Psychosocial Risks: Employees' Personal Factors

According to SafeWork Australia and WorkSafe New Zealand, psychosocial risks in the workplace related to personal factors encompass a variety of elements that can negatively impact an employee's mental health and overall safety at work. Personal factors are particularly tricky to assess and manage as they are so unique to each individual employee, and can rapidly change depending on unique combinations of circumstances. There are also moral, legal and confidentiality reasons that mean that leaders will not be aware of many of these risks. Therefore, it is important to emphasise working in partnership with employees, and not abdicating responsibility completely, but by encouraging employees to reflect and assess their own risks and then give them the tools to design their own private management plan and encourage them to share this with the organisation, or at least share the parts in which the organisation and leader can support them. Examples of this are in this blog.

Firstly, Let's look at what Personal Factor risks could be: 

1. Personal Life Stressors: Issues such as family responsibilities, financial pressures, health problems, and personal relationships can affect an employee's work performance and mental health.
   
   
2. Cultural and Social Background: Differences in culture, social expectations, and background can impact how employees perceive and respond to workplace stressors.
   
   
3. Previous Trauma: Past experiences, including trauma, can influence an employee's response to workplace challenges and stress.
   
   
4. Health Conditions: Chronic illnesses, disabilities, or mental health conditions can exacerbate stress and affect job performance and satisfaction.

Managers have a crucial role in mitigating these risks by creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. Their responsibilities include:

1. Recognising Psychosocial Risks: Identifying potential stressors and understanding how personal factors can influence employees' work experiences, note the sensitivities of confidentiality especially around past experiences and medical history.
   
   
2. Providing Support: Offering resources and support to help employees manage personal challenges and reduce stress. Having a template of a personal reflection on personal factor risks and a management plan example available, alongside policy documents. 
   
   
3. Fostering a Positive Work Environment: Encouraging open communication, inclusivity, and respect to build a supportive workplace safety culture. Identify ways to make space for people to speak up about their identified risks in a safe way, it might be a code word they can use, or a designated person to speak to as you as the leader or manager might not be the best person. 
   
   
4. Monitoring Employee Well-being: Regularly checking in on employees to gauge their well-being and identify any emerging issues. You don't need to know all the details, and in fact, to help maintain boundaries, it's probably best that as the manager you don't know the finer details. You just need to know what the key risks are, and who to direct your employee, and what changes you can make as a leader to the working environment. It might be your Health & Safety team, it might be internal Occupational health (if you have those services), it might be to a specialised services such as EAP, Occupational health, or wellbeing managers. 

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What does the legislation say?

Under the Workplace Health & Safety Regulations, to manage psychosocial risks, a duty holder must:

• Identify reasonably foreseeable hazards that could give rise to psychosocial risks
• Eliminate risks, so far as is reasonably practicable
• If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks – minimise the risks so far as is reasonably practicable
• Maintain implemented control measures so they remain effective, and
• Review, and if necessary revise, control measures so as to maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, a work environment that is without risks to health and safety.

In determining control measures to be implemented, an organisation or Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU), must have regard to all relevant matters, including:

-     the duration, frequency and severity of the exposure of workers and other persons to the psychosocial hazards

-     how the psychosocial hazards may interact or combine

-     the design of work, including job demands and tasks

-     the systems of work, including how work is managed, organised and supported

-     the design and layout, and environmental conditions, of the workplace, including the provision of:

o   safe means of entering and exiting the workplace

o   facilities for the welfare of workers

-     the design and layout and environmental conditions of workers’ accommodation

-     the plant, substances and structures at the workplace

-     workplace interactions or behaviours, and

-     the information, training, instruction and supervision provided to workers.

