PSYCHOSOCIALLY SAFE @ WORK
Being safe and healthy doesn’t just constitute being free from physical harm, it also means being psychologically safe.
Under the model Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) laws, an employer must manage their psychosocial risks in the workplace. This means employers need to take action to ensure workers feel safe from factors that may impact their health and safety at work. These include:
job demands
low job control
poor support
lack of role clarity
poor organisational change management
inadequate reward and recognition
poor organisational justice
traumatic events or material
remote or isolated work
poor physical environment
violence and aggression
bullying
harassment, including sexual harassment, and
conflict or poor workplace relationships and interactions
It appears like a sizeable undertaking, but there are various ways a workplace can produce good psychosocial conditions, where mental and physical wellbeing is looked after and performance and personal development is enhanced.
The importance of limiting psychosocial risk
Exposure to poor working situations can have an impact on employees' mental health, such as depression anxiety or burnout.
However, the damages caused by psychosocial risk factors don't solely concern the employees, as they can quickly spread throughout an organisation and affect financial performance and branding. This is because an employee experiencing mental health issues doesn't work as efficiently, is less engaged and less creative. Not only that, they’re also more likely to suffer from physical illness and require more sick leave.
The Productivity Commission estimates that the Australian economy loses up to $60 billion annually in health care, lost productivity, and many other direct and indirect costs. It’s a cost that more and more businesses are starting to recognise, and an area we help our customers understand and manage.
How to prevent psychosocial risk factors
Before implementing any solutions, organisations need to identify the psychosocial hazards potentially causing harm to workers. While most organisations do not set out to deliberately harm their employees, things like poor recruitment, lack of well defined work systems or inadequate support may lead to a culture where these types of hazards arise.
Once you have identified the risks, it’s important to understand which ones are more immediately harmful.
Remember, not all risks are equal in terms of their severity and impact.
Implementing regular psychosocial risk assessments can help employers understand which hazards require immediate intervention while setting up long-term strategies to manage them. Depending on what the hazards are, each may require a unique approach.
While not all risks can be eliminated, it is crucial to have a plan in place to counter the adverse impacts of these hazards and take steps to manage or reduce the risk.
Depending on the hazards, these risk controls can take several forms and may include job or process redesign, changes to recruitment practices, education and training, leadership development, recognition and reward practices, career progression opportunities, internal and external support mechanisms, amongst others.
Consultation with employees and managers are key to both identifying and controlling hazards, while seeking external expertise and intervention where required.
Organisations with strong safety cultures are built through engagement with their people, reporting hazards and contributing to the risk management process.
By: Converge International