As discussed in an earlier blog, psychosocial risks experienced in the workplace are a common phenomenon and have become even more prevalent as the conditions brought on by the pandemic have added additional stress.
In comparison to pre-pandemic levels, research by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that depression among U.S. adults has grown three fold. In addition, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study reported substantially higher prevalence of substance use and suicidal thoughts among adults in the U.S. during the pandemic as compared with 2019.
Fortunately, we are not powerless to these conditions and it is incumbent upon company leaders to be able to recognize when their employees are over stressed and know how to respond.
The recently published quality standard ISO 45003 is the world’s first international standard to address the psychological impact that workplace conditions have on employees and provides guidance on just how to do that.
First, we need to understand what conditions exacerbate worker stress so that we can recognize it when we see it.
You can probably name some of the more dramatic examples such as violence in the workplace, bullying, and sexual harassment.
But there are many other conditions that place significant stress on employees:
Excessive workloads
Role confusion
Conflicting expectations
Inability to have input in decisions that affect the employee
Inability to influence how the work is carried out
Organizational change that is mismanaged
Job insecurity
Poor communication
Inadequate support from company leaders and co-workers
Attention to these concerns can be incorporated into a company’s existing structures for managing health and safety risks in the workplace. Essential to their effectiveness, however, is that employees are involved in creating new policies and procedures, as they are the true experts on how the workplace affects them.
This means leaders must foster a company culture in which all employees feel empowered to voice their struggles and concerns.
For many business leaders managing psychosocial risks requires an entirely new set of knowledge and skills. With our background in both business and psychology, G2 Solutions is uniquely suited to guide companies in becoming healthy and fulfilling places to work. Reach out today to learn more about how we can help.
Click here to learn more about ISO and their new standard on managing psychosocial risks.
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