“The beauty of mental wellbeing as a topic, is unlike safety specific risks, like working at height or vehicle safety, every single person is exposed to mental health risks but also mental health opportunities.” Francios Barton, Health & Safety Leaders Forum, NZ

Practical Control Measures and Interventions:

1. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Provide access to counselling and support services for employees dealing with personal or work-related issues. They can also run group workshops and have access to specific services such as PTSD specialists, return to work occupational health therapists, etc. 
2. Flexible Work Arrangements: Offer flexible hours or remote work options to help employees balance personal and professional responsibilities.
3. Training and Development: Provide training for employees on self-reflection and self-assessment and their own process for  mental health impact awareness at work. Using the chnnl App and other tools to aid and guide employees. 
4. Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular one-on-one meetings to discuss employees' workloads, challenges, and overall well-being.
5. Creating a Supportive Culture: Promote a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing personal challenges without fear of stigma or reprisal. This might be training specific 'safety champions' like the chnnl champion programme, or a peer support system, or utilising one like Wāhine Connect. 
6. Workload Management: Ensure that workloads are manageable and that employees have the resources they need to perform their duties effectively. Job crafting and partnership together to look at how this impact mental health. 
7. Health and Wellness Programs: Implement programs that promote physical and mental health, such as wellness challenges, mindfulness sessions, or fitness classes. chnnl runs team challenges each month, so it's easy to join in. 
8. Clear Communication Channels: Establish clear and open channels of communication where employees can voice their concerns and seek support. This might be using the chnnl journals or printing out the data snapshot from chnnl and putting post it notes so that others can add their voice to the data. Having a regular, consistent time where employees can participate and speak up - for example every Friday handover, 'Let's take a moment to discuss any concerns, issues, or opportunities that happened this week that might affect our mental health or wellbeing'. You might be surprised how after a few consistent weeks people start to speak up! 
9. Encouraging Breaks and Time Off: Encourage employees to take regular breaks and use their entitled leave to prevent burnout. A case study below shows how a manager in a hospital setting can support this. 
10. Assessing and Modifying Work Environment: Regularly assess the work environment to ensure it is conducive to mental well-being and make necessary adjustments.

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Objective: Identify potential signs of personal factors affecting an employees mental health at work risk.

Goal: To identify specific risks to safety or mental health. Safety concerns such as distraction, fatigue, mistakes etc. Mental health concerns such as support at work to minimise or eliminate harm, or put in supportive control measures, interventions or systems. 

1.   Staff Struggling with the Cost of Living

Scenario: In a hospital ward, many staff members are struggling with the rising cost of living. Some are supporting dependents and frequently working overtime to make ends meet. This situation is leading to fatigue, stress, and decreased job satisfaction. Near miss medication errors are beginning reported, and sick leave is increased. 

Charge Nurse or Team Leader's Role and Support Measures:

1. Assess the Situation:

   - Add extra questions into the chnnl time weekly survey, or send through a push notification through the chnnl app asking for anonymous feedback in the journals, or have one-on-one discussions to understand the extent of financial stress among the staff. Check out our blog and resources on how to have these conversations with your team. 

   - Identify common challenges such as housing costs, childcare expenses, and the need for overtime work. Don't assume, always check your hypotheses with employees. 

2. Provide Access to Financial Counselling:

   - Offer financial literacy workshops and access to financial advisors who can help staff manage their finances better. At times, discussing 'budgeting' can be sensitive as it may imply a lack of control over finances, leading to discomfort. Instead, consider using the term 'financial management' to convey a more positive and empowering message. 

   - Partner with local organisations to provide free or low-cost financial counselling services. These can be charities, like CAP, Sharsies or even banks and Kiwisaver providers provide training, webinars and workshops. 

3. Implement Flexible Scheduling and Overtime Management:

   - Review and optimise shift schedules to reduce the necessity for excessive overtime. Recent research has shown than even just small changes to shift times and frequency can have a large impact on productivity, safety and wellbeing. 

   - Introduce more predictable scheduling to help staff plan their finances and personal time better. 

4. Promote Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs):

   - Ensure all staff are aware of and have access to EAPs, which can provide confidential counselling and support. Most people don't know that EAP can be used for financial, emotional, and family-related issues and being a leader who actively supports this is key to utilisation. 

   - Regularly remind staff of the resources available through EAPs, especially if they have the chnnl App, being able to book directly with certain EAP counsellors can be a way to remove barriers. 

5. Consider Childcare Support:

   - Partner with local childcare providers to offer discounted rates for staff members.

   - Explore options for on-site childcare or childcare vouchers to alleviate the burden of childcare costs.

- If work meetings occur outside normal working hours, its important to be mindful of employees who have childcare requirements. Wherever possible, try to keep meetings and events within rostered hours. 

