New Psychosocial Codes of Practice - what they mean for your workplace
Blogs and ideas about wellbeing at work
The International Standard - ISO 45003 was launched in 2021 is the first global standard that provides specific guidance on the management of psychosocial risks and promotion of wellbeing at work, in a manner consistent with other health and safety risks in the workplace.
ISO 45003 is a risk management tool to help organisations in their shared responsibility to build safer and healthier workplaces. What makes it unique is that it emphasises the business imperative for promoting and protecting psychological (not just physical) health in the workplace. The guidelines are not legally enforceable but subsequently the majority of States In Australia have implemented new Regulations of Codes that provide minimum standards that workplaces must follow to be compliant with WHS legislation.
Psychosocial risks or hazards are anything at work that may cause psychological or physical harm. These stem from:
´ the way the tasks or job are designed, organised, managed and supervised
´ tasks or jobs where there are inherent psychosocial hazards and risks
´ the equipment, working environment or requirements to undertake duties in physically hazardous environments, and
´ social factors at work, workplace relationships and social interactions. - Worksafe Qld
It is likely that a significant number of workplaces are not active in addressing psychosocial hazards and can ignore or deny that issues exist or that they have a role to play in preventing harm. Historically until recently, wellbeing issues have been considered are personal and not related to business. However emerging case law and prosecutions including around issues such as domestic and family violence, sexual harassment, workload and other psychosocial risk events at work have changed the landscape and there is little excuse for non-compliance.
Some organisations may not be inactive but take a more reactive approach and acknowledge that wellbeing, work-life and mental health issues can impact on work. However, action is only taken after complaints or obvious issues but there is little focus on policy implementation or strategy. Ideally, a proactive approach would include extensive consultation with employees and would include: Assessment of all risk aspects (including culture that impacts on wellbeing) with Initiatives to support individuals and organisational wellbeing actively integrated into all workplace development processes and decisions with key identification of possible future risks.
On April 1st 2023 Queensland implemented the Managing the risk or psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022 (the code) New Regulations (part of the WHS Act). This followed the implementation of a similar code in New South Wales Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work 2021
The Queensland Code underpins Workplace Health and Safety Act (WHS) Regulations and provides practical guidance on how to achieve required WHS standards. A person conduction a business or enterprise (PCBU) must comply as far as reasonably practicable. No new specific duties – but obligations are clarified in an easy-to-understand document. The Code:
Identifies the most common psychosocial hazards
Determines who has a duty.
Provides guidance on consulting workers.
Provides guidance on risk management, responding to complaints or incidents and dispute resolution
The Code also outlines an integrated approach to implementation:
INTERVENE - strategies to manage and address
SUPPORT RECOVERY – following injury or illness
PROMOTE – strategies for positive practices
PREVENT – systematic safety management to address hazards.
It also emphasises that Compliance predicates upon consultation, and that employees must be provided with a reasonable opportunity to identify and raise psychosocial health and safety issues, express their views and contribute to decision-making.
The Code provides a range of resources, such as case studies, examples of psychosocial hazards, example risk management measures, an example risk register, and an example work-related bullying policy and includes risk assessment resources including the People at Work Survey, Focus group guidelines and a 32 page Psychosocial Risk Assessment Tool
There is also a Complaint response guide and Guide for small business
Common psychosocial hazards are identified to include:
´ High or low job demands
´ Low job control
´ Low support
´ Low role clarity
´ Poor change management
´ Low reward and recognition
´ Poor workplace relationships including conflict
´ Isolated work
´ Poor work environment
´ Traumatic exposure
´ Violence/aggression/bullying/sexual harassment
During my experience as an industrial advocate and intersecting with my mental health roles, I witnessed first hand that some of the above work related exposures can be extremely damaging to people – sometimes for very long periods. Phenomena such as vicarious trauma, burnout, post traumatic stress and critical incident stress, while not always easy to fully control can be minimised with effective responses, cessation of exposure and ongoing mental health and wellbeing support.
The Code firmly places a higher level of responsibility on employers to reshape systemic and cultural deficits and build social capital for workplace wellbeing by putting people first and acknowledging that work-centric and output driven cultures or other toxic elements such as unresolved conflict or high exposure to aggression will leave employees exhausted, burnt out and at risk of psychological harm (and may also manifest in physical ailments).
I encourage you to access these valuable resources and have your say about psychosocial safety at work - regardless of where you work or your level of responsibility.
Optimising opportunities for wellbeing at work
Scroll down for other Blog posts….
In this blog I explore some of the key concepts of wellbeing at work that can be used to inform policy around psycho-social safety at work.
Wellbeing is not just the absence of disease or illness. It's a complex combination of a person's physical, mental, emotional and social health factors It is strongly linked to happiness and life satisfaction. In short, wellbeing could be described as how people feel about themselves and their life quality.
