A collaborative initiative for healthier workplaces: The National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, commonly known as "The Standard," is an innovative framework developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in collaboration with employers, unions, and experts in law and policy. This comprehensive guide offers a suite of voluntary guidelines, tools, and resources designed to prevent psychological harm and foster psychological health in workplaces.
The importance of adopting the standard: While it is voluntary for employers to adopt it, their responsibility towards ensuring a psychologically healthy and safe workplace is not. Seven distinct areas of law underline an employer's obligation to protect, promote, and accommodate the psychological health and safety of employees. This emphasizes integrating The standard's principles into workplace practices to fulfill legal obligations and promote a healthier work environment.
Organizational cultures, in general, are basic assumptions held by a particular group.
A healthcare workplace where staff are encouraged to care for their psychological health and safety.
Workplace psychological safety is demonstrated when employees feel able to put themselves on the line, ask questions, seek feedback, report mistakes and problems, or propose a new idea without fearing negative consequences to themselves, their job or their career.
Workplace psychological safety is demonstrated when employees feel able to put themselves on the line, ask questions, seek feedback, report mistakes and problems, or propose a new idea without fearing negative consequences to themselves, their job or their career.
Moral distress in the healthcare sector, particularly in long-term care (LTC), refers to the psychological distress experienced by healthcare professionals when they are unable to act in alignment with their ethical or moral values due to organizational or systemic constraints.
A workplace where employees receive encouragement and support in the development of their interpersonal, emotional and job skills.
Work-life balance is a state of well-being where individuals can effectively manage their work, home, and community responsibilities.
Achieving a good job fit means aligning employees' interpersonal and emotional competencies, technical skills, and knowledge with their designated roles.
A workplace where there is appropriate acknowledgement and appreciation of employees' efforts in a fair and timely manner.
A workplace where there is effective leadership and support that helps employees know what they need to do, how their work contributes to the organization and whether there are impending changes.
Employees enjoy and feel connected to their work and where they feel motivated to do their job well.
Civility and respect are based on showing esteem, care and consideration for others, and acknowledging their dignity.
Protection of physical safety in the workplace, a key factor outlined by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) in the national standard, focuses on safeguarding employees from physical harm.