health & safety
STEPS TOWARDS PSYCHOLOGICAL
HEALTH AND SAFETY
“We have supported research and projects
in mental health in the workplace for
over a decade, including the establishment
of the Great-West Life Centre for Mental
Health in the Workplace in 2007, so we
welcome this innovative collaboration,” she
said. “MHCC has done an excellent job in
bringing the case study participants together
so that we can learn from one another and
share our experiences more broadly for the
benefit of other organizations.”
When the Standard was first announced,
the HR community expressed concerns
about the resources and time that would be
needed to implement psychological health
and safety in the workplace.
Some also worried that if their organization
was going to proclaim to be a
psychologically healthy and safe workplace,
there would be a perception that employees
didn’t have to work as hard or that management
couldn’t ever be firm.
“Psychological health and safety is not
about making sure work conditions are always
‘nice’ for employees,” said Weaver.
“Rather, it is about maximizing the capability
and potential of all employees by
supporting them to do their best work.”
Yvone Defreitas, manager, HR at the
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health
and Safety (CCOHS), shares that CCOHS
recognized the value of adopting the
Standard – both as an employer and as part
of their mandate as a health and safety organization
to take a comprehensive approach
to workplace mental health. It established a
Mental Health at Work team, comprised of
a cross-section of staff based on their interest
in contributing.
“From an HR perspective, we understand
that there’s legislation that tells us
we have to keep our employees healthy and
safe. Having this technical expertise in place
is helping to create programs and policies
that are all encompassing,” she said. “This
includes gaining an understanding that employees’
concerns aren’t always physical or
visible.”
Jennifer Lombardo-Seib, corporate wellness
specialist for the Regional Municipality
of York, works closely with a newly-established
Psychological Health and Safety
Advisory Committee whose membership
will change based on needs and priorities.
■■ Review the National Standard for Psychological Health and
Safety in the Workplace.
■■ Get senior leadership buy-in.
■■ Gather champions for implementation. Establish advisory or
tactical teams with a cross-section of leaders and employees.
■■ Leverage the free resources identified in the Standard Annex.
■■ Conduct an assessment of your current psychological health and
safety status.
■■ Share data to get buy-in, support and participation.
■■ Analyze results and set measurable goals.
■■ Reach out; share ideas and challenges with colleagues and
associates.
■■ Review policies and procedures.
■■ Develop and implement a plan.
■■ Communicate progress.
■■ Train and support managers.
■■ Set up a system for continual improvement.
Continued on page 38
36 ❚ FEBRUARY 2015 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL