The pandemic has had a significant and far-reaching impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the Australian workforce. While the exact long-term effects cannot yet be known, research suggests that 78% of Australians experienced a decline in their mental health since the start of the pandemic, with rates of elevated psychological distress such as depression, anxiety and stress even higher than anticipated.

With the delta variant resulting in more snap lockdowns and the vaccine rollout underway, many employees are oscillating between working from home and on-site. While some employees may welcome this, there are many who are more concerned. According to a survey performed in June 2021, one-third of respondents said their return to work has had a negative impact on their mental health. Furthermore, almost half of those who have not yet returned in-person anticipate negative mental health impacts.

Poor mental health doesn’t only have a significant effect on individuals, but also on businesses. A 2021 study found that the economic impact of mental health-related absenteeism for employers was $4.7 billion per year, while SafeWork NSW found that employees with moderate mental ill-health took an average of six additional sick days annually compared to their mentally healthy counterparts.

For this reason, it will be important for employers to consider psychological safety as part of a holistic plan for an on-site return of their workforce. Here, we discuss the definition of psychological safety and the strategies employers can implement in order to minimise stress and anxiety upon their employees’ return to work. 

What is psychological safety and why is it important? 

Psychological safety can be defined as a “shared belief held by member of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking”. That is, those within the team feel safe to voice opinions, take risks and ask questions without fear of being criticised or judged. Employees that feel psychologically safe would typically demonstrate open communication and supportive behaviours that convey emotional awareness and connection to their colleagues. 

While psychological safety should always be a consideration for employers, it should be a greater focus during times of uncertainty and upheaval because it directly effects individual and organisational performance. In a two-year study conducted by Google, it found that its highest performing teams, those that were more likely to innovate, contribute, and take risks, all had one thing in common: psychological safety. 

Aside from the performance benefits gained from creating a psychologically safe workplace, there are financial gains to be made too. Mental ill-health at work is estimated to cost Australian corporations $13 billion a year in lost wages and productivity, outlined in the recent Productivity Commission mental health report. 

Employers who prioritise psychological safety within their return-to-work strategy (as well as more generally within their operations) will not only protect their employees’ mental health, but also potentially speed up organisational effectiveness. 

Understand your starting point

The first step employers can take to improve psychological safety, is to understand where their business currently sits. There is little point addressing employee concerns directly relating to the pandemic if the every-day organisational operations, processes and structures do not offer psychological support.

To do this, employers and HR managers should identify all psychological hazards that might be present in the workplace. These could arise from factors such as poor workplace culture, unsuitable working environments, poor organisational justice, low representation and uncertainty of job responsibilities, to name a few. 

Employers can identify such factors through holding confidential discussions with staff, reviewing relevant data from incident reports, workers’ compensation claims, and staff turnover, and conducting anonymous surveys with workers, managers and team leaders. 

In complex situations, it can be useful to seek advice from professionals in the area of risk mitigation and assessment. Under WHS laws, work-related hazards that present a risk to psychological health and safety must “be eliminated so far as is reasonably practicable”, so they are crucial to address for the safety of your business. 

Address safety processes and systems 

Four in five workers surveyed in an Australian study experienced fears around catching or spreading Covid-19 upon return to their worksite. This was made up of concerns around becoming infected with COVID-19, infecting other people, being able to maintain physical distance from colleagues, and being concerned about colleagues coming to work when sick. 

While organisations are required to implement a CovidSafe Plan in line with state government recommendations, it will be helpful in this case to ensure employees are aware of and adhering to this plan. 

Health Safety & Environment Manager of Bayside Group, Cameron Cranstoun, says that in order to minimise stress around the potential of contracting Covid-19 in the workplace, it will be important for employers to effectively communicate these safety measures to staff. 

“Direct and frequent communication, including emails or phone calls, as well as secondary communication, like signage will be necessary,” says Cameron Cranstoun. “Consistent reminders are essential, as after a while people tend to revert back to old habits and behaviours without even realising. 

“Employers and managers may need to let employees know about the new ways the workplace may operate – for example staggered shifts or alternating lunch breaks – as well as inform them of new safety measures such as temperature testing and mandatory mask wearing.” 

Remove barriers to flexible work arrangements 

Aside from the mental distress of possibly contracting the virus, more than 50 percent of Australians revealed that the reduced flexibility of returning to the workplace was having a significant impact on their mental health. 

Employees have generally become more comfortable with a hybrid model or working from home, and are used to the social and familial freedoms this might offer them. To expect them to renounce this newfound time they are able to spend with their children and loved ones could have a significant impact on their mental health. 

An increasing number of employees are requesting more say in determining when and where their work gets done, with 60 percent reporting that flexible work schedules could reduce stress, while 57 percent acknowledge that a hybrid work arrangement would do the same. Overall, in an era characterised by increased demands at work and longer commute times, what employees really appear to be asking for is more time to engage with things they enjoy. 

Communication will be key and starts with leadership

When it comes to addressing mental health in any workplace, communication will be crucial, particularly when it comes to driving a sustainable cultural change. Communicating a mental health message once is unlikely to render the necessary impact on an ingrained culture, particularly when there is still a stigma surrounding mental health within Australian workplaces. 

An effective approach is to ensure that the message is being broadcast from the top, from team leaders and managers—both formally and informally. In fact, when paired with leadership training, organisational programs focused on psychological safety and broad-based mental health awareness have proven to be effective in bettering mental health outcomes at work. Such initiatives could involve leaders actively promoting and sharing their commitment to supporting and improving mental health, and additional training for leaders around this topic. 

Partner with your people 

Involving a wide range of people within your business and seeking input from employees will be an important component of developing an effective mental health strategy. Research has shown that when someone perceives to have control over their situation this empowers them to make active attempts to resolve problems and encourages them to approach their work in a positive way. Furthermore, this kind of attitude creates a more inclusive workplace, where employees feel valued and respected. 

This will also help employers gain a better understanding of the individual needs of their workers. While an EAP might be sufficient for some, for those with complex and long-term mental health problems, which might be exacerbated by the stress of the pandemic, it might not be as useful. It is important to create a psychologically safe space where confidential discussions can take place and employees feel comfortable communicating their needs. 

If you’re looking for staff, or wanting to create a psychologically safe environment for your workforce, contact Bayside Group today. Our Workplace Safety Management and Employment Compliance services can help keep your business and workforce safe.