One of the positives to come out of the pandemic is that many organisations have adopted a renewed and focused effort toward employee health and wellbeing within (and even outside) the workplace. Despite this, the idea that psychosocial risks and stress is an individual issue – and a problem that the business has no control over – is often misunderstood and, therefore, less is done by organisations to rectify it.
What are psychosocial risks?
Psychosocial risks are factors, conditions and experiences at work that may contribute to poor physical and mental health outcomes for an employee. They can arise from a number of oversights including:
- Excessive workloads
- Conflicting demands and poor context of work
- Lack of influence over the way the job is done
- Poorly managed organisational change or job insecurity
- Ineffective communication or lack of support from management and colleagues
- Psychological and/or sexual harassment
- Third-party violence
Over time, employees who are in an environment where these factors play a major role in their everyday working lives can begin to experience negative mental health outcomes such as work-related stress, burnout or depression.
It’s important to note that a supportive work environment, in which workers are well trained and motivated to perform to the best of their ability, is often not enough. A good psychosocial environment enhances good performance and personal development, as well as workers’ mental and physical wellbeing.
Why invest in limiting psychosocial risk?
Supporting health and wellbeing holistically within an organisation has never been more important. As well as helping build a positive working environment, managing psychosocial health and safety can help improve organisational and individual outcomes, while avoiding the costs associated with an unhealthy workplace.
For the individual, when the demands of their job are excessive and greater than their capacity to cope with them, they can begin to suffer from prolonged stress. This stress can grow into other, even more debilitating conditions and behaviours, such as:
- Anxiety and/or depression
- Exhaustion and/or burnout
- Avoidance behaviours
- Counterproductive work behaviours
For the organisation, the negative effects of this are extensive and costly. They can include:
- Increased absenteeism and presenteeism (workers turning up for work when sick and unable to function effectively)
- Increased accident and injury rates
- Increased inactivity
- Increased conflict
- Increased employee dissatisfaction
- Increased turnover
Ultimately, the true cost to the business is hidden in plain sight — in the bottom line. The Productivity Commission estimates that the Australian economy loses up to $60 billion annually in health care, lost productivity, and many other direct and indirect costs. It’s a cost that more and more businesses are starting to recognise, and an area we help our customers understand and manage.
Our Culture & Psychosocial Health Audit (CPHA)
At Converge, we have a holistic approach to measuring and improving the psychosocial health and wellbeing in the workplace. Our Culture & Psychosocial Health Audit (CPHA) is a systematic and cultural assessment that is designed to prevent psychological harm, aid early intervention and support recovery.
CPHA not only aligns with the Psychological Health and Safety At Work and Safe Work Australia’s national guidance (the industry standard), but also assesses an organisation’s current level of psychosocial health and wellbeing maturity using a two-pronged, 360-degree approach:
Culture: Group and individual attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of psychosocial safety and risk measured through a series of maturity factors and questions.
Psychological Health and Wellbeing Systems: Consistent implementation of and adherence to the system-related processes in place to minimise psychological harm, measured through maturity audit criteria.
Both of these elements focus on measuring psychosocial maturity factors, which include organisational commitment, leadership, risks management, knowledge and competency, resources and support, and relationships. For each of these factors, we can determine an overall level of psychosocial health and wellbeing maturity.
Through our CPHA audit, we identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement within each factor measured. In addition, we also provide detailed diagnostics to demonstrate where these strengths and weaknesses are and how they relate to the culture and systems in place. The measurement tool also acts as a roadmap to help organisations nurture the factors that improve psychosocial health and wellbeing outcomes through strategic and targeted intervention efforts.
To learn more about how our Culture & Psychosocial Health Audit can help your organisation, call one of our friendly team on: 1300 687 327.
