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1 week ago | 
ohscanada.com | Bill Howatt
Creating a psychologically safe workplace wholly depends on the quality of employer-employee, leader-employee and peer-to-peer communications, which often get confused with communication methods like email, intranet, text, meetings, wallboards and TVs.Though these tactics are helpful, their purpose is to share information, not facilitate communication. Communication must be two-way, providing opportunities for clarity, understanding and perspective to be effective.
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1 week ago | 
ohscanada.com | Bill Howatt |Troy Winters
In the latest article in our ongoing series on psychological health and safety policies, we turn our attention to the crisis response policy. While preventive measures are essential, organizations must also be prepared to respond effectively when employees experience mental health crises.
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1 week ago | 
talentcanada.ca | Bill Howatt
One of the most rewarding aspects of developing a comprehensive approach to workplace mental health has been the insight I have gained into the value of adapting theoretical concepts into user-friendly ideas that help educate clients on how to evolve their personal resilience.
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2 weeks ago | 
ohscanada.com | Bill Howatt |Troy Winters
Building on our previous articles about psychological health and safety policies, we now focus on the workplace accommodations policy – a crucial element for creating an inclusive environment supporting employees with permanent or episodic disabilities, including mental health conditions. Feeling included is a fundamental pillar in workplace psychological health and safety.
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3 weeks ago | 
ohscanada.com | Bill Howatt |Troy Winters
In our previous articles, we examined psychological safety programs and workplace policies. This fifth installment focuses on developing a violence and harassment (V/H) policy – a critical component for protecting employees, ensuring legal compliance, and responding to occurrences. The critical role of a violence and harassment policyWhile earlier policies aim to create favourable workplace conditions, this policy addresses serious issues that significantly impact psychological health.
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1 month ago | 
ohscanada.com | Bill Howatt |Troy Winters
Although not legally mandated, a respectful and safe workplace policy is beneficial for organizations of all sizes, serving as a crucial tool to foster a psychologically safe and inclusive work environment. Implementing a respectful and safe workplace policy increases belonging, inclusion and psychological safety.
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1 month ago | 
ohscanada.com | Troy Winters |Bill Howatt
The psychological health and safety (PHS) regulation and enforcement bus has left the station, and we’re witnessing a decisive turning point regarding work-related psychological health and safety. Employers are facing a critical choice: get on board or risk being run over by legal requirements, enforcement actions and the mounting dangers and costs of inaction.
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1 month ago | 
ohscanada.com | Bill Howatt |Troy Winters
A robust workplace psychological health and safety policy serves as the cornerstone of any comprehensive psychological safety program. This third installment in this psychological health and safety series explores the essential components of this foundational policy and provides guidance on its development and implementation.
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1 month ago | 
talentcanada.ca | Bill Howatt
Poor problem-solving and decision-making skills can have a profound negative impact on mental health, leading to increased stress, anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. When individuals cannot address challenges effectively, they may resort to reactive, impulsive decisions that compound their problems rather than mitigate them. This can create a cycle of frustration and emotional turmoil as unresolved issues persist and escalate over time.
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1 month ago | 
ohscanada.com | Bill Howatt |Troy Winters
Before publishing policies, employers must establish robust policy management systems focused on quality control and gathering feedback from key stakeholders. This ensures the policies implemented to support the employee experience and promote psychological health and safety are effective and fulfill their intended purposes. A foundational pillar for any psychological safety program is the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) framework, which should be integrated into every policy to enhance mental health.
