A subject not often publicly talked about is mental health & safety in the workplace. Within the trades, mental health & safety tends to be discussed even less. Depression and anxiety are two mental health issues that are very common in the workplace. As such, they should be considered a safety consideration like any physical safety issue.
In jobs that require a worker to work and live away from home for a portion of the year, mental health is an ongoing concern. The ongoing global pandemic has contributed greatly to this growing workplace concern. Mental health & safety issues within the workplace need to be addressed now more than ever.
What is Mental Health & Safety?
Mental health & safety considers that employees should be free to express their thoughts. They should also be able to raise concerns and ask questions without being humiliated or reprimanded. Creating a psychologically safe workplace means creating structures that allow freedom of expression and the exchange of ideas between team members without risk of rejection or embarrassment.
How can it improve overall safety in the workplace?
There are many benefits to creating a psychologically safe workplace that contribute to overall safety as well.
Higher employee retention
When employees feel they are in a safe workplace, they are more likely to report higher job satisfaction. This leads to less turnover in employers, as workers tend to stay in a job for longer. A psychologically safe workplace directly correlates to increased employee happiness. If an employee is happier, they are less likely to leave their job. An employer in turn will spend less resources on constant recruitment.
Increased confidence and job performance
If there is freedom to express ideas and concerns between team members, employees tend to have higher confidence in their abilities. Less doubt and increased confidence enables the empowerment of the employee to complete their job to the best of their abilities. This also creates a workplace where there is space to be self-sufficient.
Increased trust
Psychological safety in the workplace leads to increased trust between team members. This creates a healthier team environment where team members can work as a unit. When team members on a job site trust each other and look out for one another, it leads to safer working conditions overall.
How can you improve mental health & safety in the workplace?
There are a few simple ways you can improve mental health & safety in the workplace. Start by making mental health a priority in the workplace through providing options for employees to access self-assessment tools at the office. Hosting workshops to help address the issue of stress within the workshop is a great way to get the whole workplace working together.
Reduce the stigma
Mental well-being and psychological health are still stigmatised within society, especially in blue-collar workplaces like the trades. We can help change this by creating a more open environment that encourages discussions of mental health, and encourage employees to express themselves and encourage others to do so.
Fair Treatment
Create a better workplace environment by encouraging the fair treatment of employees. This is best practiced through respecting employee rights and treating them well. This in turn can help reduce job-related anxiety and depression.
Advanced consultation and training
As always, Shanks Safety Consulting encourages employers to reach out for consultations regarding all areas of workplace safety. When we create psychologically safe workplaces we create happy and healthy employees who are ready to take on new tasks and stay motivated.
For help instituting safety regulations, policy development, managing Health and Safety Committees and more you can find our info here.