6. Facilitate Access to Benefits and Assistance Programs:

   - Ensure that staff are informed about any available government or community assistance programs for which they might be eligible. You can update the resources tab in the chnnl App with local support that you know of, and even send out a notification to employees with updates to community events. 

   - Provide assistance with the application processes for these programs, some employees might be eligible for community services cards, and other working for families benefits. Most people are not aware that these support services are available or how to apply. 

7. Advocate for Fair Wages and Benefits:

   - Work with hospital administration to review and advocate for fair wages and comprehensive benefits that align with the cost of living increases.

   - Encourage periodic wage reviews and adjustments to reflect the economic conditions.

- If a union is involved, it can be tricky for leadership, but allowing staff to attend union meetings and making a safe space for those conversations is important for employees to feel supported. 

8. Support a Healthy Work-Life Balance:

   - Promote policies that support a balance between work and personal life, such as flexible hours, telecommuting options (where applicable), and adequate time off.

   - Ensure that staff are taking their entitled breaks and regular annual leave, advocate for 'untethering' from devices time, as it has shown to decrease burnout risk. 

- Don't text or call on rostered days off about work related things, if it is a desperate text for someone to pick up a shift, this can lead to feelings of 'letting the team down' if they don't respond or pick up the shift. Having a conversation with employees about how they want to be contacted for extra shifts, for example, don't message anyone if they are on sick leave or annual leave. Don't message staff who have just finished night shift and are on a sleep day. It is more admin than a 'send to all' but from our data employees say this is a big detractor to their wellbeing.  

9. Create a Supportive and Open Work Environment:

   - Foster a culture where staff feel comfortable discussing their challenges without fear of judgment or reprisal. This is the foundation of psychological safety, and it takes authentic empathetic leadership to enable these conversations to happen. 

   - Encourage peer support groups where staff can share experiences and solutions related to financial stress and work-life balance. If a peer support group is too difficult to organise, you can try nationwide specific programmes like Wāhine Connect, for female healthcare professionals. 

Example Communication to Employees - Can record this as a short video and send through as push notification and upload into 'Network' in the App so employees can read and watch the video. 

Subject: Supporting Our Team Through Financial Challenges

Kia Ora Team,

I want to address an important issue that many of you have shared with me: the rising cost of living and the financial stress it is causing. We understand that supporting dependents and managing expenses can be overwhelming, especially when working overtime.

To help support you during this challenging time, we are implementing the following measures:

1. Financial Counselling and Workshops: We are offering free financial literacy workshops and access to financial advisors.
2. Flexible Scheduling: We are optimising shift schedules to reduce excessive overtime and provide more predictable hours. We are looking for a staff champion to help lead this project if anyone is interested. 
3. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Confidential counselling and support services are available for financial, emotional, and family-related issues. I've used them myself for a family issue, and found it really useful. 
4. Childcare Support: We are partnering with local providers to offer discounted childcare rates.
5. Access to Benefits and Assistance Programs: We will help you navigate available government and community assistance programs.
6. Fair Wages Advocacy: We are advocating for fair wages and benefits that reflect the current economic conditions. NZNO reps have updates in the staff room noticeboard. 
7. Work-Life Balance: We are committed to policies that support a healthy balance between work and personal life, you can check these out on our intranet.

We are here to support you, and I encourage you to reach out if you need assistance or have any suggestions on how we can better support our team.

Thank you for your dedication and hard work.

Best regards,

[Charge Nurse/Team Leader’s Name]

2.   Previous Trauma Injury in the Workplace

Hypothetical Scenario

Scenario: John, a former police officer, has been experiencing severe PTSD due to  cumulative exposure to traumatising events in his previous job with inadequate support or control measures. He joins a new company as a hospital security consultant, but his PTSD remains a challenge that requires careful management to ensure his well-being and productivity. He self-discloses his diagnosis during employee induction and asks for support from human resources and his manager to limit triggers and enable him to attend treatment sessions. 

Manager’s Approach to Helping John

1. Pre-employment Preparation: Before John starts, the manager, Susan, gains an understanding of PTSD by reviewing the NICE guidelines on PTSD. She consults with HR and mental health professionals to prepare a supportive plan tailored to John’s needs.

