When it comes to employees’ psychological health, Australian employers are increasingly focusing on reducing psychosocial risks in the workplace — and there are lessons for Canadian employers in this approach, said Peter Smith, president and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, during a webinar hosted by the organization on Tuesday.
“If employers only focus on individuals’ mental health, they start thinking very broadly about the factors outside of the workplace that could impact mental health. . . . Prevention strategies are really shifting from a very individual-level focus about good resilience to a much greater focus on the organization and organizational readiness.”
Read: A look at Australia’s approach to psychosocial risk management in the workplace
The IWH recently conducted a study across 22 jurisdictions in Canada and Australia. It involved a review of public documents related to work-related psychological conditions, including legislation, regulations and associated guidance materials, as well interviews with 32 experts across 16 jurisdictions, including compensation boards, regulators and prevention agencies.
“There are different initiatives that have taken place — changes to legislation, for example — and things that workplaces are doing to either reduce the occurrence of psychological injuries or to reduce the health-care cost and wage replacement after those injuries occur.”
When it comes to how different jurisdictions within both countries are supporting workplace mental health, Smith noted there was more variation across Canadian jurisdictions than their Australian counterparts, including the participation of multiple agencies in diagnosing and supporting employers and employees.
“Sometimes there’s a split system like we have in Ontario, where we have the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, which is focused on prevention, and the Workplace Safety Insurance Board, which is focused on the management of psychological injuries in some jurisdictions.
“In some jurisdictions, these measures are combined, while in others they’re separated, so that can create particular challenges within our collaboration across jurisdictions where that occurs.”
Australia has done a lot of work to overcome some of the challenges around inter-jurisdictional variation, including the development of a national code of practice, which has been adopted by each state and territory, he said.
By focusing on the psychosocial environment rather than individuals’ mental health, Smith said employers can help protect employees from psychological injuries and also reduce the chance of physical injuries that can negatively impact employees’ mental health, citing Safe Work Australia’s guidance on how employers can best manage psychosocial hazards and risks in the workplace.
“They have a very straightforward approach: identify the risks, assess awareness, do something to control the risks and then review the control measures.”
Read: Head to head: In workplace wellness programs, is it better to use the carrot or the stick?