Most full-time employees spend a third of their lives at work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And when so much time is spent at work, it would be unreasonable to expect employees to separate their home life from their work life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Life \u2013 unfortunately \u2013 doesn\u2019t work like that. So if employees feel the heat and stress levels rise at home, you should expect their work performance to be impacted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not to be confused with \u201cPsychological safety\u201d, psychosocial safety encompasses the whole wellbeing of an employee \u2013 including their psychological and social wellbeing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Protecting employees\u2019 safety isn\u2019t new \u2013 that\u2019s exactly why we have Health & Safety laws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what about other aspects of employee health and wellbeing? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since April 1, 2023, many Australian states have been responsible for their workforces\u2019 psychosocial safety under new Work Health and Safety Regulations changes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will this legislation be enforced globally? We don\u2019t know. But if the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it\u2019s better to be ahead of the curve than behind.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By creating a safe and supportive work environment \u2013 whether your teams are in the office, on the road, or at home \u2013 <\/em>not only will your employees thrive personally, but you\u2019ll also benefit from increased engagement and productivity. Here are a few ways you can develop a psychosocially safe culture<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Appreciation and recognition are a human need. And that doesn\u2019t stop in the workplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Who doesn\u2019t love a \u201cGreat job!\u201d or \u201cThanks for getting involved; your input really helped this project.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want your employees to feel respected and appreciated, you need to develop a culture of recognition. This can be through 1:1 meetings with managers, peer-to-peer feedback, or even a simple call out in an organisational meeting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Open and honest communication is important in all relationships. Be it romantic, friends, or colleagues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your people know they can speak up about concerns, share ideas, and take risks without feeling like they\u2019ll be scrutinised, you\u2019ll see your teams flourish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Plus, you\u2019ll be able to identify and address any psychosocial hazards in the workplace more effectively if you provide a safe environment for employees to voice their concerns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours, can help employees create a work-life balance that suits their individual needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For some workers who may experience anxiety, childcare challenges, or even burnout, flexible working arrangements can make working life just that bit easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to create a more caring and supportive work environment, you must ensure your managers are well-equipped to recognise the signs of psychosocial hazards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With so much pressure on manager\u2019s shoulders, they need ongoing support to trust they\u2019re correctly supporting their employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By offering resources like mental health self-guided content, workout videos, and daily stress management tips, employers can demonstrate their commitment to employee wellbeing and create happier, healthier workplaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, businesses are starting to see the incredible return-on-investment employee wellbeing has on their business, and it shows with the huge spike of businesses investing in wellbeing support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Personify Health can help you identify psychosocial hazards<\/a>, put measures in place to prevent risks and review the effectiveness of your risk management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n1.\u00a0Develop your rewards and recognition strategy\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2.\u00a0Encourage open communication\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3.\u00a0Provide flexibility\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4.\u00a0Train managers to support psychosocial safety\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5.\u00a0Offer wellbeing programmes\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n