Address and improve psychological protection in your workplace. Create a practical and cost-effective action plan.
Psychological protection
In a work environment with adequate psychological protection, employees are free from bullying, harassment, stigma and discrimination.
In an organization with positive psychological protection, employees might say:
- My employer makes efforts to prevent harm to employees from discrimination.
- It is safe to speak up at work.
- My employer makes efforts to prevent harm to employees from bullying.
In an organization with positive psychological protection, employees might NOT say:
- I am currently being treated unfairly at work because I have a mental illness.
- I am currently being bullied at work.
- I am currently being harassed (verbally, physically, or sexually) at work.
- I am currently experiencing discrimination at work.
Creating awareness: A team discussion
Review the factors that impact psychological health and safety at work. The National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace recommends this approach. This can help show the responsibility everyone has to contribute to a positive culture. You also get their involvement in developing and being part of the solution.
Creating change: Facilitating policy development
This session builds on employee ideas developed in the Creating awareness workshop. Next engage decision makers in reviewing employee suggestions against evidence- or practice-based approaches. The goal is to change or create policies and procedures that improve psychological protection.
Evidence-based actions for psychological protection
Improve each psychosocial factor with these suggested actions. In most cases, free resources are provided to help you move forward, with or without extra funding.
Each of the psychosocial factors identified in Guarding Minds at Work and the National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace have similar resources that can be found in the On the agenda workshop series.