Recent changes to the Workplace Health and Safety Code of Practice for Managing Psychological Hazards have shone a spotlight on the increased responsibility of businesses and workplaces to consider, prepare and respond to the mental and emotional safety and wellbeing of their teams and employees. While this can feel overwhelming, you can take steps to ensure compliance with the code and, more importantly, to ensure a safe and happy workplace.
Organisations and businesses that fail to address the risks of psychosocial hazards in the workplace not only put their employees at risk but may also face potential legal ramifications. In this blog post, we'll explore psychosocial hazards, their impact on employees, and how organisations (whether not-for-profit community organisations, government agencies, or other companies and businesses) can mitigate their risks.
What are Psychosocial Hazards?
Psychosocial hazards are defined as any aspect of work that has the potential to cause harm to a team member's psychological or physical health. These hazards can arise from a variety of factors, such as job demands, conditions of employment, lack of clarity in job roles and structure, organisational and team culture, interpersonal relationships, and leadership styles. Examples of psychosocial hazards include bullying, harassment, violence, vicarious trauma, work-related stress and burnout.
Impact of Psychosocial Hazards on Employees
Psychosocial hazards can significantly impact an employee's mental and physical health. Employees who experience these hazards in a repetitive or unsupported environment are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and other impacts on their mental health. They may also experience physical health problems such as chronic pain and sleep disorders. Furthermore, psychosocial hazards can lead to decreased job satisfaction, lower productivity, and increased absenteeism, all of which can negatively impact an organisation's outputs, the quality of your product or service and the culture of your team and the community.
Mitigating the Risks of Psychosocial Hazards
Organisations and businesses can take several steps to mitigate the risks of psychosocial hazards in the workplace by:
Conducting a risk assessment. Organisations should conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify potential psychosocial hazards in the workplace. This assessment should include input from employees, leaders and stakeholders and should consider factors such as job demands, organisational culture, and leadership styles, as well as measure the team's sense of psychological safety.
Developing Policies and Procedures to Mitigate Risk and Support the Team. Organisations and businesses should develop policies and procedures that address and respond to the risks of psychosocial hazards in their workplace. These policies should clearly outline expectations for behaviour and consequences for violating them. They should also include procedures for reporting and addressing incidents of bullying, harassment, and violence, as well as outline any expectations around upskilling and training that are imperative to the work being done.
Providing Training and Education. With the recent changes to legislation, it is now critical that companies and businesses provide training and education for employees and managers on how to prevent, recognise and respond to the psychosocial hazards in the workplace. This training should cover topics such as how to have difficult conversations, how to safeguard teams from vicarious trauma, stress and overwhelm from work, how to look for and respond to mental health concerns, conflict resolution and assertive communication skills, as well as training that provides clarity around the values and expectations of your business or organisation and each role within it.
Offering Clarity, Support and Resources. Organisations should offer timely support and resources for employees who experience psychosocial hazards in the workplace. This may include access to regular debriefing and supervision, counselling services, employee assistance programs, and other mental health resources. They should also be very clear about the expectations of a role and the operating hours of each position, ensuring a culture of work/life balance is fostered.
Psychosocial hazards in the workplace are a serious risk to the mental and physical health of team members. The recent legislation change is a fantastic prompt for all businesses to take a close look at how they are tracking in ensuring their part in the wellbeing of their teams.
Organisations must take proactive steps to identify and mitigate these risks to protect their employees and also ensure their legal compliance. By conducting risk assessments, developing policies and procedures, providing training and education, and offering support and resources, organisations can create a safe and healthy workplace for their team.
Work Within AU Pty Ltd offers a suite of workforce wellness services from helping businesses to understand their responsibility, develop and implement wellness plans, policies and procedures and upskill leaders and teams to create a resilient, safe, and well-informed workplace. To discuss your workforce needs, email Amy Wormwell at amy@workwithin.com.au or call 0437 870 014.
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