In International Standards Organization (ISO) 45003:20211 – Occupational Health and Safety Management – Psychological Health and Safety at Work – Guidelines for Managing Psychosocial Risks, clause 6.1.2.1 covers psychosocial hazard identification. In this standard it states that “the organization should understand the underlying sources of harm before control measures are considered to improve the effectiveness of activities to manage psychosocial risk.”
What follows is an independent interpretation by Workplace Strategies for Mental Health of how you might use hazard identification to inform your approach to psychological health and safety. The results in your Guarding Minds at Work employee survey will point to employee concerns related to these psychosocial hazards but will not identify the specific individuals or circumstances involved.
There are many ways to understand the underlying sources of harm, but the most critical is a discussion with employees about the issues identified. Employees are also a great source of practical and relevant solutions. Many resources are available to help guide and support a facilitated employee discussion such as the On the agenda workshop series.
When employees complete the Guarding Minds survey, the majority of the statements they are asked to rate are intentionally written in the positive to contribute to solution-focused thinking. Select statements were identified by researchers as relevant to these potential psychosocial hazards. Employees do not read or review the psychosocial hazards as part of the survey. This information is provided for the benefit of the employer and decision-makers who review the results.
Review actions and responses to help with Psychosocial hazard mitigation.
Psychosocial hazards
- Bullying/harassment
- Career development
- Civility and respect
- Harm
- Interpersonal relationships
- Job control or autonomy
- Job demands
- Job security and precarious work
- Leadership
- Organizational change management
- Organizational/workgroup culture
- Recognition and reward
- Remote and isolated work
- Roles and expectations
- Supervision
- Support
- Work environment, equipment and hazardous tasks
- Work/life balance
- Working hours and schedule
- Workload and work pace
Bullying/harassment
In an organization where bullying/harassment is MORE likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I am currently being bullied at work.
- I am currently being harassed (verbally, physically or sexually) at work.
- I am currently experiencing discrimination at work.
Note: Bullying and harassment can occur both face-to-face and electronically (e.g., online meetings, social media).
Career development
In an organization where career development is less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I have the opportunity to take on new challenges.
- My employer values employees’ ongoing personal development.
- I am provided with the necessary training to perform my job well.
Civility and respect
In an organization where civility and respect are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- People treat each other with respect at work.
- People from all backgrounds are treated fairly in my workplace.
- Employees and management trust one another.
Harm
In an organization where harm is less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- My employer makes efforts to prevent harm to employees from discrimination.
- My employer makes efforts to prevent harm to employees from bullying.
- My workplace has effective ways of addressing inappropriate behaviour from the people we serve.
Note: In the ISO 45003, Harm is called violence at work. To capture the psychological harm that can come from emotional or verbal violence, we modified the name of this psychosocial hazard.
Interpersonal relationships
In an organization where interpersonal relationships are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- My workplace effectively handles conflict among employees.
- Difficult situations at work are addressed effectively.
In an organization where interpersonal relationships are MORE likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I am currently being treated unfairly at work because I have a mental illness.
Job control or autonomy
In an organization where roles and expectations are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I have some control over how I organize my work.
- I am encouraged to participate in decisions that impact my work
Job demands
In an organization where job demands are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I am able to do my job in a way that aligns with my values.
In an organization where job demands are MORE likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I feel burned out in my job.
- My work threatens my psychological health.
Job security and precarious work
In an organization where job security and precarious work are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- It is safe to speak up at work.
- The frequency of staff turnover is reasonable for our sector.
- I feel my job is secure.
Leadership
In an organization where leadership is less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- My suggestions are considered at work.
- People in my organization are held accountable for their actions.
- Organizational values are demonstrated at all levels.
Organizational change management
In an organization where organizational change management is less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- The reasons behind organizational changes are explained.
- I am told about the impact of organizational change on my job.
- I have a say in how I will manage organizational changes that affect me.
Organizational/workgroup culture
In an organization where organizational and workgroup culture are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I feel I am part of a community at work.
- People in my workplace understand the importance of protecting employee psychological safety.
- Management appointments consider the “people skills” necessary for specific positions.
- When psychological risks are identified, my employer responds effectively.
Recognition and reward
In an organization where recognition and reward are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I am paid fairly for the work I do.
- Our organization celebrates our shared accomplishments.
- I am recognized for good performance.
Remote and isolated work
In an organization where remote and isolated work are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I can do my job effectively with the tools and equipment provided.
In an organization where remote and isolated work are MORE likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- My home life suffers because of my work.
- I feel lonely when working.
Roles and expectations
In an organization where roles and expectations are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I know what I am expected to do in my job.
- I am informed of important changes that may impact how my work is done.
- I am informed about important changes at work in a timely manner.
Supervision
In an organization where supervision is less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- My supervisor supports me to do my job successfully.
- My supervisor supports my personal growth.
- My supervisor is open to my ideas for taking on new opportunities at work.
Support
In an organization where support is less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I feel supported at work when I am dealing with personal issues.
- People with mental health issues are supported to do their jobs effectively.
- People with physical health issues are supported to do their jobs effectively.
- My employer helps employees cope with workplace stress.
Work environment, equipment and hazardous tasks
In an organization where work environment, equipment and hazardous tasks are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- When physical risks are identified, my employer responds effectively.
- I have what I need to do my job safely.
- People at work understand the importance of protecting employee physical safety.
Work/life balance
In an organization where work/life balance is less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I am able to reasonably balance the demands of work and personal life.
- My employer promotes work-life balance.
- I can talk to my supervisor when I am having trouble maintaining work-life balance.
Working hours and schedule
In an organization where working hours and schedule are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- I am willing to give extra effort at work if needed.
- I have sufficient time to complete my work.
- Deadlines are reasonable.
Workload and work pace
In an organization where workload and work pace are less likely to be a risk to psychological health and safety, employees might say:
- My employer encourages me to take my entitled breaks.
- The amount of work I am expected to do is reasonable for my position.
- I can talk to my supervisor about the amount of work I have to do.
Explore more information or begin using the survey tools.
1. International Organization for Standardization. (2021). Occupational health and safety management — Psychological health and safety at work — Guidelines for managing psychosocial risks (ISO Standard No. 45003). Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/standard/64283.html