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Psychological safety and health in the workplace 2.0
- 1. Psychological Safety and Health in the Workplace Beginning the Conversation
- 2. 82% of senior executives believe their workplace to be mentally healthy. 32% of employees would agree.
- 3. 47% of working Canadians consider their work to be the most stressful part of daily life.
- 4. What is a Psychologically Safe Workplace
- 5. Canadian Standard Association (CSA),CSA Z795-03 Coding of Work Injury or Disease Information
- 6. What is a Psychosocial Hazard Psychosocial hazards include but aren’t limited to stress, violence and other workplace stressors.
- 7. Why is this important?
- 8. The Cost of Doing Nothing
- 9. Legal Jurisprudence Sulz v. Attorney General of Canada The court found negligent infliction of mental suffering Former RCMP constable was negligently or intentionally harassed She was awarded damages in tort and contract, including: General Damages- $125,000 Past Wage Loss- $225,000 Loss of Future Income Earning Capacity-$600,000 Punitive and aggravated damages Total damages- $950,000
- 11. The Benefits of Doing Something
- 12. National Standard for Canada CSA-Z1003-13 BNQ-9700-803-2013
- 14. Policy
- 15. Personal well-being remains the responsibility of the individual. How the workplace impacts them is the responsibility of the organization
- 16. Conclusion If the workplace is psychologically healthy and safe, most employees who already have mental health issues can cope. If it isn't, and workplace stressors exist like struggling relationships or unmanageable workloads, the workplace can be a breaking point. Prudent employers need to develop policies and programs that meet the legal standards for providing psychologically safe workplaces
- 17. Questions Controlled Risk Consulting 236-333-7227 sendittobrian@yahoo.com “Safety from the Inside Out.”
Editor's Notes
- An organization is psychologically safe to be in if it actively prevents harm to workers' psychological health and promotes workers' psychological well being.
- According to Canadian Standard Association, An occupational disease is now defined as: a disease associated with exposure to a chemical, physical, biological, ergonomic, or psychosocial hazard in a work place.
- Work is generally beneficial to mental health and personal wellbeing. It provides people with structure and purpose and a sense of identity. It also provides opportunities for people to develop and use their skills, to form social relationships, and to increase their feelings of self-worth. There are circumstances, however, in which work can have adverse consequences for health and wellbeing. Risks to psychological health at work may arise from organizational or personal factors, with the major factors being poor design of work and jobs, poor communication and interpersonal relationships, bullying, occupational violence and fatigue. Risks to psychological health due to work should be viewed in the same way as other health and safety risks and a commitment to prevention of work-related stress should be included in an organization’s health and safety policies. Examples of policies that encompass psychological health. Alcohol in the workplace Bullying in the workplace Client aggression Driver fatigue Remote or isolated work
- When looking at employee health and well-being, it must be recognized that a worker’s health is produced by two factors: What workers bring with them to the workplace, in terms of heredity, personal resources, health practices, beliefs, attitudes, and values. What the workplace does to employees once they are there, in terms of organization of work in both the physical and psychosocial sense. The employer has total control over the second factor, and can exert a strong influence on the first factor. Absenteeism The Canadian Policy Research Networks estimates that stress-related absences cost Canadian employers about $3.5 billion each year. Chrysalis Performance Inc. research shows that stress in a business contributes to 19% of absenteeism costs. The cost of absenteeism attributable to work-life conflict in Canadian businesses is $5.48 billion per year. Health Insurance Claims The cost of supplemental health plans for Canadian employers increased by 26% between 2015 and 2016. 29% of total health care was paid for by the private sector (private insurance paid by employers or individuals) in 2016 (up from 24% in 2012). This is mostly for drugs and services of health professionals. Presenteeism In a 2015 survey of human resource professionals from 94 Canadian organizations with 250 or more employees, representing over 300,000 employees, presenteeism was identified by 28% of respondents as an issue of concern, and 18% intend to address the issue in the short term.
