How Psychologically Safe Is Your Workplace?

“Psychological health and safety in the workplace – Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation” has been released as a new National Standard by the Canadian Standards Association (“CSA”), the Bureau de normalisation du Quebec and the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The Standard is currently voluntary, although it is common for CSA standards to make their way into legislation and regulation. It establishes best practices for employers to address mental health issues in their workplaces.

The Standard offers a step-by-step approach to developing a psychologically healthy workplace. The steps include:

• Identification and elimination of psychological hazards in the workplace (factors to assess include organizational culture, job demands, leadership, clarity of expectations, workload management, engagement, protection from violence, bullying and harassment);