Your Well-Being – An Occupational Health & Safety Professionals’ Top Priority

Protecting health and safety in the workplace, initiating and upholding priorities, protocols and compliance, have always been the driving forces for those who dedicate their lives to a career in occupational safety. But with the advancement of understanding in the connection between body and mind, a surge in statistical evidence of the growing concerns surrounding mental illness and recognizing that the workplace can either be a place to erode or encourage mental health, these professionals are redefining and prioritizing well-being at work.

“The Supreme Court has ruled that an employer can be held accountable for causing a legitimate personal injury, whether physical or mental, if they’re found guilty of neglecting the physical and mental health and safety of their workforce.” With this accountability for employers comes a need for insight and guidance from those who keenly understand the risks and can help leaders navigate these workplace waters.

How Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Professionals Empower Well-Being at Work

1.Identifying Hazards

• Realizing that physical stressors challenge mental wellness, and mental stressors can lead to physical symptoms, OHS professionals must identify stress-related hazards on myriad levels and work to help team members understand and mitigate risk, in areas such as:
• Role and Responsibility – understanding expectations and ensuring one has the skills and experience to fulfil outlined responsibilities
• Relationships with Management/Co-workers – supporting positive connections and putting systems in place to deal with unacceptable behaviour (bullying etc…)
• Demands – ensuring realistic workloads, deadlines, managing employer/client expectations
• Support – working to make sure employees have adequate information and support from managers/colleagues
• Control – how much input an employee has on their work
• Change – working to ensure change is managed and communicated in a way that allows employees to feel informed and secure.

2.Empowering a Healthy Workplace

• Recognizing the connection between work and life and that balance between these two areas can reduce stress and empower well-being in mind and body
• Implementing policies and programs that attempt to better balance the demands at work with the responsibilities of life, in a way that promotes health and happiness. This could include flexible work schedules, fitness facilities, childcare, emergency financial and/or employee assistance, referral to care services, on-site workshops and seminars on relevant topics and additional off-site educational opportunities.

3.Ushering in a New Way in the Workplace

As the honest conversation expands and understanding increases around the issues people and employees truly face, particularly after years like those of late, adding the uncertainly and fear of COVID-19 in the mix, we all have work to do.

According to a Cloud Advisors article – “A shocking 50% of Canadians have reported higher anxiety and depression due to Covid-19. The CAHM estimates “the economic burden of mental illness in Canada to be approximately $51 billion each year, with $6.3 billion resulting from lost productivity. By 2041, the cumulative cost of poor mental health to the Canadian economy will exceed close to $2.5 trillion.” Clearly, there is much need for better mental health benefits post-pandemic.”

To this end, occupational health and safety professionals are working with organizations to usher in new ways of supporting and empowering all team members. Some of these ways are:

• Virtual Health and Telemedicine – “Virtual Health connects employees to a General Practitioner or nurse twenty-four hours a day. What’s more, it can be used for mental health related issues, including referrals to a psychiatrist, psychologist, or paramedical.”
• Paramedical Practitioners – clinical counsellors, social workers, psychologists are often included in employee benefit packages.
• Mental Health Programs – often delivered via an app, they can include, “self-guided assessments, access to resources, programs including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT), health coaching…”
• Healthcare Spending Accounts (HCSA) – corporate dollars are allocated “to pay for personal medical expenses such as prescription drugs, medical cannabis, naturopathic visits, and therapy. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) determines the eligible expenses in accordance with the Income Tax Act (Canada).”
• And many more you can find out about Here.

As a society, a country, a global community we have a come long way in understanding the vital importance of supporting one another, during crisis and during the day-to-day of work and life, but there is much more to be done.

We need conscientious, compassionate people looking to apply their skills to an ever-growing wave of empowerment for employees and leaders in the workplace. If exploring safety courses, or gaining your occupational health and safety certificate, speak to you then the future is yours. Contact one of our Admissions Advisors today and see how you can become part of the movement to empower people in the workplace, and in life.

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Quick Links to Fuel Your Success!

We want to make sure you have what you need to succeed! Check out these reference links:
• Healthcare Programs – Healthcare Administration & Wellness Program (andersoncollege.com)
• Companies Investing in Mental Health Benefits in 2021 – CloudAdvisors
• Mental health is the foundation of workplace safety – OHS Canada Magazine
• Work/Life Balance : OSH Answers (ccohs.ca) – Workplace Stress – General : OSH Answers (ccohs.ca)
• Mental Health and Substance Use (who.int)
• Everything You Need to Know About Health Care Spending Accounts (bbd.ca)