In July 2022, the new Model Code of Practice for Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work was released, bringing psychological safety and psychosocial risks into the spotlight of workplace safety discussions.
These two concepts, while both pertinent to the workplace, differ in their contributing factors and effects on employees. Psychological safety, a positive quality, cultivates a supportive atmosphere, in contrast to psychosocial risks, which are negative elements potentially detrimental to employee well-being and efficiency.
Both are crucial for ensuring a healthy and secure work environment, and it's essential for employers to address them.
Psychosocial risks can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, whereas fostering psychological safety can result in a positive work culture, enhancing employee engagement and productivity.
Defining Psychological Safety:
Psychological safety is the assurance employees feel in a workplace where they can express ideas and take risks without fear of negative repercussions like humiliation or discrimination. This environment values, respects, and encourages open communication.
Understanding Psychosocial Risk:
Psychosocial risks encompass work-related factors that might negatively impact an employee's mental health. These include excessive workloads, time pressure, low job control, unclear roles, or conflict. Work-life balance issues, such as long hours, job insecurity, and lack of support, also fall under this category. Exposure to traumatic events or materials at work, like violence, harassment, or disasters, is also a significant psychosocial hazard.
Employers can adopt several proactive measures to manage these risks:
Risk Identification: Through surveys, assessments, incident reports, and listening to employee feedback, identify potential workplace risks, including exposure to violence or traumatic events.
Policy Development: Create policies addressing workload, work-life balance, workplace relationships, harassment, bullying, and protocols for critical incidents or violence prevention.
Supportive Culture Promotion: Cultivate a psychologically safe and supportive work environment that encourages open communication, collaboration, work-life balance, and stress management.
Training: Provide training for recognising and managing psychosocial risks and supporting colleagues in distress.
Resource Provision: Ensure employees have the necessary resources, training, tools, and equipment to perform their duties effectively.
Support and Assistance: Offer access to mental health support, employee assistance programs, and other resources for those facing psychosocial risks.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Regularly assess and seek employee feedback on the effectiveness of strategies to manage workplace psychosocial risks.
By proactively addressing these risks, employers can create a safe, supportive work environment that promotes employee well-being and productivity.
Comments