Great managers look out for more than just physical dangers

A psychologically healthy and safe workplace prevents harm to workers’ mental health and promotes mental well-being

Employers who effectively promote psychological health and safety experience stronger employee engagement, greater productivity, and decreased turnover. Workers experience less conflict and higher morale, and are more committed to ensuring the health and safety of their workplace.

While many factors can affect mental health, as an employer it’s your responsibility to address the factors that are within the control, responsibility, or influence of the workplace.

Spot and prevent psychological hazards

Behaviours that can lead to psychological harm in the workplace include bullying, harassment, and threats of violence. These can take many forms, including verbal aggression, personal attacks, and other intimidating or humiliating behaviours. If workplace psychological hazards are not addressed, they can lead to anxiety, depression, and lost productivity.

Manage psychological health and safety

Managing risks in the workplace involves thinking about what might cause harm to workers and determining what steps are needed to prevent that harm.

You can manage psychological health and safety using the approach for managing risks to physical health and safety: understand risks, implement control measures, communicate safety information, and monitor control measures to ensure they are effective.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to maintain a psychologically healthy and safe workplace by taking the following steps.

1

Show leadership commitment

Demonstrate your commitment to psychological health and safety. For example, create a policy on psychological health and safety for your organization. Provide training that equips managers and supervisors with the skills to recognize and address the psychological health and safety needs of workers.
2

Develop supportive managers and supervisors

Managers and supervisors often have the most influence in shaping workplace culture. They can help ensure that all levels embrace your organization’s approach to psychological health and safety.
3

Encourage worker participation

Workers can help to shape a psychologically healthy and safe workplace culture by actively participating in programs and initiatives. Give your workers opportunities to provide feedback to your managers and leaders, so they see that their psychological health and safety is prioritized.

Resources

My health & safety resources tool (interactive resource finder)
Creating a Key Risk Inventory for Your Workplace: Engaging Your Workers to Help Manage Risks (guide)
Planning for health & safety (webpage)
Engaging your workers in health & safety (webpage)