- Short-and Long-term Disability Short-term absence costs more than doubled between 2015 and 2016, going from 2% of payroll to 4.2%. Short- and long-term disability costs together are more than double the costs of workers’ compensation, and the ratio has been increasing since 1997 Chrysalis Performance Inc. research shows that stress in a business contributes to 30% of short-term and long-term disability costs. Watson Wyatt reports a 27% increase in long-term disability costs in 2015, compared to 2012/2013, due to an aging workforce, increasing productivity demands, and rising mental health claims. This increase is despite advances in early intervention and a continuing emphasis on claims management. Mental Health The issue of mental health warrants its own article. Here are just a few numbers: Costs of lost productivity due to mental illness in Canadian businesses equal $11.1 billion per year. Mental health problems cost Canadian businesses $33 billion per year, if non-clinical diagnoses are included (e.g. burnout, sub clinical depression, etc.). The leading cause of short-term and long-term disability in 2015 was mental health issues, including stress. Accidents Chrysalis Performance Inc. research shows that stress in a business contributes to at least 60% of workplace accidents with more than double the risk of being injured in an occupational accident . Turnover Strong negative correlations can be demonstrated between employee turnover and having a clear say in decisions that affect their work. Litigation
- A former Merritt RCMP constable brought action against her former supervisors, the RCMP and the Attorney General. She had work-related difficulties and had 3 pregnancies, two not planned, two children had health problems, husband was working away from home a lot. She had issues with her supervisor and was subject to harassing and verbally abusive behavior from supervisor and then manifested to other officers in her detachment. She claimed that she was negligently or intentionally harassed to the point at which she became clinically depressed and had no option but to accept medical discharge from the RCMP. The medical testimony supported that she would never be fully recovered or work in a normal stressful job again
- The plaintiff had worked for 21 years for the bank She eventually started to burn out. She had a brief episode of depression and then another and then went on disability leave. The bank gave her an ultimatum to return to work: in her managerial position, in a part-time junior position or not to come back at all. She declined to return and the bank dismissed her and she sued for wrongful dismissal, intentional infliction of mental stress, loss of disability benefits and punitive damages for the callous way she had been treated. The court found “This callous disregard for the health of the employee was flagrant and outrageous.” Initially she was awarded $500,000 but this amount was decreased to $147,000 in a court of appeal because they did not hold the employer liable. Not only are arbitrators, commissioners and judges prescribing damages they are also telling organizations how to manage their business so as not to violate the rights of employees to a psychologically safe system of work. This is the new reality.
- Research indicates that interventions don’t have to be large to make a difference. Many of the cost-benefit analyses published in the literature are based on the return on investment of “wellness” programs only, meaning health promotion programs aimed at improving the personal health practices of employees. A few examples from the published literature are as follows: BC Hydro: For every $1 spent on the organization’s wellness program, the company saved an estimated $3 (after running 10 years). Canada Life Insurance: the Company saved $3.43 for every $1 spent on its fitness program. Dupont (USA): For every $1 USD spent on a company health promotion program, the company saved $2.05 USD on disability after 2 years. Citibank: For every $1 USD the company spent on its comprehensive health program, there was a savings of $4.56 USD. Pillsbury Company: For every $1 spent on wellness, the company saved $3.63 in health-related costs. Coors Brewing Company: For every $1 spent on a fitness program, the company saved $6.15.49 Telus-BC: The company saved $3 for every $1 spent on corporate health initiatives.
- CSA-Z1003-13 BNQ-9700-803-2013 Is The Standard About Diagnosing Employees Mental Health Issues? No! The Standard is about assessing how policies, processes and interactions in the workplace might impact the psychological health and safety of employees. It is currently a voluntary set of guidelines, tools and resources focusing on promoting employee psychological health and preventing psychological harm. Consider "The Standard" like Occupational Health and Safety Standards, but for psychological issues. Key topics which were included in the model: Establishing commitment, leadership and participation Understanding the diverse needs of the organization's population so they can be appropriately addressed Maintaining confidentiality Establishing a policy and planning process to implement the system Identifying the organization's PHS hazards, assessing risks, and implementing preventive and protective measures Ensuring infrastructure and resources are in place to support the system Providing education and awareness, and ensuring key people are trained and competent Having processes in place to be prepared in the case of a critical event Collecting data, monitoring and measuring success.
- The Board has broadened compensation coverage for mental stress conditions in workplace It has transitioned to treat job-related mental stress the same way we treat physical illness and injuries This changes to the Workers Compensation Act were created due to the high risk for charter and human rights challenges regarding mental stress in the compensation system
- The first change in the WorkSafe BC Mental stress policy was due to the Plesner ruling in 2009 when the BC Court of Appeal struck down provisions in the compensation legislation which allowed compensation for mental stress only if it was an acute reaction to sudden traumatic workplace events. This was the new reality.
- Research indicates that employers who implement effective workplace safety and wellness strategies perform better in key categories such as employee engagement, lower turnover, and shareholder returns. Research has also shown that workplaces with a positive approach to psychological health and safety are better able to recruit and retain talent, have improved employee engagement, enhanced productivity, greater creativity and innovation, and higher profit levels. Other positive impacts include a reduction of several key workplace issues, including the risk of conflict, grievances, turnover, disability, injury rates, absenteeism and performance, or morale problems. Simply put properly executed, the CSA standard of psychological health and Safety within the work place will produce a positive impact for all stakeholders involved.