Psychological Health and Safety at Work: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Achieve It
The concept of psychological health and safety has gained significant attention in the last few years, becoming an important topic of discussion in business, media, and legislation. In this blog post, we define psychological health and safety and how it appears at work, identify the prevalence and negative consequences of psychologically unsafe workplaces, highlight the benefits of workplace psychological safety, and finally, introduce evidence-based strategies and resources for creating a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.
Defining Key Terms
Psychological safety refers to the belief that one can speak up, share ideas, and make mistakes without fear of embarrassment, punishment, or negative consequences. While psychological safety focuses on creating a culture of trust and open dialogue, it is just one part of a broader effort to support employees’ well-being at work. This broader framework is known as psychological health and safety.
According to the Canadian Standards Association, psychological health and safety is embedded in the way people interact with one another on a daily basis and is part of how working conditions and management practices are structured, as well as how decisions are made and communicated. Psychologically healthy and safe workplaces protect and promote well-being through transparency, communication, listening, support, and empathy. Workers’ physical, mental, social, and cognitive needs and expectations related to their work are fulfilled.
By fostering a comprehensive approach to psychological health and safety, workplaces can ensure that employees not only feel safe to speak up but are also supported in maintaining their overall well-being.
The Importance of Building Psychologically Healthy and Safe Workplaces
Psychologically healthy and safe workplaces can contribute to an overall sense of well-being, but they are less common than we might hope. In fact, 75% of workers are reluctant to disclose a mental health condition to a coworker [1]. Research suggests that most employees default to withholding information about their mental health at work due to fear of stigma – stereotyping and being treated differently – and confidential information being shared against their wishes [2].
Such psychologically unsafe workplaces can trigger new, or exacerbate existing, psychological health problems, which can cost workers, employers, and the economy in multiple ways. For instance, poor mental health costs the Canadian economy $42 billion a year in direct costs, such as healthcare, income support, and short/long-term disability, as well as $6 billion a year in indirect costs related to productivity: absenteeism, presenteeism, and reduced productivity [3].
However, efforts to improve psychological health and safety at work can significantly mitigate these costs. Research shows that when employees feel psychologically safe at work, they are also more engaged, more creative, and can learn better [4]. Additionally, individuals become more inclined to share knowledge [5], remain employed by their current organization [6], and less likely to feel emotionally exhausted [7].
Five Steps for Building Psychological Health and Safety Within your Organization:
Leadership is the foundation. Leaders should define clear organizational expectations and behaviors, have their effectiveness evaluated, and receive training.
Develop a culture where team members seek to understand one another and acknowledge teamwork. Start by developing supportive managers and encourage workers to participate in this culture.
Support social connections by creating opportunities for social networking and peer support.
Prevent and manage psychological harm by providing mental health education, encouraging leaders and employees to monitor acts of incivility, and promoting mental fitness and resiliency.
Strive for continual improvement.
Resources for Building Psychological Health and Safety at Work
How can your organization translate these strategies into action? International, national, and provincial organizations have created a variety of resources to support employees and leaders in building psychologically safe and healthy workplaces. These include guidelines, tools, and resources developed by the International Organization for Standards [ISO; 8], the Canadian Standards Association [CSA; 9] and WorkSafe BC’s Mental Health Strategy [10]. While these guidelines, tools, and resources are developed with the help of experts and can be very valuable, it’s important to know that they are designed to apply to a broad range of industries and workplaces.
We know that every workplace is unique. To learn customized skills and strategies, book WellIntel Talks expert speaker, Steven Mah (MSc., CRSP.) for your organization’s next training session or lunch and learn. In his talk The Building Blocks to Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, Steven breaks down the technical aspects of psychological health and safety into digestible and actionable strategies. Steven encourages engagement and interactions among audience members to ensure that psychological health and safety strategies are relevant and tailored to all attendees, at all levels within their organization – contact us to learn more!
Written By:
Steven Mah, MSc., CRSP, WellIntel Talks Expert Speaker
Jordan Beck, BA., WellIntel Talks Volunteer
References:
[1] [1] Chartered Professional Accountants Canada. (2023, October). Mental health is not just an HR issue, it’s a corporate issue. Pivot Magazine. https://www.cpacanada.ca/news/pivot-magazine/presidents-letter-mental-health
[2] Toth, K. E., & Dewa, C. S.. (2014). Employee decision-making about disclosure of a mental disorder at work. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 24(4), 732–746. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-014-9504-y
[3] Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2016). Investing in Employee Mental Health: A Strategic Approach. Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/drupal/2016-06/Investing_in_Mental_Health_FINAL_Version_ENG.pdf
[4] Frazier, M. L., Fainshmidt, S., Klinger, R. L., Pezeshkan, A., & Vracheva, V.. (2017). Psychological safety: A Meta‐analytic review and extension. Personnel Psychology, 70(1), 113–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12183
[5] Zhang, Y., Fang, Y., Wei, K., & Chen, H., (2010). Exploring the role of psychological safety in promoting the intention to continue sharing knowledge in virtual communities. International Journal of Information Management, 30(5), 425-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2010.02.003.
[6] Kruzich, J. M., Mienko, J. A., Courtney, M. E., (2014). Individual and work group influences on turnover intention among public child welfare workers: The effects of work group psychological safety. Children and Youth Services Review, 42, 20-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.005.
[7] Zhou, H., & Chen, J., (2021). How does psychological empowerment prevent emotional exhaustion? Psychological safety and organizational embeddedness as mediators. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.546687
[8] ISO 45003:2021. ISO. (2021, June 8). https://www.iso.org/standard/64283.html
[9] CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013 (R2022), psychological health and safety in the Workplace. CSA Group. (2023, August 3). https://www.csagroup.org/article/can-csa-z1003-13-bnq-9700-803-2013-r2022-psychological-health-and-safety-in-the-workplace/
[10] Mental Health Strategy. WorkSafeBC. (2021, April 22). https://www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/about-us/what-we-do/mental-health-strategy?lang=en