MENTAL HEALTH & STRESS
sitting separately within employee wellbeing activity. The starting point is to understand where psychosocial hazards exist, using evidence and worker consultation rather than relying only on individual disclosures. Employers should consider whether workloads are manageable, working hours and staffing are appropriate, deadlines are realistic, roles are clear, and employees and contractors have sufficient control, support and opportunities to rest and recover.
“SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS REMAINS IMPORTANT, BUT IT SHOULD COMPLEMENT, NOT REPLACE, ORGANISATIONAL CONTROLS.”
The next step is to control the causes. This could mean redesigning tasks, redistributing workloads, reviewing shift patterns, improving staffing levels, clarifying responsibilities, increasing worker control or reconsidering deadlines that routinely create excessive pressure. Managers should be trained to respond appropriately when concerns are raised, without being expected to diagnose a mental health condition, and should know when to involve occupational health, HR or other competent support.
Employers should look beyond individual resilience, too. If multiple people within a team are experiencing high levels of stress or fatigue, the answer is unlikely to be telling individuals to focus on managing their wellbeing. It may be that the way work is designed, resourced or managed is creating the risk.
Looking at wider trends can also help. Patterns in sickness absence, staff turnover, overtime, working- hour exceedances, near misses, complaints or repeated concerns may indicate that workloads or working practices need attention. These indicators should be interpreted alongside consultation, surveys and operational evidence, with appropriate confidentiality and data-protection safeguards.
HOW TO CREATE A CULTURE WHERE PEOPLE CAN SPEAK UP
Effective risk management also depends on workers feeling able to raise concerns before problems escalate. If people believe that speaking up about excessive demands, fatigue or poor support will be seen as a lack of commitment or competence, important warning signs can remain hidden until health, safe performance or the person’s ability to remain in work is affected.
Creating a culture of trust and worker participation is therefore essential. Managers should hold regular conversations with their teams, listen to concerns, protect confidentiality where appropriate and act on issues raised, rather than assuming individuals will manage the risk themselves.
This should be embraced as part of everyday management and led by senior leadership. Senior teams can reinforce the message by demonstrating through their own decisions that excessive workloads, unrealistic expectations and inadequate recovery time are risks to be addressed, rather than signs of commitment to be celebrated.
When that message is consistent, employees are more likely to see speaking up as part of maintaining a safe workplace rather than a private issue.
25
WWW.TOMORROWSHS.COM FROM WELLBEING TO PREVENTION
When organisations identify psychosocial hazards early and address their underlying causes, they can create healthier, safer working environments in which people are supported and able to raise concerns. This shifts the focus from responding only after someone becomes unwell to preventing work-related harm through better work design and management.
Support for individuals remains important, but it should complement, not replace, organisational controls. By improving work design, resources, supervision and recovery arrangements, employers can protect psychological health while strengthening alertness, decision-making and safe performance across the organisation.
www.safecontractor.com/en-gb
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50
