Aspects that Challenge Mental Health At Workplace
To achieve the positive mental health at workplace, it becomes imperative to include mental health as a key indicator in a business model. Lacking that, not only hurts the individual but also reduces corporate profits. Therefore, it’s important to involve mental health portfolio at all levels in the workplace like a board of directors, management, finance and human resources.
In a word, there is no one “right way” to create a mentally healthy workplace. Because every workplace includes different factors, those play a significant role in employee’s mental health.
- Workplace Goal
- Financial Targets
- Leadership and Management Structure
- Size of the Workplace
- Environment influencing the community, and
- External resources the company draws.
Also, a legislative requirement bound for employers to protect the mental and physical health of their employees. Many provincial occupational health and safety acts previously expanded to include harm to psychological well-being in the definition of harassment. General duty clause made applicable in case of jurisdictions that do not have explicit legislation dealing with psychological health in the workplace.
Psychological Risk Factors
Psychosocial Risk Factors (PSRs) impact organizational health, mental health at workplace, the health of individual employees and the financial bottom line. Then, this includes the way they carry out the work and the context in which work occurs;
- Clear Leadership
- Psychological Support
- Organizational Culture
- Respect
- Requirements of Psychological Competencies
- Growth
- Development
- Rewards and recognition
- Collaboration
- Workload Management
- Engagement
- Psychological Protection
- Protection of Physical Safety
Following issues that affect an individual’s mental health at workplace;
- Discrimination
- Manipulated Relationships
- Job collapse
- Harassment, violence, bullying etc.
- Stigma
- Substance use, misuse and abuse at work
Hence, a psychologically healthy workplace is the one that promotes an employee’s mental well-being and does not harm their mental health through negligent, reckless or intentional ways.
Further, as part of continual improvement process, developing and sustaining your Comprehensive Workplace Health and Safety planning may tick the following;
- Lead (management leadership and commitment)
- Plan (organize)
- Do (implement)
- Check (test)
- Act (improve)
What Else Can Employers Do?
To illustrate, few strategies that employers may use to encourage positive mental health at workplace;
- Encourage active employee participation & also decision-making
- Define duties and responsibilities
- Promote work-life balance & hence, proper time management of employees
- Encourage respectful and non-derogatory behaviors
- Manage workloads & therefore, sufficient workforce
- Allow continuous learning
- Have conflict resolution practices in place
Therefore, from factors influencing the business till psychological risk factors, the key indicator for healthy business depends on the healthy workplace. In short, the different factors and approaches mentioned above, plays vital role in eradicating unnecessary elements and including necessary elements into the business model, respectively.
You may also read the World Health Organization‘s guidelines here related to this article. Do also read Financial Management during crisis here to understand and create your action plan, which will control your financial future.
