The psychological work environment has rarely been more important than it is right now. In today's fast-paced world, it's important to make sure your employees are mentally healthy.
Employees are the cornerstone of any organization, and their wellbeing has a direct impact on business performance and success.
As employers and managers, it is therefore incumbent on you to create work environments that not only promote productivity and efficiency, but also the mental health and wellbeing of your employees. A healthy mental work environment is not only a responsibility, it's an investment in employee wellbeing and the future success of your business.
What is a psychological work environment?
The psychological work environment is an expression of the psychological state and emotional atmosphere of a workplace. It encompasses the mental and emotional wellbeing of employees, as well as the factors that affect their wellbeing at work.
Read more: mental health in the workplace.
While the physical work environment focuses on aspects such as ergonomics, safety and health, the psychological work environment is about employees' feelings, behavior, and their interaction with work tasks, colleagues and management.
A key difference between the psychological work environment and the physical work environment is that the psychological environment is not visible to the naked eye. It's not something that can be measured with thermometers or bathroom scales. Instead, it's about employees' experiences, feelings and perceptions of their work and workplace.
The psychological work environment includes factors such as:
- Work pressure: The amount of work, deadline pressure and complexity of tasks.
- Social support: Relationships with colleagues and managers, as well as the level of collaboration and help.
- Tasks and control: Degree of autonomy and influence over tasks and decisions.
- Recognition and reward: How performance and contributions are rewarded and recognized.
- Workplace culture: The overall atmosphere and values in the workplace.
Understanding the psychological work environment is important because it can have a significant impact on employees' mental health, wellbeing and performance at work. A healthy psychological work environment means that employees feel respected, valued and able to cope with the challenges they face at work.
It is therefore a crucial element in creating a workplace where employees thrive and flourish.
Read more: How to create psychological safety in the workplace
What does the law say about the psychological work environment?
Going to work should not make you sick or injure you. Not because of the physical or psychological working environment. In short, this means that companies are required to prevent a poor mental work environment.
This is written down in the Danish WorkingEnvironmentAuthority's 'Executive Order on Psychological Working Environment'. In fact, as a company, you can be penalized if you do not comply with this executive order. It reads as follows:
§ 36. Unless a higher penalty is prescribed by the Working Environment Act or other legislation, a fine or imprisonment for up to 2 years shall be imposed on anyone who
- violates sections 5, 8-13, 16, 19, 22, 26, 28-31 and 33; or
- does not comply with decisions, including orders or prohibitions, issued pursuant to this Executive Order.
Subsection 2. For violation of sections 5, 11-13, 16, 19, 26, 28-31 and 33, an employer may be liable to a fine, even if the violation cannot be imputed to the employer as intentional or negligent. It is a condition for the liability to pay a fine that the violation can be attributed to one or more persons associated with the company or the company as such. No conversion penalty is set for the liability to pay a fine.
Paragraph 3. Criminal liability may be imposed on companies, etc. (legal persons) in accordance with the rules in Chapter 5 of the Danish Criminal Code.
If it becomes clear that your psychological work environment has challenges that have been identified, for example, through the workplace assessment (APV), your manager is obliged to draw up an action plan in collaboration with the employees. This plan should outline responsibilities and methods to address the issues in question. There should also be a clear process for following up and evaluating the solutions implemented.
The importance of a healthy mental work environment
A healthy mental work environment is crucial for both employee wellbeing and overall business performance. Your employees should be able to do their work in an environment that is not only physically safe, but also promotes their mental wellbeing. But it's not just a matter of complying with legislation - it's an investment in human health and business success.
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When employees are psychologically well at work, they are more productive, engaged and satisfied. They are better able to cope with challenges and stress, leading to lower sickness absence and higher levels of job satisfaction. A healthy mental work environment can also attract and retain talented employees, as companies that prioritize their employees' mental health are often seen as more attractive workplaces.
On the other hand, a poor psychological work environment can have serious consequences. It can lead to stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues among employees. This can ultimately result in high absenteeism, low productivity and a negative impact on the company's reputation.
Therefore, it is crucial for companies to recognize the importance of a healthy mental work environment and take the necessary measures to promote it. A good psychological work environment is not only a benefit to employees, it is also an important factor in ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of the company.
What can cause a poor psychological work environment?
