In today's 24/7 society, workplace pressures continue to mount. Productivity demands, information overload and increasing pressure to balance work and home lives can take a toll on employees' health, well-being and job satisfaction.
According to a national public opinion poll conducted by the American Psychological Association, twothirds of both men and women say work has a significant impact on their stress level, and one in four has called in sick or taken a "mental health day" as a result of work stress.
Also a significant concern for employers, job stress is estimated to cost U.S. industry $300 billion a year in absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover and direct medical, legal and insurance fees.
Faced with skyrocketing healthcare costs, global competition and economic uncertainty, employers are concerned about attracting and retaining high-quality employees and keeping up morale. Minimizing workplace stress plays a significant role in employee retention.
Some companies have responded to these business challenges by thinking of new ways to support their employees. These employers are creating workplaces that do more than just improve productivity—they build a strong, vibrant organizational culture that supports the company itself. In short, they build a psychologically healthy workplace.
A psychologically healthy workplace fosters employee health and well-being while enhancing organizational performance and productivity. Psychologically healthy workplace practices can be grouped into five categories:
Employee involvement including self-managed work teams, employee committees or task forces, continuous improvement teams, participatory decision-making, employee suggestion forums and monthly meetings.
Work-life balance including flexible work, childcare assistance, eldercare benefits, personal financial resources, benefits for family members and domestic partners and flexible leave options.
Employee growth & development such as continuing education, tuition reimbursement, career development or counseling, skills training, opportunities for promotion and internal career advancement, coaching, mentoring, and leadership development.
Health & safety including training and safeguards, health promotion programs, adequate health insurance, health screenings, access to health/fitness/recreation facilities and resources for life problems.
Employee recognition such as fair monetary compensation, competitive benefits packages, acknowledgement of contributions and milestones, performance-based bonuses and pay increases, employee awards and recognition ceremonies
It is important to note that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to creating a psychologically healthy workplace. Success is based, in part, on addressing the challenges unique to a particular organization and tailoring programs and policies to meet those needs. Communication also plays a key role in the success of any workplace program or policy and serves as the foundation for all five types of psychologically healthy workplace practices.
