According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 39% of Ontario employees wouldn’t tell their manager if they had a mental health issue – which probably goes some way in explaining why mental illness costs the Canadian economy $51 billion every year in lost productivity. As with any risk to your organization, the best defense is a good offense. Never has this been truer than in the case of workplace mental health.
In their second article of the series, the Workplace Safety & Prevention Services’ (WSPS) Organizational Health Team talked to HRD Canada about the 13 psychological factors for workplace mental health – where they came from and how you can implement them into your organizational strategy.
The 13 factors are defined as elements that can impact employees’ psychological responses to work and workplace conditions. The factors are based on how we organize our work and manage our people with mindfulness and carefulness. When these factors are addressed, they can positively influence employee and organizational health, resilience and sustainability. Consistent with research into fundamental psychosocial risk, the 13 Factors have been validated as part of the development of the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.
It’s important to note that each one of these factors is tied to the next. That’s to say, they flux and influence one another creating positive or negative changes in the mindset of your workforce. They are:
1. Organizational culture
2. Psychological support
3. Clear leadership and expectations
4. Civility and respect
5. Psychological demands
6. Growth and development
7. Recognition and reward
8. Involvement and influence
9. Workload management
10. Engagement
11. Balance
12. Psychological protection
13. Protection of physical safety
The first step in implementing these factors is understanding them. Thinkmentalhealth.ca, a website created by Ontario Health and Safety System Partners boasts an impressive video series – ‘have That talk’ – which details the intricacies of each factor individually. It’s a great tool you can use to further educate yourself on how to initiate discussions with your team, build awareness and prompt open communication.
“These videos can be used to initiate discussion in meetings or safety talks to build staff awareness of the 13 factors,” says Workplace Mental Health Consultant, Danielle Stewart. “Organizations should also conduct a needs Assessment, to see how the 13 Workplace Factors impact their organization.” Perception surveys, such as the Guarding Minds@ Work survey is a great needs assessment tool that can be used.
Once you’re fully versed in the factors’ nuances, it’s time to talk about implementation. A good place to start is Thinkmentalhealth.ca readiness survey tool. Here, employers answer a range of questions using a scale of one to five – the website then calculates how ready the business is to adopt and implement a workplace mental health program.
Measuring the ROI on investing in mental wellbeing is something of a hot topic right now. But can you really put a price on the mental health of your workforce? Implementation is dependent on existing policies and programs already in place within your organization, as well how you scored in the readiness assessment. Ensure you give yourself enough time to do some thorough research into the best tools and programming for your organization. There’s a plethora of free resources, categorized by readiness state, that are readily available on Thinkmentalhealth.ca to help you during implementation.
In order for any workplace mental health program to be successful, it’s essential that your senior leadership team is visible and active throughout the development stage. Psychologically Healthy and Safety programming takes effort and patience. Remember –, creating a mentally healthy workplace requires continual improvement over time, there is no quick fix.
“A common mistake organizations make after conducting a needs assessment is not reporting back to staff in a timely and honest manner,” added Stewart.
One way of ensuring your program flourishes is by understanding the diversity of your workforce and encouraging worker participation at all level, – to offer their input and suggestions. Research from Cloverpop, a decision making and collaboration software company, found that inclusive teams make better business decisions 87% of the time, with those decisions yielding 60% better results.
Essentially, do not treat mental health initiatives as some kind of ‘flavour of the month’ trend. It’s not something to be violently forced upon your staff. These programs need to be implemented for the right reasons, with the mindset of transforming your workplace rather than ticking a box on a health and safety report.
It’s a journey – but it’s one worthwhile.
Article source: https://www.hrmonline.ca/hr-news/health-and-safety-strategy/revealed-13-psychological-factors-for-workplace-mental-health-249930.aspx
Category: Community News
Created by the Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Health (SASWH)
VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/Ji_bEXUZ3SA
GOAL: The primary goal of this campaign is to increase reporting of incidents of violence and aggression in healthcare sector in the Province of Saskatchewan. Senior Leaders and front line workers are key levers for change where reporting is encouraged and solutions can be easily identified to bring about safer workplaces for both patients and staff.
Objective #1: To raise awareness of the under reporting of incidents of violence and aggression in healthcare.
Objective #2: Develop a consistent image that to experience violence and aggression in the workplace is not normal and that workers safety is as important as patient safety.
Objective #3: Participants in this video will be key contributors to increased reporting and workplace safety.
Objective #4: To strongly bring to the attention of the public and those we provide care to that any incident of violence and aggression will be reported.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
- Healthcare senior leaders
- Physicians
- Regulators
- Educators
- Students in healthcare careers
- New Hires
- Front line care givers, managers, supervisors
- Unions
- Patients and family members
Riverview Home Corporation has earned distinction that comes during North American Occupational Safety and Health Week.
Riverview was awarded for significantly curbing the number of claims made to the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) on May 8.
Speaking to assembled guests, staff and management, Shelley Rowan, the vice president of prevention and service delivery with WCB of Nova Scotia, congratulated all involved in the milestone Riverview reached for their teamwork – something she stated was crucial to the reduction of incidents at Riverview.
Rowan said she was inspired to hear about Riverview’s accomplishments, noting that proving care can be challenging, with complex needs and potentially aggressive situations.
“We know you’ve achieved these results by promoting a culture of safety… and through a team effort championing leadership, proving that with commitment, improvements are always possible,” she said.
Click here to continue reading.
Bulletin:
Improving Workplace Safety in Nova Scotia’s Community Emergency Departments – NSHA Progress Report
In October 2016, Premier Stephen McNeil announced the creation of a working group on safety protocols as a result of an incident at Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Middleton. The working group was tasked with making recommendations to Nova Scotia’s Minister of Health and Wellness to improve workplace safety for employees, patients and visitors, with a focus on violence reduction in the community emergency departments across the province. The working group authored a report titled Improving Workplace Safety in Nova Scotia’s Community Emergency Departments, which highlighted 12 recommendations.
In consultation with our union partners, we have made significant progress on the recommendations identified in the report. We have developed policies, conducted various assessments and moved forward with staff education and training – all designed to improve safety for those working in community emergency departments and across other areas of our organization. One of the recommendations was an annual progress report from our organization to share advances in building a safer work environment and care settings for all. On Thursday, January 25, we will release our progress report publicly.
Question and Answer:
- What is the status of our work to meet the report’s 12 recommendations?
NSHA is pleased to report that of the 12 recommendations, 11 have been met or have significant progress underway. One recommendation related to establishing a provincial business solution for reporting and tracking is still in the planning stages. NSHA remains focused on building a safe, high-quality health system. Our work is not only about the health and safety of our patients and their families but also the safety and well-being of those who work in our organization.
Workplace-Safety-Report-NSHA-Final
Marijuana for medical purposes is controversial and moving target that continues to evolve. The implications for workplaces are many. Managing this complex topic requires specialized knowledge in several key areas: the science of the substance, workplace policy and effective workplace management. The approaching legalization of recreational marijuana adds another layer of challenges. This conference brings together a combination of resources to ensure you have the tools to mitigate risk in your business/organization.
For more information on this workshop, click here.
