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October is Healthy Workplace Month — a time to reflect on the well-being of employees and take proactive steps toward creating safer environments. While Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) often brings to mind hard hats, safety protocols and physical ergonomics, one essential element is sometimes overlooked: psychological health and safety.
In today’s fast-paced world, the mental well-being of employees is just as important as their physical safety. It’s not enough to focus solely on preventing slips, trips, and falls; employers must also ensure that their teams feel supported, respected and mentally safe.
So What Is Psychological Health and Safety, Exactly?
Psychological Health and Safety (PHS) refers to organizational practices and policies that protect and promote mental well-being. It’s about creating a culture where employees feel secure expressing concerns, where workloads are manageable, and where the risk of stress-related burnout is minimized. A psychologically safe workplace fosters collaboration, innovation and engagement — elements crucial to long-term success. There’s plenty of research showing a strong business case for optimizing PHS, as it can significantly enhance organizational performance. In a nutshell, when your team members are healthy, safe and happy they’re also more productive, miss less time, more likely to stay with the organization long term… the list goes on.
In 2013 Canada introduced the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace — a global first — underscoring a commitment to advancing mental well-being in the workplace. This standard provides a framework for organizations to promote mental health and prevent psychological harm due to workplace conditions. You can download The Standard itself HERE and I really love the helpful implementation tools found HERE.
Why Psychological Health is Crucial in OHS
When someone experiences psychological distress it can lead to a cascade of issues that compromise not only their health but also the overall safety of the work environment. High levels of stress, anxiety or depression can reduce focus, increase errors and heighten the risk of physical accidents. When we’re feeling overwhelmed we’re also less likely to adhere to safety protocols or notice potential hazards.
On the flip side of the coin, a psychologically safe workplace promotes:
Increased Awareness: When your team members feel supported, they’re more likely to be vigilant, take the steps to reduce risks and adhere to safety measures
Better Engagement: Employees who feel valued and mentally secure tend to engage more fully in their work, which leads to better decision-making and fewer errors
Lower Absenteeism: Mental health challenges contribute to increased absenteeism; by addressing psychological safety, organizations can reduce the number of sick days and maintain a more productive workforce
Ok, I’m Convinced! What Can My Organization Do to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace
Incorporating psychological health and safety into occupational safety initiatives requires strategy and intentionality. As I often tell my clients, “A psychologically safe and healthy workplace doesn’t happen by accident”! Here are some concrete steps in the right direction that your organization can commit to:
Foster Open Communication: Encourage employees to speak up about stress, workload concerns, and mental health without fear of stigma or retaliation. Establishing open channels for feedback and support is critical.
Provide Training: Equip leaders with the tools and knowledge to recognize the signs of psychological distress. Mental health awareness training helps managers support their teams proactively. (Let’s talk training! Check out my training topics HERE.)
Promote Work-Life Balance: A culture that respects boundaries and prevents overwork is essential for long-term mental well-being. Encourage breaks, provide flexible working options and make workload management a priority. Leaders, be sure to practice what you preach! Your teams will do as you do, not as you say.
Access to Mental Health Resources: Offering employees access to counseling services, employee assistance programs (EAPs) and stress management tools ensures that they have the support they need to address challenges before they escalate. EAPs tend to be vastly underutilized resources, so make sure you have consistent messaging in place to keep it top-of-mind. (Check out the blog post I wrote a while back with tips for ramping up EAP awareness HERE!)
Regular Risk Assessments: Just as physical risks are regularly assessed, so too should psychological risks. Evaluating workplace culture, workloads and employee feedback can help organizations identify areas where improvements are needed.
By making psychological health a cornerstone of occupational safety, businesses create environments where employees can thrive. So, as we celebrate Healthy Workplace Month, let’s remember that safety isn’t just about physical protection — it’s about creating a work environment where people feel safe, valued and supported in every sense. Psychological health and safety is the backbone of a healthy workplace. When businesses prioritize mental well-being, everybody wins!
Elizabeth Eldridge is a Psychological Health & Safety Consultant based in southern New Brunswick, Canada. In addition to keynote speaking and corporate training on mental health in the workplace she is the Founder & President of Arpeggio Health Services which provides standardized education programs like Mental Health First Aid from coast to coast.
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