productive, for a variety of reasons)

• Reduced benefits costs

• Reduced workers compensation board (WCB) claims and disability rates

I know what you may be thinking – the list of benefits of the above sounds great, but how can we as an organization attempt to foster this kind of environment? First, we must understand the factors that contribute to a psychologically healthy workplace that we as leaders can take the helm on achieving. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to:

• Organizational Culture – Culture built on trust, honesty, fairness, respect, and diversity.

• Clear Leadership and Expectations - Simply put, employees know what it means to succeed.

• Recognition and Reward – Rewarding and reinforcing positive behaviours.

• Workload Management – Challenging yet realistic job standards.

• Balance – Recognizing work-life balance and flexible arrangements where possible.

We as employers are already busy, and adding more elements to our management and leadership teams seems like a daunting task. We of course want to build teams that are productive and respectful to each other while not only promoting their physical health and safety but also their psychological health and safety. As employers and management teams, we cast a shadow everywhere we go when dealing with our staff. They pick up on our cues, how we act and interact with others. Luckily, the practical tips that have been documented to show success in promoting a psychologically healthy and safe workplace are more simplistic than we may think. Keep some of these practical tips in mind when casting your shadow within your workplace:

• Be Fair

• Be Flexible

• Empower and Challenge

• Promote Respect

• Set Teams up for Success

• Be Supportive

• Encourage and Foster Open and Honest Dialogue

You may also want to consider whether your organizational policies, resources, and training programs support psychological health and safety. When was the last time you reviewed your Health and Safety, Anti-Harassment, and Violence in the Workplace policies? Does your organization have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy? Do your employees have access to resources and training related to respectful workplaces and how they can contribute to psychologically healthy and safe work environments?

For more ideas, you may want to check out:

• National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

• Psychological Health and Safety at WorkService HospitalityService Hospitality

• Safety Management System (SMS) - SASWH

• SARC’s Manager Resource Area for:

- Developing a Safety Management System –A Toolkit for Nonprofits

- Sample Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy

When employees don’t feel safe in their workplace, it stands to reason that they will not be in a position to do their jobs to the best of their ability. When those jobs involve supporting others, the consequences can be far-reaching. Employers owe it to both their employees and those relying on their organization’s services to ensure a healthy and safe workplace, and that extends to psychological health and safety.