Social Capital at work - A positive workplace social culture is usually not accidental, and can be conceptualised in non-financial terms as the combined value of people, their networks and their interactions. Social capital contributes to lower absenteeism, better performance, innovation, inclusivity and lower staff turnover. Building collaborative relationships (formally and informally) increases access to support, resources, knowledge and opportunities. It is easy to see how effective work flow can stem from this when communication is effective and open and people feel a sense of trust and support.
For new workers, emersion into the workplace through personal guidance, conversation, opportunities to absorb and observe can be vital to effective professional development. For leaders, identifying and enacting opportunities for encouraging connection (especially in hybrid or WFH workplaces) can bring well-being to the forefront of inducting and maintaining effective and inclusive and safe teams. See https://hbr.org/2021/03/what-a-year-of-wfh-has-done-to-our-relationships-at-work
Self-care includes the multitude of things we can do to restore or improve our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Self-care is really important - but is not the answer for preventing psychological harm at work by the way - read on for a bigger picture
Workplace Health and Wellbeing - The concept and scope of workplace health and wellbeing has broadened over the years from being focussed on the individual to considering the workplace as a whole / community setting with interdependent dimensions including physical, financial, occupational, psychological, social, intellectual and environmental factors. Each area ( or pillar as they are commonly called) constitutes a shared responsibility between individuals and leaders where health, safety and wellbeing must be embedded into the way we think about and design work, business practices and workplace culture to truly reflect an integrated strategy that to be successful, will likely need to be nuanced and multi-faceted. It is important to recognise that that a single intervention is not likely to meet the needs of diverse workforces. A focus on individual wellbeing is limited if we don’t address the broader social or organisational context and the systems that are embedded in work practices and demands.
Collective well-being at work considers the overall health and functioning of the group as a whole and fosters self-determination for people and groups to define their own sense of well-being. Every individual or group will have a different sense of what it means to thrive and to be able to withstand the challenges that work can present.
I believe that the most positive impact on wellbeing occurs when we shift not only to a better balance between work and personal life, but when organisational strategies, systems, policies, culture and practices embrace a people-centric approach, integrating and embedding wellbeing and diversity considerations into all aspects of business. It is the same in community - our collective wellbeing is contingent on understanding the broader context of our social responsibility to each other, recognising and valuing our differences and not just working toward our personal wellness.
Keeping well and happy at work is not a given. We all face professional or personal challenges in our life journey that impact on our well being and on our level or work engagement or enjoyment. Similarly managers who are responsible for fostering the safety and wellbeing of their teams can face complex or even chromic challenges around optimising workers wellbeing.There are choices, options and better ways of doing things that make coping and thriving at work possible. Speaking up about what is not supporting wellbeing in your workplace is an important first step. Connection with others and the sharing of experiences can foster the realisation that we are not in this alone.There are a wealth of resources available on the web that can inform and inspire your ideas. It doesn’t have to be limited to the fruit bowl or gym membership but can hinge on engaging with workers on what wellness means to them and on carefully considering wellness and the impact of job design on individual workers including identifying and building strengths and supporting weaker areas for foster resilisience.
Tailoring a workplace wellbeing program for yourself or for your organisation doesn’t need to be daunting. It can start with simple concepts around promoting healthy work practices (including rest and time off), encouraging access to nourishing food, hydration and body movement. It can include education and awareness raising about mental health. Your workplace can support this by providing ergonomic workstations or tools, encouraging comfortable clothing and provide opportunities for upskilling and training to do your job effectively. Likewise socialising and connecting with others at work can increase engagement and sense of belonging.
While having a documented wellbeing and safety policy is important, it is essential to communicate that wellbeing at work is everyone’s responsibility, it should not rest on individual motivation or uptake of programs. An approach that relies on“self care” has the potential to disengage workers if they like they might fail or not be well enough or resilient enough to cope with the rigours of work or meet the standards being espoused. It could result in dis-engagement or competitive behaviours that are inimical to wellbeing.
Collectively aware organisations, take the time to observe, reflect and make adjustments to dysfunctional systems, practices and cultures that jeopardise wellbeing Such an approach does not view vulnerability as a weakness, but as a necessary part of collective functioning, where there is acknowledgement of the growth potential of learning through imperfection or error, where jobs deliberately designed for sustainability and the encouragement of human potential but grounded in the reality of human needs. Get in touch if you would like a hand.
Reflective practice for wellbeing at work.
It all begins with an idea.
Reflective practice is critical and deliberate inquiry into professional practice in order to gain a deeper understanding of oneself, others, systems, and the meaning that is shared among individuals. This can happen during practice/work (mindful in action) and after the fact (on action) and can be done alone or with others. - Donald Schon, The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action.
REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION FOR TEAMS - how does it work?
I use a reflective and systems approach when working with teams, providing a space in which practitioners can develop their reflective professional practice as well as collaborate to explore the issues important to them. My work is informed by an extensive background in industrial relations and human rights, management, governance and integrative wellbeing as well as social work training that was formative in developing my own reflective practice and supervision skills.