While a good psychological work environment is essential in the workplace, it is unfortunately not always a given, as there are several factors that can contribute to a poor psychological work environment. Understanding these causes is critical in order to prevent and manage them effectively.
In this section, we will explore some of the most common factors that can cause a poor psychological work environment. It is important to understand that these factors do not always occur independently of each other. Instead, several of them can be interconnected or related in complex ways. Therefore, it's crucial for companies to take a holistic approach to identifying and solving mental health issues.
The Danish Working Environment Authority distinguishes between 15 different factors, all of which can be problematic in relation to the psychological work environment:
- High emotional demands when working with people: Work that involves dealing with the emotions and problems of others, such as in the care sector, can create high emotional demands and increase the risk of stress.
- High demands on attention and concentration: Jobs that require constant focus and attention can create a lot of mental strain.
- Job insecurity: Fear of layoffs, restructuring or uncertainty about job opportunities can significantly increase stress levels.
- Conflict at work: Frequent conflicts with colleagues or managers can create a negative work environment that affects mental health.
- Abusive actions, including bullying and sexual harassment: Threatening or abusive behavior in the workplace can have serious consequences for employees' mental wellbeing.
- Lack of reward and recognition: Feeling that your work performance is not appreciated or rewarded enough can lead to frustration and stress.
- Lack of predictability of significant changes: Sudden and unexpected changes in work life without sufficient information or predictability can create stress and uncertainty.
- Lack of meaning in work: When employees don't see meaning in their work or feel like it doesn't contribute to a greater cause, it can negatively impact their mental health.
- Lack of development opportunities: A lack of opportunities for professional development and career advancement can lead to feelings of stagnation and dissatisfaction.
- Night work: Working at night can disrupt natural sleep rhythms and have a negative impact on mental health.
- Poor peer and management support and feedback: Lack of peer and management support and feedback can lead to feelings of isolation and insecurity.
- Little influence over your own work: Lack of control or influence over work tasks and decisions can lead to frustration and stress.
- High workload and time pressure: Constantly high demands to deliver results within short timeframes can cause stress.
- Unclear or conflicting demands at work: Lack of clarity on what is expected or conflicting demands from different sources can cause confusion and stress.
- Violence and threats: Work environments where employees are exposed to violence or threats can have serious negative consequences for mental health.
Read about stress in the workplace here.
The big role of the manager
As a manager, you are a key player in creating and maintaining a healthy mental work environment. You have a decisive influence on how employees' wellbeing and mental health develops in the workplace and have a legal and moral obligation to ensure a healthy work environment that includes both the physical and mental aspects.
This means taking responsibility for preventing and managing factors that can lead to poor mental health and mental health problems among employees. When managers take active responsibility for the psychological work environment, it can help create a culture where employees feel seen, heard and supported.
5 tips for improving the psychological work environment
When it comes to creating a healthy and positive mental work environment, your efforts are crucial. Here are five concrete tips to help you promote mental health in your workplace and strengthen the mental health of your colleagues:
- Conduct regular wellbeing surveys: Start by collecting data on how your colleagues perceive the work environment. Wellbeing surveys can help identify areas that need improvement so you can target your efforts effectively.
- Empower employees: It's important to involve employees in the decision-making process and let them have a say in their own work. This creates a sense of ownership and empowerment where employees feel that their opinions and ideas are valued. It can also help reduce stress as employees feel they have some control over their work situation.
- Balance demands and resources: One of the keys to a healthy psychological work environment is to ensure that employees are not overwhelmed by work pressure and expectations. Managers should work to create a balance between the demands placed on them and the resources available to meet those demands. This can include a realistic workload, appropriate support and sufficient time to complete tasks.
- Remember to recognize your employees: Recognition is a powerful factor for wellbeing in the workplace. It's about appreciating employees' efforts and achievements. Recognition can be given in the form of praise, rewards, or even a simple "thank you" for a job well done. When employees feel recognized and appreciated, their motivation and job satisfaction increases and stress levels are reduced.
Watch the webinar: Discover the secret of appreciative feedback
- Create a culture of openness and stigma-fighting: Help foster an open culture where it's okay to talk about mental health issues. Your actions can help remove the stigma and encourage colleagues to seek help if they need it.
These five tips give you a strong framework for contributing to the mental health of your workplace. By taking an active role in your work environment, you can help create a healthier and more positive workplace for yourself and your colleagues.
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