Corporate

WSPS.CA | 2023 HEALTH & SAFETY LEADERSHIP SURVEY WHITE PAPER 13 People are stretched thin. Fatigue and being tired on the job was the number one reason cited for workplace injuries. Pressure to meet quotas and targets was third. Employees want flexibility and worklife balance. They want employers to pay attention to workload and to pay them fairly. Organizational leaders realize this. A large majority 63% say they are concerned about the level of stress, and the mental health and wellness issues that exist in their workplace. Kristy Cork, a Mental Health Consultant with WSPS says the research supports her observations in the field. She says a lot of organizations have the right intentions, but they're just not sure what to do. She observes that many employers place far too much weight on reactive measures such as EFAP programs. "A lot of workplaces believe that by having an EFAP program they are creating a psychologically safe work environment. However, referring employees to this resource doesn't address psychological hazards such as overwork, lack of work/life balance, time pressures in the workplace." "I worked in automotive manufacturing. We made huge truck frames. If someone had to lift a 50lb rail from floor to waist every 30 seconds, the employee would experience injuries – back, shoulder, neck, etc. Obviously that's not sustainable. For physical safety hazards like this we would modify the work station to protect the worker. When it comes to mental health, the work environment may be causing harm and people may be experiencing distress, but we tell them it's up to them to use the EFAP and their benefits to get more resilient so they can continue to work and be successful in this environment." People need to feel they are in control and have autonomy on how they get their work done. They also need to feel secure about raising issues and concerns. Too many people in organizations at every stage of the journey indicated they fear reprisal, work even when they feel unsafe, don't report incidents when they should, and don't feel comfortable bringing a mental health issue forward. MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE Excessive workload/ Tight deadlines Poor work-life balance Physical injury Occupational related illness Harassment by consumer/public Harassment by colleague Leading 40% 33% 22% 22% 22% 13% Proactive 42% 37% 22% 21% 17% 12% Managing 55% 51% 33% 29% 30% 23% Reactive 67% 60% 46% 49% 39% 38% Start of journey 64% 54% 44% 46% 45% 36% Leading H&S Firms Have Fewer Mental Health Concerns

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