Psychological health and safety
Summary: Psychological health and safety in a workplace deals with the risk of injury to the psychological well-being of employees. It includes taking precautions to avert risks that are within the influence and responsibility of an employer. These free resources can help.
For leaders
The risks to the psychological well-being of employees could include workload stress, harassment and discrimination. Where to start with psychological health and safety could provide a helpful overview. Evidence-based actions for psychological heath and safety break down potential strategies that align with the psychosocial factors identified in the National Standard that provides a framework for implementing a management system.
Psychological health and safety articles and resources
The list that follows includes the resources linked to above as well as related information that may be more specific to your current situation.
Psychological health means being able to think, feel and behave in a way where we can effectively manage at work, at home and in society. Psychological health problems occur on a spectrum. It could be as common as something like fatigue to something more severe like a psychological disorder. Psychological health can be affected by genetics, family life, and physical health. It can also be affected by work.
Not sure where to begin in addressing psychological health and safety in your workplace? We can help. You will find steps to get buy-in, communicate the plan and support continual improvement.
Suggested actions are based on research or practice that can improve each psychosocial factor. In most cases, you'll find free resources to help you move forward with or without funding.
Learn about Guarding Minds and how to use it to take action on psychological health and safety at work.
Learn how to implement the National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the workplace. These guidelines include many free resources and can help support your success.
Learn how Canada became the first country to have a national standard for psychological health and safety and how this has evolved since then.
Below, we've included statements from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey. They are grouped by psychosocial factors as defined in Canadian Standards Association (CSA) z1003. Psychosocial factors can have both positive and negative effects at work.
Select statements from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey were identified by the researchers as potential indicators of the level of inclusion at work.
A series of questions to help identify psychosocial hazards and manage the potential for risk. Consider issues related to labour law, employment standards, human rights and more.
These actions help hold employees accountable to work together in inclusive ways. They do not cost a lot,but take dedicated time and focus to put in place.