PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
Growing up, my dad was a great source of advice and guidance for all five of his children. For some reason a few of those insightful expressions of his stuck with me and I hear them regularly in my ear, still. The one he uses most often still is “it’s not what happens, it’s how you handle it.” Well, that is absolutely true and it serves me well to this day. However, I’d add that it is equally important to prevent the preventable when it comes to your physical and mental health, in both your personal and professional life.
When we hear the words 'health and safety' we often think only of our physical health. But now more than ever we are aware of the stress on our mental health and it is rapidly becoming the most significant health and safety risk factor in the workplace. Concerns from a human resource perspective are being matched by the significant financial implications of psychological safety issues in today’s modern workplace. Everything from fewer resources, tight deadlines, work design and demands to conflicting staff and customer relationships and harassment all contribute to a toxic work culture that can ruin reputations, careers, lives and entire businesses.
While our health is primarily our own responsibility, work does play a significant role in our ability to manage it. The good news is that although the workplace is an environment that can contribute to employee ill-health, it simultaneously offers the most potential for improving overall employee health and well-being. Not only is a healthy workplace good for the employees and leadership- its imperative for the bottom line of the business.
You need to act. You need a plan.
As one of the first few consultants hand-picked to be a Canadian Mental Health Association Psychological Safety Advisor I can be your expert guide to the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety and work with you and your team to promote, implement and sustain a healthy and safe workplace.
When you focus on mental health issues, the highest trending and arguably the most complex risk factor in Canadian workplaces today, it is very important to understand the issues clearly to provide appropriate and timely supports for those that need it. I can help you and your team navigate safely as part of a comprehensive healthy workplace strategy.