This is the sixteenth and final blog in a series written by Mary Ann Baynton, Director of Collaboration and Strategy for Workplace Strategies for Mental Health.
Doing psychological health and safety better
Sixteen experts were interviewed in 2023. They were asked what is yet to be done in the field of psychological health and safety (PHS). They identified gaps that have emerged over the years, especially during and after the pandemic.
One was the need to better protect the psychological health and safety of healthcare workers. This includes support for psychological self-care and protection from moral distress.
Liz Horvath, Senior Advisor, Workplace Mental Health, Mental Health Commission of Canada, says a big step forward is that the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) includes the requirement to assess and address “chronic stressors as identified by workers”. In other words, employers need to ask their employees about their experiences at work and take action to reduce the risk.
Address unique needs
Several experts mentioned that solutions must meet different needs. They stressed that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work.
”You can’t assume one program, or one intervention, is going to be experienced the exact same by everyone,” said Michael Cooper, Vice-President of Development & Strategic Partnerships, Mental Health Research Canada. “Everyone comes to work with different baggage, different trauma, different experiences.”
Experts agree that we need both “hard” and “soft” policy approaches. It’s important that both clearly address psychosocial hazards and risks (Potter et al., 2022).
One place to start, according to Margo Lydon, Chief Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing Advisor and Honorary Fellow, University of Melbourne, is by examining the complexities around psychosocial hazards that exist in many workplaces.
“They may not be related to a single incident. Workload is a good example. If workload has been too heavy for too long, it’s not necessarily any one task that’s the hazard. It’s the accumulation of stress and fatigue, and possible lack of support and resources over time.”
Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley emphasizes the need for a multipronged effort to address issues like burnout.
“It isn’t just the what but the how you should do it.” She adds, “If you have a toxic workplace, no amount of policies or processes will be enough. We need to adjust expectations. People aren’t as productive as they once were. We also need to fix workplace issues to help everyone be healthier. We need a sustainable model for humans because we overwork.”
Rachel Lewis, who is an Occupational Psychologist specialising in work, health and well-being at the University of London, agrees. She says, “The best way to focus on prevention of psychological harm at work is through job design. Ensure employees have fair demands, good relationships with their manager, and some autonomy and influence at work.”
Recognize the return on investment
Dr. Heather Stuart is the Bell Canada Chair in Mental Health and Anti-stigma Research, the first ever in Canada, as well as a Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Department of Psychiatry and Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University. She also is the researcher responsible for updating Guarding Minds at Work and improving it to include indicators of inclusion and trauma as well as the psychosocial hazards articulated in the new international standard.
The next step, Dr. Stuart sees, is for employers to recognize that the return on investment is clear in regard to psychological health and safety. “Now we want to work with employers to research the interventions they choose to implement to ensure they are effective in improving outcomes. It includes reduction in disability claims, daily hassles go way down, and grievances are diminished.”
Create inclusive work cultures
Inclusion has become a hot topic thanks to the attempt in the United States to ban Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives from all U.S. Government agencies. Here in Canada, however, inclusion continues to be an integral part of psychological health and safety. We know that witnessing even unintentional bias, stigma, or discrimination can have negative effects on all employees’ well-being.
“There is a link between well-being and inclusion,” said Lewis. “We know employees who are less privileged, such as blue-collar workers, are less able to access support at work. We seem to focus our interventions on office workers and professionals who already have underlying privilege.”
Maureen Shaw, Advisor-Mentor (Health and Safety Leadership), Act Three Consulting, agrees. “We need to continue to ensure our language is understandable and inclusive as we're talking about mental health and the programs to support the health and well-being of people in our workplaces.”
Inclusion can also be critical to attracting and keeping talent. It affects the organization’s reputation. It can also boost profits by improving outcomes and preventing lawsuits. Yet, how to create and maintain an inclusive work environment may still not be clear for some leaders today.
Amanda Muhammad is a consultant in Dallas, Texas, who focuses on stress management and psychological safety. She praised the Standard’s guidance and its push to aid employers in boosting diversity and inclusion.
”As work gets more complex, the need for psychological health and safety grows. Inclusion and psychological safety are key to collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.”
While there’s still more work to do, many of our experts are happy to see these shifts. They appreciate moving from focusing only on individuals with mental illness to addressing the needs of the entire workplace.
“We want to improve the entire work system. It’s not just for current workers, but also for future generations,” said Horvath.
Thank you for coming on this journey with me. Please feel free to Contact us if you have any questions or comments. Explore the History of Psychological Health and Safety and read all of the blogs in this series.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Canada Life or Workplace Strategies for Mental Health.
Additional resources
Psychologically Safe Leader Assessment. This free resource helps leaders become aware of the impact they can have on the psychological health and safety (PHS) of employees at work.