Staff wellbeing vs. compliance

The introduction of ISO45003 and the codes of practice in NSW (and WA later this year) are a welcome step to the implementation of mental health and psychosocial safety practices in organisations. However, they raise the age old question about a compliance focus. Ticking the boxes to get an ISO certificate or having documents which are not adhered to in practice does not make the workplace safer. These standards and codes are means to measure the success and are a benchmark on which to reflect the culture and attitudes of key influencers in the business. As tools, they provide a great template of things that should be in place. But to be effective, they need the right motivation from senior leaders. Do you want a good working environment, or do you want to ensure that you avoid the industrial manslaughter threat? If you achieve the first, the second will follow. If you genuinely put your people first, which is the tag line on so many company web pages I read, then it needs to be reflected in the actions of the leaders. What are you measuring in terms of psychosocial health and safety? How does your workforce really feel about the workplace? Are your Leaders trusted by their teams? Can the workforce freely speak of their concerns? Do they report incidents and near misses without the fear of retribution? If the ISO45003 and the Codes of Practice can help you answer these questions and provide ways to develop the right working environment, then the business benefits run well beyond compliance.

Check with us on how to make the most of these documents and really make a difference to your workplace.