By Brenda Clark, CHRE
In legal-ese, the concept of “duty of care” refers to the responsibility, either of an individual or an organization, to act with a reasonable standard of care in regards to acts that could foreseeably cause harm, according to most legal definitions.
That concept is certainly descriptive of HR’s role and obligations – legally, yes, but also professionally and ethically – when it comes to safeguarding employees’ rights, mitigating risk to the organization and protecting the public.
But that concept is a particularly poignant one when it comes to our theme for this issue: psychological safety and mental health. The duty HR professionals have when it comes to safeguarding and protecting employees’ mental health is one that has evolved quite dramatically over the past two decades – and it’s a duty that is of inarguable importance.
Never before have we had such a rich understanding of the role (and responsibility) an employer has in shaping a psychologically safe culture – and in so doing, promoting mental wellness for its employees (and each external community those employees touch).
In fact, psychological safety itself is a comparatively new concept (and responsibility) for HR. It was only last September that new legislative requirements came into force in Ontario creating additional duties for employers when it comes to workplace harassment, including a requirement to appropriately investigate workplace harassment incidents and complaints.
Our cover story in this issue traces much of the research and work that has been done over the past decade toward promoting psychological safety in the workplace. And what’s perhaps most encouraging about that research as a whole is the massive shift in awareness among HR professionals as to their duty to protect and care for the psychological wellbeing of their workforce.
A full 81.1 per cent of respondents in the Evolution of Workplace Mental Health national survey (completed in partnership with HRPA and the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace) indicated that “the attitudes of human resources professionals toward workplace mental health issues have somewhat or significantly improved since 2007,” writes Dr. Joti Samra. That is a very heartening statistic when we look back on where the awareness of mental health issues stood just a decade ago.
We should be very encouraged by the work that’s being done, and the gravity and dedication with which HR has accepted these new responsibilities toward promoting psychological safety. But at the same time, we cannot lose sight of the fact that this is a culture shift that is far from complete. We must continue to create awareness, to educate ourselves, to learn and cultivate our own professional development and to be aware of our duty not just to be responsive to existing mental health or harassment issues, but to also be proactive. We have a duty to inquire if an employee is demonstrating clear signs of a potential mental health issue. We have a duty to investigate, to follow up if we see or hear something that doesn’t seem right. We have a duty to help create an environment that will allow a positive, psychologically safe culture to flourish.
Essentially, what we have is a duty of care – legally, yes, but also on a human level. We have the responsibility and the opportunity to ensure that the people we work with every day are safe, protected and supported. And to me, that is one of the most rewarding aspects of our job.
Brenda Clark, CHRE, is chair of the Human Resources Professionals Association.