Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

transcript

CSA Z1003/BNQ 9700-803-5:

Chrystal Brown

Consultant

Workplace Safety and Prevention Services

7-million will experience a mental health issue

34-million (people in Canada 2011)

Why does mental health matter?

On any given week, at least 500,000 employed Canadians are unable to work due to mental illness.”

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

• Economic burden

– $51‐billion per year, almost $20‐billion from workplace losses

– Leading cause of disability

• Absence + Presenteeism

• Stigma

• Legal landscape

– Damages awarded for MH injuries up by 700% in last 5 years

• Emerging legal duty “ one in which every practical effort is made to avoid reasonably foreseeable

injury to the mental health of employees.” (Shain 2009)

Speech of the Honourable Michael Kirby on Workplace Mental Health http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/english/pages/default.aspx

Number of executives who state that their company

promotes a mentally healthy work environment

Number of employees who believe

their company promotes a mentally

healthy work environment

Perception vs. reality

“It is our vision to see the development of a National Standard of

Canada on psychological health and safety in the workplace … and

uptake by employers resulting in a measureable improvement in

psychological health and safety …”

(Consensus-based Statement on a National Standard of Canada for

Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace - December 2, 2009 )

Initial Steps Commissioned by the Mental Health Commission of Canada

(MHCC) Financial support from the Government of Canada Additional contributions from the Great-West Life Centre for

Mental Health in the Workplace and Bell

Technical Committee

• Meets requirements for balanced matrix set by both

CSA and BNQ Directives

• Matrix consists of 5 interest categories:

– Organization interest

– Employee interest

– Regulator/Insurance/Policy interest

– Service provider interest

– General interest

Decisions follow rules for consensus

Technical Committee

• Began meeting in January 2011

• Completed draft for public review October 2011

• Revised draft and completed standard June 2012

• Internal Editing and Quality Review

• Technical Committee Approval Ballot

• Second Level Review

• Approval as a National Standard of Canada

– Requires application to Standards Council of Canada

• Release January 2013

Contributing Thoughts and Models:. • Human Needs Model

• The Demand/Control Model (Adapted from Karasek and Theorell)

• Effort-Reward Imbalance Model (Siegrist)

• CSA Z1000 OHSMS Model

The BNQ-CSA standard Psychological health and safety in the workplace

Self-actualization

Personal growth and fulfillment

Esteem needs

Achievement, status, responsibility, reputation

Belongingness and Love needs

Family, affection, relationships, work groups, etc.

Safety needs

Protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.

Biological and Physiological needs

Basic life needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep, etc.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Model

Control

High Low

The Demand/Control Model (Adapted from Karasek and Theorell)

Effort-Reward Imbalance Model (Siegrist)

salary support

appreciation recognition

respect

demands pressures

responsibilities

rewards

efforts

CSA Z1000 Model of OHSMS

Overview of the Standard

Evaluation and Continual

improvement

Integration into organizational

policies and

process

A planned approach to address workplace factors known to impact psychological health:

Scope “… provides a framework to create and continually improve a psychologically healthy and safe workplace …”

Guiding principles Commitment by Sr Mgt

Participation with all

Integration of PHS

Shared responsibility

Focus on health, safety, awareness and promotion

A workplace that promotes workers’ psychological well-being and allows no harm to worker mental health in negligent, reckless or intentional ways

Vision

Risk Management

Cost Effectiveness

Recruitment &Retention

Organizational Excellence & Sustainability

Key Drivers

Prevention

Promotion

Resolution

Strategic Pillars

13 Workplace Factors

Psychological And Social

Support

Organizational Culture

Clear Leadership & Expectations

Civility and Respect

Psychological Demands

Growth & Development

Recognition & Reward

Involvement & Influence

Workload Management

Engagement

Balance Psychological

Protection Protection of

Physical Safety

How CSA Z1003 Addresses Workplace

Factors That Impact Psychological Health

1. Organizational Culture is Psychologically

Healthy and Safe

Is a mix of norms, values, beliefs, meanings and expectations that a

community hold in common and use as behavioral and problem solving

A psychologically health and safe work culture

is characterized by trust, honesty, respect, civility

and fairness

Values psychological and social support, recognition and reward

2. Psychological and Social Support

Refers to the degree of social and emotional integration and trust among

co-workers and supervisors. Considers the level of help and assistance

provided by others when performing tasks.

Employees perceive their organization:

• Values their contributions

• Are committed to ensuring their psychological well-being and

• Provides meaningful supports if this well-being is compromised

Coworkers and supervisors

• Are supportive of employees’ psychological and mental health

concerns and

• Respond appropriately as needed

3. Clear Leadership and Expectations

There is support that helps employees know:

• What they need to do

• How their work contributes to the organization

Leaders are transformational:

• Change agents who motivate to do more than what is expected

• Concerned with long-term objectives

• Transmit a sense of mission, vision and purpose

• Have charisma

• Give individualized consideration to their employees

• Stimulate intellectual capabilities in others, and inspire

4. Civility and Respect

Employees are respectful and considerate in their interactions with one

another, as well as with customers, clients and the public

Show esteem, care and consideration for others,

and acknowledge their dignity

5. Psychological Demands

Psychological demands are documented and assessed in conjunction

with the physical demands of the job.

