FEATURE
that we react as much to the ‘how’ a message is heard as we do to the content. In addition, people’s safety attitudes are also influenced by the behaviours demonstrated by their leaders and peers.
In conjunction, what we see and hear in the wider world can also impact how mindful we are in any moment and how much attention we are paying to avoiding injuries or mistakes.
The question in hand is therefore how we can build our understanding of the importance of wellbeing, mindfulness and focus in preventing injuries and accidents.
Of course, there’s no single answer, but starting the conversation about wellbeing in the workplace and making this discussion a normal part of working life is, in my view, key.
As Simon Sinek said, leadership isn’t just about being in charge – it’s about taking care of those in your charge. So, it’s important that managers are trained to recognise, and adapt to, the individual personalities and needs at play amongst their teams.
It’s also worth recognising that it isn’t an employer’s responsibility to solve problems that an employee may have outside of work, but it may be appropriate for an employer to refer that person to support organisations or healthcare professionals, ideally before their ability to work safely is impaired. More realistically, the role of a manager is to offer empathy and support for work-related concerns, taking actions where appropriate.
It’s long been understood that giving employees the ability to manage their own workload, where possible and practical, can improve their wellbeing. Nurturing a more supportive culture where it’s normal for any of us to seek the support of a peer, a supervisor or a healthcare professional will further improve positivity and wellbeing at work – it adds to our collective resilience.
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We can educate employees to ask for help if they need it, but the hardest thing in the world can be for any of us to admit when we’re struggling. Companies need to recognise the difficulty in taking that first step, and actively facilitate it by permanently changing the culture around wellbeing in the workplace.
The lockdowns we have experienced due to COVID-19 have highlighted the effect isolation can have on some employees. As such, many employers put work- life balance and wellbeing at the forefront of their communications and employee interactions.
In a way, you could liken this to the reaction immediately after an accident – increasing our activity to combat a specific adverse situation. The key now is momentum and consistency. Keeping up a proactive approach through conversations to reduce stigma, checking in on employees with their wellbeing in mind and creating a culture which is geared towards helping those who need it will show staff that employers are serious about their wellbeing and safety in the long term. Promoting external tools such as the superb Every Mind Matters campaign from the NHS can also help.
Changing the safety culture from reactive to proactive requires ongoing effort by supervisors and managers. It’s important for us all to engender trust and respect within our work teams and be sensitive to any early warning signs.
Everyone can have a bad day at work, but we all know that a problem shared is a problem halved. Sometimes, an empathetic ear and giving a person the time and space they need to recover can be all that’s needed to get them to a better place, and with a little help they may be able to identify simple and practical solutions to address work related issues. Staying mindful of the varying needs of employee wellbeing every day and by reducing distractions will also reduce accidents and injuries.,
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