Workers

There are 13 workplace psychosocial factors known to positively impact an employee’s mental health, psychological safety, participation, and productivity. If these factors effectively exist in the workplace, they have the potential to prevent psychological harm.

The 13 factors of psychological health and safety in the workplace are:

• Psychological support: A workplace where co-workers and supervisors are supportive of employees’ psychological and mental health concerns, and respond appropriately as needed.
• Organizational culture: A workplace characterized by trust, honesty and fairness.
• Clear leadership and expectations: A workplace where there is effective leadership and support that helps employees know what they need to do, how their work contributes to the organization, and whether there are impending changes.
• Civility and respect: A workplace where employees are respectful and considerate in their interactions with one another, as well as with customers, clients and the public. Civility and respect are based on showing esteem, care and consideration for others, and acknowledging their dignity.
• Psychological demands: A workplace where the psychological demands of any given job are documented and assessed in conjunction with the physical demands of the job. Psychological demands of the job will allow organizations to determine whether any given activity of the job might be a hazard to the worker’s health and well-being.
• Growth and development: A workplace where employees receive encouragement and support in the development of their interpersonal, emotional and job skills.
• Recognition and reward: A workplace where there is appropriate acknowledgement and appreciation of employees’ efforts in a fair and timely manner.
• Involvement and influence: A workplace where employees are included in discussions about how their work is done and how important decisions are made.

Workload management: A workplace where tasks and responsibilities can be accomplished successfully within the time available.

Some common indicators that a workplace is not psychologically healthy and safe include:

• Frequent workplace conflict
• Low levels of job satisfaction
• High number of requests for early retirement, transfers, or resignations
• Workplace injuries / illnesses
• Difficulties returning workers back to work (longer durations of absences from work)
• Employees seek help for stress, mental distress or diagnosed psychological illness
• Poor levels of employee engagement
• Quality of work
• Low productivity / frequently missed timelines or sales targets
• Complaints from customers
• Poor outcomes for clients

A psychologically healthy and safe workplace promotes workers’ psychological well-being and actively works to prevent harm to worker psychological health, including in negligent, reckless or intentional ways.

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health website, part of The Great-West Life Center for Mental Health in the Workplace,  is a leading source of free, practical tools and resources designed to help Canadian employers with the prevention, intervention and management of workplace mental health issue. Includes information to:

• Increase knowledge and awareness of workplace psychological health and safety
• Improve the ability to respond to mental health issues at work
• Turn knowledge into action through practical strategies and tools for employers

All tools and resources are available in English and French to anyone, anywhere, at no cost.

Guarding Minds at Work resources allow employers to effectively assess and address the 13 psychosocial factors known to have a powerful impact on organizational health, the health of individual employees, and the financial bottom line. Guarding Minds at Work is available to all employers – large or small, in the public or private sector -­ at no cost.

The Canadian Mental Health Association and the Mental Health Commission of Canada collaborated to create the Takeaways Toolkit. The toolkit was informed by the MHCC’s 2018 Case Study Research Project (CSRP) on how 40 workplaces have implemented the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Offering best practices and activities, The Takeaways Toolkit is meant to guide other workplaces to help put the Standard into practice.

The Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace is a voluntary standard that specifies requirements for a documented and systematic approach to develop and sustain a psychologically healthy & safe workplace. Download for free.

Investing in a psychologically healthy workplace is good for business. When you protect workplace mental health, the result is lower total medical costs, increased productivity, lower absenteeism and presenteeism, and decreased disability costs.