SUPPORT IN A DIFFICULT TIME
Psychological well-being is critical to workplace safety and satisfaction
The past two years have added much more stress to our everyday lives and our workplaces. With work uncertainty, home-schooling for children, caring for our aging parents, and the anxiety of being a front-line or essential services worker, there's no surprise that the impacts of COVID -19 are showing in both our mental and physical health.
Recently, I met with an organization that came to my office to talk about mental health and safety in the construction industry. How do we manage stress on our job sites to reduce the risk of workplace accidents? How do we create a psychologically safe environment where people aren't embarrassed to ask questions? How do we mentally prepare for our days on-site?
JOB SITE SAFETY AND MENTAL HEALTH
Some companies have daily or weekly meetings to check in the progress of projects. But do we ever check in on the mental well-being of our employees? I'm happy to see there are some innovative and creative programs and platforms providing the tools to help manage mental health and safety in the workplace, for both individuals and teams.
Digital resilience training is an excellent option to help employee's upskill resilience, behavioural health and psychological safety so they can think, feel and be their best.
STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE
Up to 80 per cent of workplace accidents are a direct result of stress. Experts are concerned about the health and safety of physically demanding industries like construction, oil and gas, and utilities. Many business organizations recognize psychological safety plays a huge part in physical safety and are looking for ways to support their staff and improve the mental-health resources available to help them.
I know first-hand from my crew and from many of my builder partners this is becoming a big concern, and businesses need to create environments supportive of their employees, whether it's providing support services, programs or offering a list of resources. I've witnessed and have known too many people injured and even killed in the workplace. These experiences could have been avoided with proactive resources to mental health and well-being.
Construction is an industry dominated by males, although, this is slowly changing. Males are at an increased risk of substance abuse, depression and anxiety, with suicide being the second leading cause of death in males under the age of 45 according to a recent CDC study. Males tend to be less likely to ask for help, whether due to stigma, or fear of showing weakness or emotions.
DIGITAL RESILIENCE TRAINING
I'm very glad that the conversation about mental health is becoming more accepted, and people are finding the strength to ask for help. Though the traditional resources are still available, digital resilience training offers privacy and a hands-on, skill-building approach to mental health and well-being. What's great about digital resilience training is that the worker or employee can access the content and programs on their phones, on their own time, and with anonymity. I encourage all employers to look into these training programs for their staff.
Digital resilience training offers employers an easy and effective way to reach their entire workforce. With an app, you can encourage your employees to access mental health and safety programs from anywhere. This digital format also saves employers time and resources, and it is easily digested, rather than sitting through a classroom-style session.
For the program my company is looking to implement, the content is set up as micro-training sessions, so they are short and easy to follow but don't interfere with time management or productivity. These health and safety meetings offer businesses a quick way to create messages on the important topic of mental health and well-being. Digital resilience training via a mobile app helps reduce the stigma associated with discussing mental health while empowering employees to research, practice and understand their options in a private way.
RESILIENCE TRAINING BENEFITS EMPLOYERS
Resilience training allows employers to create opportunities to help their workforce get ahead of any adversity that they face and limit the negative effects of stress. Resilience training is a proactive approach, for an entire workforce and focuses on building core skills and promoting overall mental well-being in the workplace.
Digital resilience training has made mental health resources more accessible to everyone and by using a proactive approach focused on mindfulness, mental fitness and energy management the tools offer support to the entire workforce as a whole.