2. Initial Meeting and Open Dialogue: On John’s first day, Susan holds a private meeting to welcome him and discuss any specific needs or accommodations he might require. She reassures him that the company is committed to supporting his well-being and is open to any suggestions he may have.

3. Providing Information and Support:

• Verbal and Written Information: Susan provides John with detailed information about PTSD, common reactions to traumatic events, and the available support options both within and outside the company​ (NICE)​.
• Access to Peer Support: She informs John about peer support groups and helps him access these resources if he is interested​.

4. Creating a Safe and Supportive Work Environment:

• Avoiding Triggers: Susan ensures that John’s work environment is calm and free from potential PTSD triggers. This might involve providing a quiet workspace and avoiding exposure to noisy or high-stress areas​ (NICE)​.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Susan offers flexible working hours or remote work options to help John manage his condition effectively.

5. Regular Monitoring and Adjustments:

• Regular Check-ins: Susan schedules regular one-on-one meetings with John to discuss his progress, address any challenges, and make necessary adjustments to his work responsibilities​ (NICE)​​
• Active Monitoring: She considers active monitoring for any subthreshold symptoms of PTSD and arranges follow-up contact to ensure ongoing support​.

6. Involving and Supporting Family Members:

• Family Support: With John's consent (written via email is prefered), Susan provides information and support to John’s family members or carers as appropriate, helping them understand PTSD and how they can support John effectively​ (NICE)​.
• Family Involvement: If suitable, she involves family members in discussions about John’s care and treatment to ensure a comprehensive support system​. 

7. Encouraging Self-Care and Work-Life Balance: Susan emphasises the importance of self-care and encourages John to take regular breaks and use his vacation time. She also promotes activities and resources that support mental health and well-being, such as mindfulness workshops or stress management seminars.

8. Providing Access to Professional Help:

• Counselling Services: Susan ensures John has access to professional mental health services, such as the company’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers confidential counseling​ (NICE)​​.
• Treatment Flexibility: She discusses with John the timing and implications of any treatment to help him make informed decisions about his care​.
• Treatment Funding: In New Zealand, PTSD is very rarely covered by ACC. Only very specific cases have been considered in the past, and there is work underway by Josh Darby and Fire & Emergency NZ to see cumulative PTSD covered under ACC as a workplace injury. In Australia, PTSD is more often covered by Workers Compensation and this is a specialty area that a specialist Personal Injury Law Firm could assist with. 

By implementing these strategies, Susan helps create a supportive work environment that allows John to manage his PTSD whilst remaining mentally safe at work and contributing effectively to his new role. This proactive and empathetic approach not only aids in John’s recovery but also enhances his productivity and overall job satisfaction. 

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References:

 

National institute for health and care (no date) Overview: Mental wellbeing at work: Guidance, NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng212 (Accessed: 03 June 2024).

 

First responders say a broken ACC system is putting them at risk (no date) Stuff. Available at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/129463699/first-responders-say-a-broken-acc-system-is-putting-them-at-risk (Accessed: 03 June 2024).

 

Graveling, R. (2021) Association with psychosocial risk factors at work - EU-OSHA, Musculoskeletal disorders: association with psychosocial risk factors at work Literature review. Available at: https://osha.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2021-11/MSDs_association_pshychosocial_risks_factors_at_work_report.pdf (Accessed: 03 June 2024).

 

National institute for health and care (no date) Overview: Mental wellbeing at work: Guidance, NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng212 (Accessed: 03 June 2024).

 

Psychosocial hazards (no date) - Psychosocial hazards | Safe Work Australia. Available at: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/mental-health/psychosocial-hazards (Accessed: 03 June 2024).

 

Psychosocial hazards contributing to work-related stress (no date) WorkSafe Victoria. Available at: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/psychosocial-hazards-contributing-work-related-stress (Accessed: 03 June 2024).

 

Zealand, W.N. (2022) Psychosocial factors, WorkSafe. Available at: https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/work-related-health/mental-health/starting-the-mentally-healthy-work-journey/psychosocial-factors/ (Accessed: 03 June 2024).

 

(No date) Health and safety needs to be a constant focus of the conversation - with Francois Barton - Ace New Zealand. Available at: https://www.acenz.org.nz/health_and_safety_needs_to_be_a_constant_focus_of_the_conversation_with_francois_barton (Accessed: 03 June 2024).