What is Psychological Safety and Why Does it Matter?
At the simplest level, Psychological Health and Safety means that you, as a business, take a proactive, risk management approach to work-related mental health: You take active steps to identify what could foreseeably cause your employees psychological harm (stress, distress or trauma for example) and put appropriate measures in place both to prevent unnecessary harm and to protect your employees from those aspects of their work, and the workplace, that could pose risks to their mental health.
Psychological Health & Safety can also be called 'psychosocial risk management'. The risks to employee mental health that are potentially caused by work, or the workplace include well-researched hazards such as; excessive or inappropriate demands for an employee's abilities, time or resources, lack of control over workload or how work is carried out, too much uncertainty and change, bullying & harassment, lack of diversity & inclusion. It can also include the nature of the work, such as working with traumatised people, reviewing graphic online content or reporting on traumatic events and stories, for example.
This approach therefore must go beyond simple resilience building, health promotion and the provision of employee benefits such as counselling services, although they all remain key features.
It is a systemic, integrated approach that involves everyone but is led by the functions within your company who are best placed, usually HR and Health & Safety, but with solid input from senior leaders, internal communications and learning & development.
Psychological Health and safety should be a core part of any mental health and/or employee wellbeing strategy, alongside those other aspects such as health promotion, mental health awareness, employee benefits and physical health and safety. Once brought together all of these strands have a comprehensive, strategic approach to employee wellbeing to ensure a healthy workforce, sustainable business success, protect your company reputation, attract and retain the best talent and, of course, be fully legally compliant.
Another similar and increasingly popular term, 'Psychological Safety' is not to be confused with health & safety as a legal obligation.
Psychological Safety refers to building a culture of trust, safety and openness such that all employees can bring their full selves to work, take risks and be authentic. It also should be embedded into a wider strategy of Psychological Health & Safety.
The new global standard in Psychological Health & Safety at work is now out and can be found here.
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