SIRA Recovery at work insider - August 2024 issue
A mentally healthy workplace protects mental health, proactively responds to support people and promotes good mental health and wellbeing for all.
A mentally healthy workplace is good for everyone:
- it keeps workers safe, engaged, and productive
- it enhances personal and organisational resilience and leads to success.
From the evidence
A total of 3.2 days per worker are lost each year because of workplace stress:
- workplace pressure is a factor in 50% of claims
- harassment and bullying are factors in 25% of claims1.
Workplace psychosocial risk factors may include:
- unsupportive supervisors or co-workers
- low job satisfaction
- poor work design and management such as work overload, unreasonable time pressure, lack of role clarity, high demands and low control
- hazardous relationships at work
- Eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety of workers, including psychological health.
- Ensure your workplace return to work (RTW) program shows its connection to work health and safety (WHS) policies and procedures.
- Ensure your workplace RTW program details how, following either psychological or non-psychological injury, you will review WHS policies and procedures to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
- Design work to eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks using the SafeWork NSW's Designing work to manage psychosocial risks.
- Create an open, positive and caring workplace culture where employees will seek support.
- Lead change and commitment in your organisation.
- Establish a clear, detailed, and well-communicated organisational mental health policy to support recovery through work.
- Involve your workplace in the creation of procedures to support mental health wellbeing.
- Complete a psychosocial risk assessment and address any identified risks such as high work demands, workplace conflict, low support, poor role clarity.
- Provide education to managers and supervisors in mental health and the importance of their role.
- Promote the use of an Employee Assistance Program or Train a Mental health first aid officer for your workplace - practical, skills-based education program.
- Have a zero tolerance to discrimination.
Resource
Recovery at work insider - SIRA (nsw.gov.au)