In the ever-evolving landscape of workplace safety, its crucial to have the right psychosocial risk control measures in place to safeguard everyone’s wellbeing and performance and the success of any organisation.
Worryingly, statistics reveal that psychological injuries are among the fastest-growing types of workplace injuries, costing organisations billions annually in lost productivity, compensation, and staff turnover. Therefore it pays for Executives, and HR and WHS leaders, to identify and implement the most appropriate psychosocial control measures to protect their workforce and business operations.
Organisations that prioritise and actively manage psychosocial hazards and safety witness uplift in employee satisfaction and productivity, reduced absenteeism and improved retention rates, and stronger employer brand and talent attraction.
This article builds on our previous articles ‘Identifying Psychosocial Hazards’ and ‘Assessing the Risks’, outlining the psychosocial hazards you need to be aware of, and walks you through a process to get appropriate control measures in place that best protect your employees and organisation from potential risks.
Psychosocial hazards to be aware of
In short, a psychosocial hazard is anything that could cause psychological harm (e.g. harm someone’s mental health). Common psychosocial hazards at work include: job demands; low job control; poor support; lack of role clarity; poor organisational change management; inadequate reward and recognition; poor organisational justice; traumatic events or material; remote or isolated work; poor physical environment; violence and aggression; bullying; harassment, including sexual and gender-based harassment, and conflict or poor workplace relationships and interactions.
How do you go about controlling the risks?
Regardless of the nature of an organisation and its workforce, a strategic approach must be undertaken to ensure the most appropriate, cost effective, psychosocial risk control measures are in place.
It is recommended, before you explore control measures that you first ‘Identify your Workplace’s Psychosocial Hazards’ and ‘Assess the Risks Associated with these Hazards’. This will save everyone time and resources and help you accurately identify control measures that best suit your employee’s and organisation’s unique needs.
Once you’re ready, you can research hazard specific control measures, talk to colleagues about their approach, or find professional support to design or update your Psychosocial Risk Management Plan.
What are some practical control measures to help?
First consider, your control measures must be strategies and actions your organisation implements to manage workplace factors that could negatively impact your employees’ mental health and wellbeing, and performance.
For example, your strategies and actions may involve:
- promoting a psychological safety and open, respectful, communication
- offering an Employee Assistance Program and/or mental health resources
- appropriate job crafting, flexible work arrangements, and designing balanced workloads
- providing staff or leadership training, and capability building opportunities
- fostering a supportive culture through supporting management
Ultimately, whatever appropriate strategies or actions you implement will help demonstrate your commitment to employee care and meet WHS compliance requirements, position your organization as desirable place to work, and reduce the likelihood of psychological harm to your valued employees.
What benefits you and your organisation can expect?
It’s certainly no secret that investing in employee capability building and psychosocial safety support yields significant return on investment (ROI) for organisations. It is worth considering that the ROI for effectively implementing psychosocial risk management and team functioning initiatives is multifaceted. However, this includes both tangible and intangible benefits that enhance overall business performance.
Supporting ROI related Data:
- Deloitte has found that companies implementing effective mental health and wellbeing programs can see an ROI ranging from 1.5:1 up to 11:1, depending on program quality and organizational commitment.
- Gallup found that highly engaged workplaces experience a 21% increase in profitability, underscoring the financial benefits of investing in employee wellbeing.
- The World Health Organization, for every dollar invested in mental health and wellbeing initiatives, there is a return of approximately $4 due to improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, and decreased turnover.
- Harvard Business Review reports that for every dollar spent on employee wellbeing, employers can expect an average return of $3 to $6 through reduced healthcare costs and improved productivity.
Key Components adding to ROI:
- Increased Productivity: For example: Studies show that organisations with robust wellbeing programs can see productivity boosts of up to 12% (APA).
- Reduced Absenteeism and Presenteeism: Effective control measures decrease the frequency (up to 35% reduction) and duration of employee absences, and mitigate presenteeism (employees are physically present but mentally disengaged) = better overall performance and lower indirect costs.
- Lower Turnover and Recruitment Costs: Organisations that prioritise psychosocial wellbeing experience less turnover (22.5% improvement in employee retention), reducing costs associated with hiring, onboarding, and training new employees.
- Improved Organisational Resilience: Psychosocial safety initiatives foster a supportive culture, preparing employees to manage stress and adapt to change and challenge more effectively (50% fewer workers’ compensation claims).
Ready to take a strategic approach?
Creating a work environment that contributes positively to the psychosocial safety and overall wellbeing of employees is now a top priority for organisations looking to attract talent, foster a positive and productive culture, and improve business success.
Regardless of where you and your organisation are in your psychosocial safety management journey, we would be thrilled to help you improve your strategy for Identifying, Assessing, Controlling, and Reviewing psychosocial hazards and risks in your organisation.
Let’s jump on a FREE 30 minute call together to have a constructive conversation around how you can better protect your employees and business, so everyone can enjoy the many benefits that come with getting psychosocial safety right in your organisation.
