Psychological safety and the science of trust
Effective 2023, a new Code of Practice on managing psychosocial hazards has been implemented across Australia, which refers to ‘aspects of work design, the work itself and the interactions between employees which can impact their mental health and emotional wellbeing.’
The list of workplace psychosocial hazards is endless, but the main hazards include bullying, harassment, role overload, exposure to traumatic events, lack of role clarity, workplace conflict, low job control, poor support from managers and supervisors, poor consultation, poor procedural fairness and inadequate reward and recognition.
There is growing awareness of the significance of psychological hazards and injuries in the workplace. The latest Victorian Worksafe Annual Report (2022) shows that mental injury claims as a percentage of all new Workcover claims have increased to 15.1 per cent from 13.1 per cent in the previous year. The Report adds that by 2030 it is expected that a third of all injury claims will be mental injury claims.
Organisations and key decision makers need to consider and review approaches to managing psychosocial risks and fostering mentally healthy workplaces. This includes engaging and consulting with workers, which requires a culture of psychological safety.
Prioritizing employee wellbeing and a culture of psychological safety offers several benefits such as:
• Improved engagement
• Increased productivity
• Higher retention
• Healthier employees
• The company’s business performance
Talk to Dr Kim about building a culture of psychological safety in your teams and organisation.