Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

Workers' compensation boards and occupational health and safety regulators in Canada are increasingly concerned about psychological health and safety in the workplace. This shift reflects a broader understanding of the impact that mental health issues can have on workers and workplaces, including the realization that psychological injuries can be just as debilitating as physical ones. 

Many provinces have begun to include psychological safety within their occupational health and safety regulations, acknowledging that employers have a responsibility to protect employees from harassment, bullying, and other forms of psychological violence, which can lead to stress, burnout, and mental health disorders. 

Isn’t psychological health and safety the same as mental health? 

Mental health is our overall emotional and psychological well-being: how we feel, think, and handle stress, relationships, and life's ups and downs. It's personal and can be influenced by a myriad of factors, such as genetics, life experiences, and the support we have from friends and family. 

Psychological health concerns our ability to feel, think and perform in a way that allows us to participate in our work, personal, and social lives. Psychological health and safety is about making sure the workplace doesn't hurt our mental health. It's about what bosses and companies do to make our jobs less stressful and make us feel more supported, like making sure we're not overworked, we're treated fairly, and we have someone to talk to if we're feeling stressed or need help. 

So, while mental health is about our individual state of mind and emotional well-being, psychological health and safety is about how our job and workplace support that well-being. It's the difference between taking care of your health on your own and having a work environment that makes sure you're not getting sick from your job. 

The National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety

The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, often simply referred to as "the Standard," is a set of voluntary guidelines designed to help employers create a workplace that protects and promotes psychological health and safety. 

The Standard outlines best practices and approaches to assess elements within the workplace that may impact the psychological health and safety of workers. This includes policies, procedures, and interactions between leaders and workers, and with customers and clients.

The Standard outlines the following 13 psychosocial factors (those that encompass both psychological and social elements) that contribute to workplace psychological health and safety:

1. Organizational culture
2. Psychological and social support
3. Clear leadership and expectations
4. Civility and respect
5. Psychological demands
6. Growth and development
7. Recognition and reward
8. Involvement and influence
9. Workload management
10. Engagement
11. Balance
12. Psychological protection
13. Protection of physical safety

As an employer you do not have to address all these factors at once. Ensuring psychological health and safety is an ongoing process that involves continuous assessment, implementation, evaluation, and improvements. 

So where can you start? 

The most common psychosocial risks in small businesses are: 

• workload management and time management
• role ambiguity & unclear responsibilities
• work-life balance
• inter-personal relationships 

TIP: Whether working on psychological health and safety or general health and safety, it is essential to involve your employees. They know your business and can help identify the pain points and provide insight on how to relieve them. 

How to start improving psychological health and safety in your workplace:

1. Identify psychosocial risks within your business with a needs assessment
   1. Remember many psychosocial topics covered in The Standard are already requirements under provincial health & safety laws, such as having a workplace violence risk assessment, harassment prevention plan or for Ontario employers with over 25 employees, a Disconnecting from Work policy.
2. Action a plan with your employees to reduce or eliminate the risks identified
3. Introduce written policies to support your commitment
4. Provide training for management and employees
5. Establish clear communication channels for support and create a feedback loop to keep your employees engaged in the process.
6. Continuously look for ways to make your work environment one that supports well-being. 

Tools and Resources

CFIB offers several tools and resources to our members in our Member Portal that can get you started on your Psychological Health and Safety plan including: 

• Workplace Wellness policy
• Respectful Workplace statement
• Anti-bullying policy
• Anti-harassment policy
• Anti-violence policy
• Disconnecting from Work policy
• Six different wellness posters 

The Canada Centre for Occupational Health and Safety offers a free psychological health and safety awareness course that reviews the psychosocial factors and the roles of employers and employees.

CFIB members can also access free training through our Savings partnership with VuBiz including courses on:

• Conflict Management,
• Time Management,
• Harassment, Discrimination and Workplace Violence Prevention Training,
• Mental Health Awareness,
• Violence in the Workplace: Awareness,
• Unconscious Bias.

If you have questions or would like support in improving psychological health and safety reach out to our HR Now! For Small Business advisors via Live Chat, email (HRNow@cfib.ca) or phone: 1-833-568-2342.