Building a healthy workplace

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• Building a healthy workplace

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Definitions

• Work application of physical and mental
  knowledge skills commitment over time effort,
  labour exertion
• Employment contract of employment for pay set
  of specific tasks, located in specific
  physical/social context

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Definitions

• Health usually operationalized in terms of
  absence of physical and mental symptoms, illness
  and morbidity
• Well-being the subjective state of being
  healthy, happy, contented, comfortable and
  satisfied with ones quality of life

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Work and health
Possible causal pathways between health, work and
well-being
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Work

• Work provides income material well-being and
  participation in todays society
• Work meets important psychosocial needs in
  societies where employment is the norm
• Work is central to individual identity, social
  roles and social status
• Employment and socio-economic status are the main
  drivers of social gradients in health

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• Mental illness affects people of all ages,
  educational and income levels, and cultures
• Some groups more likely to report mental health
  issues
• Women
• Non-managers
• Not-for-profit sector
• Unionized employees

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• A healthy working life is
• one that continuously provides working-age
  people with the opportunity, ability, support and
  encouragement to work in ways and in an
  environment which allows them to sustain and
  improve their health and well-being
  (Scottish Executive 2004)
• Work should be comfortable when we are well and
  accommodating when we are ill (Hadler 1997)

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What is a Mentally Healthy Workplace?
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What is a Mentally Healthy Workplace?
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Additional Training For Front-Line Managers

• Recognizing signs and symptoms
• Community supports available
• Medical factors influencing mental health issues
• Strategies for keeping employees functional and
  successful in the workplace

• Responses to negative reactions
• Insight into legal requirements
• Handling difficult conversations
• Softer skills
• Creating an inclusive work environment

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Creating Positive Change in Organizations

1. Focus on education and communication to reduce
   fear, stigma and discrimination
2. Create a culture conducive to good mental health
3. Demonstrate leadership at the top
4. Provide the tools and training to support
   managers in their role

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Building a Healthy Workplace Leadership
Development

• Building trust
• Ensuring each employee understands their purpose
• Setting clear expectations
• Focusing on the most important priorities
• Creating a circle of accountability
• Growing and developing their employees
• Developing Emotional Intelligence
• Understanding mental health aspects in the
  workplace
• Literature, courses etc
• GM_at_W
• GWL Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace

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Changing the culture of work health

• CultureThe collective attitudes, beliefs and
  behaviours that characterise a particular social
  group over time

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Shifting attitudes to work health
Current Shift to
Work is a risk and (potentially) harmful to physical and mental health. Work is healthy, therapeutic the best form of rehab. vs. Risks of long-term sickness absence
therefore therefore
Advice to stay off / sickness absence / sick certification protects from work Advice and support to remain in or (early) return to work