In its essence, reflective practice is the ability to step away from the work we are doing and identify patterns, habits, strengths and limitations in our work and/or within the system/s we are operating.
Reflective practice is process, not outcome oriented. It is about seeing connections, maintaining curiosity and appreciating different perspectives. It can help assist in recognising and building upon successful actions while challenging or questioning what is not working. By building collaboration and connection reflective practice fosters sustainability and resilience while recognising and honouring vulnerability.
Reflective Team Supervision is applicable broadly to professional practice where an organisation wishes to:
support the wellbeing of their people and to build a culture of trusting relationships
strengthen personal effectiveness and relating skills developing access to the combined knowledge and skills of the group, thus harnessing insight that is typically only available by looking at situations from multiple perspectives
improve collaboration, workflow and outputs
facilitate the early identification of risks or issues that may be impacting on the group members (including performance/productivity and safety issues such as vicarious trauma or burnout), although it is not a particular forum for management to address these.
Reflective supervision can bring a diversity of views and opinions to the group and can assist in holding a space while challenges including divergent or creative ideas are shared and explored. Teams engaging in reflective supervision might be multi-disciplinary or might be a group within a profession.
My role is to create a welcoming and safe space that is and comfortable with limited distractions. I am guided by the key steps of The Circle Way in structuring a session while maintaining the capacity to:
create a psychologically safe space making it safe to share perceptions, understandings and challenges
recognise when a participant needs a higher level of support or a referral
promote and keep confidentiality at all times
build and role model trust through empathic listening
model curiosity and appreciative enquiry
keep a process oriented focus for the group not focusing on outcomes or accomplishment
guide people through the steps in the process moving participants through sense-making toward clarity.
How does a session run?
Depending on the wishes of the group, a first session is designed as a “get to know the group” using appreciative (including playful) enquiry and curiosity, exploring emerging, consistent or divergent themes as well as forming agreements about working together.
Subsequent sessions typically include:
check in and review what is happening for people at work, acknowledging the diversity and uniqueness of group members while considering common themes around emerging or systemic issues (including current challenges, social justice issues, equity etc)
affirm agreements about process, collaboration and decision making
enable a reflective space (looking back and looking forward) to recognise the significance and impact of the work being done
identify obstacles or challenges for effective work and plan for continuous improvement and innovation
build in practices that make work sustainable, keeping people replenished to be able to do the work they do
set goals for between sessions such as informal peer debriefs, wellness check-ins and keeping an agenda to work through in a coming session
check out and close.
The three key principles ( credited to The Circle Way ) are; to listen with attention, speak with intention and tend to the wellbeing of the group - people usually embrace these fairly quickly and it can be great for supporting deep listening (which can be quite a new experience for people to listen and be listened to with full attention) and steering the group away from distracting cross chats or irrelevant topics. It is also a great framework for supporting cultural and psychological safety.
Ideally groups are teams who work together or will be working together in the future
The value of debriefing
Debriefing about what is happening for people at work can be a safe way to express, process and release what we are witnessing, experiencing or feeling. A debrief (formal or informal) can support employees to develop the skills to share their experiences in a way that doesn’t amplify negative emotions.
Tools for debriefing:
There are at least four healthy and sustainable ways for sharing and processing what is happening in our working lives:
Daily debrief - this can be as simple as a 10 minute interaction with a co-worker, preferably close to the end of the day or session of work.
A solo debrief - such as journalling or voice recording - just so you have let out what you have experienced, observed, reflected upon or felt.
Group debrief - a regular reflection and processing about the challenging experiences we have at work and to identify and consider any steps necessary for healthy or improved coping. Feelings and experiences may be normalised, coping techniques and resources are shared and there can be referral for further support if required - it is not a session for advice giving or to focus on the technical aspects of work.
Regular reflective supervision - stepping back from our work and taking the time to consider what the experience has meant for ourselves and others can be a really effective tool in developing self awareness. Through reflection and with an experienced supervisor we can examine our thoughts feelings and actions in relation to our experiences at work (for example case work) and identify the interventions or steps we took that best met the needs of effectively addressing and responding to the matter. Reflective supervision can also include a reflexive analysis that examines our own assumptions, beliefs and dominant social norms, thus assisting us to understand the frameworks and patterns that shape our own thinking and action.
I offer both debrief and reflective supervision to individuals and teams and see the value of this essentially as:
providing an opportunity to reflect or be curious about our actions and the way we approach our work (including what has gone well and what could have gone better - for continuous learning)
developing consciousness of what we are doing and why - again to create possibility for growth, change and sustainability
bringing awareness to our minds and bodies and the impact the work is having upon us including how we respond to challenges, differences or less than optimal experiences. Again the focus can be broad but can include our own thoughts and feelings and how these impact upon us, our behaviours and use of language, our courage and fears and recognising how presenting (in the moment), grounding and taking a pause can better our coping and our capacity to consciously respond.
share my learnings and encourage the exploration of different perspectives and open mindedness.