Assessments consider time stressors, breaks, incentive systems, job

monotony and repetition and type of work

Employees possess:

• Technical skills and knowledge for their position and

• Psychological skills and emotional intelligence to do the job

6. Growth and Development

Employees receive

• Encouragement and support in the development

of their interpersonal, emotional and job skills

• Internal and external opportunities to build competencies

– That will help with current jobs, and

– Also prepare them for possible future positions

7. Recognition and Reward

Acknowledgement and appreciation of employees’ efforts provided in a

fair and timely manner:

– Appropriate and regular feedback

– Team celebrations, recognition of years served, and/or

milestones reached

8. Involvement and Influence

• Employees included in discussions about how their work is done

and how important decisions are made

• Opportunities for involvement may include:

– Worker’s specific job design or function

– Team or department activities

– Organizational issues

9. Workload Management

• A work environment where assigned tasks and responsibilities can

be accomplished successfully with the time available

• Ensure there is enough work but not too much to do

• Ensure adequate resources, equipment, support to do the work

10. Engagement

Work engagement can be physical, emotional and/or cognitive,

examples include:

• Physical exertion put into the job, and energizing

• Emotional engagement exhibits positive job outlook and passionate

• Cognitive engagement includes absorption and attention

to work

Employees feel:

• Connected to their work

• Feel motivated to do their job well

• Committed to the overall success and mission of their company

11. Balance

Balance at work is the acceptance of the need for harmony between

the demands of work, family,

and personal life

• Everyone has multiple roles: e.g., worker, parent, partner, soccer

• Allows fulfillment of individual strengths and responsibilities

• Risk of conflicting responsibilities leading to conflict

or overload

12. Psychological Protection

Work environment ensures that worker psychological safety is ensured

and actively promotes emotional well being as well as minimizing

threats to worker mental health

Workers feel able to:

• Ask questions

• Seek feedback

• Report mistakes and problems

• Propose a new idea

• Without fearing negative consequences to themselves, their job or

their career

13. Protection of Physical Safety

Physical safety is protected from hazards and risks related to the

workers physical work environment.

Workers have a sense that:

Organization cares about the physical work environmental impact on

mental health

Workers feel safe

Rest and schedule of work pace is reasonable

Health and safety concerns are taken seriously

Training is provided

Psychological demands of the job and environment

are conducted

• Supplemental Background and Context

• Resources for Building a PHS Framework

• Sample Implementation Models

• Case Studies

• Sample Audit Tool

• Discussion of Relevant Legislation or Regulation as of

Sept 2011

• Related Standards and Guides

Getting Started, Consider:

• Guarding Minds@Work (www.guardingmindsatwork.ca)

• Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Resources,

including: Psychological Health and Safety: An Action

Guide for Employers (www.mentalhealthcommission.ca)

• Workplace Strategies for Mental Health (www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com)

• Your Own Benefits and EFAP Program

• WSPS Healthy Workplace Resources (http://www.healthandsafetyontario.ca/bundles/wsps/index.html)

Guarding Minds @ Work

• A free, evidence-based strategy

• Designed to help employers protect and promote

psychological safety and health in their workplace

• Comprehensive set of resources

• 13 PSRs identified by researchers

– Based on extensive research and review of empirical data from

national and international best practices

– Also determined based on existing and emerging Canadian case

law and legislation.

http://www.guardingmindsatwork.ca/info/index

Mental Health Commission of Canada

• Tracking the Perfect Legal Storm- Dr. Martin Shain:

http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/

• More Background on the Standard:

http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/Pages/workplace_guide.aspx

• The MHCC Leadership Initiative:

http://www.mhccleadership.ca/

• The Peer Support Project:

http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/Pages/PeerProject.aspx

• Psychological Health and Safety - An action guide for employers

http://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/redlabel/mhcc_onlineguide_201201-

e/index.php?startid=33#/0

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health

Website

• Resources for manager, supervisor and employee

training-Managing Mental Health Matters

• Psychological Health and Safety Management System

implementation resources

• On the Agenda (13 organizational Risk Factors)

• Obtain a copy of the standard and review

• Standard will be offered at no cost for the first 5

• Standard available from BNQ and CSA:

BNQ (www.bnq.qc.ca) and CSA (www.csa.ca)

Health is a shared responsibility.

The organization is not always part of the problem,

but it can always be part of the solution

What about time spent at work?

2/3 of Canadians are at work 60 % of their time …

Why wait to take action ?

For more information please contact:

Chrystal Brown, WSPS

Chrystal.Brown@wsps.ca

Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

Health & Medicine