Public sector initiatives to better prevent psychosocial risks

Faced with the many changes taking place in the workplace (digital advancements, changing job descriptions, repeated reorganisations), not everyone within an organisation is going to share the same reaction. In today’s civil services, preventing psychosocial risks is central to ensuring a sustainable quality of life at work (1).

It is an undertaking that needs to involve all levels of management in order to respond as proactively as possible and ensure at-risk employees are protected.

At European level, a comprehensive study was conducted over three years by employers and labour representatives. The project, which was jointly led by France’s Directorate General for Administration and the Civil Service, led to the publication of a guide. It provides an overview of the regulatory environment and proposes an overall strategic approach, presenting collective and individual measures, as well as remedies, which are supported by labour representatives.

Employee satisfaction polls can be a useful way to identify some types of trends. But they can’t take the place of a in-depth independent survey. That’s what Portugal did, partnering with its national association of psychologists for assistance preparing the questionnaire and evaluating the responses.

In Switzerland, the country’s Federal Council teamed up with the Swiss Insurance Association and the University of Bern to develop a scientifically validated diagnostic tool that provides a detailed overview of workplace stressors. Resources, pressures and state of mind are represented at team, department and organisation levels.A “job stress index” is calculated to evaluate the potential for improvement.

Raising awareness through actions that come from the very top is a way to send a strong signal. Luxembourg recently launched Wei geet et? (“How are you doing?”), a multi-media awareness campaign that covers eight topics: conflict, stress, fear, harassment, depression, concerns about a co-worker, addiction and burnout.

Denmark’s approach has been to include the topic in management training. Negotiated as part of the most recent collective agreement (OK 18), training sessions are designed to make managers more aware of the issue and provide concrete tools for preventing and managing difficult situations that their colleagues may be experiencing in the workplace.

It can be difficult for some people to talk about their personal problems with their manager or with HR. With that in mind, Belgium set up a network of confidential counsellors in addition to its existing prevention counsellors. As a primary point of contact, they provide impartial guidance to employees looking for help, whether that takes the form of a consultation, information or mediation.

In Canada, further to a Treasury Board directive, employee assistance programs (EAPs) have been introduced across all federal government departments. Employees can contact their EAP at any time to reach a mental health professional for support, advice or guidance about a difficult situation. These professionals can make referrals if they consider specialised care to be required.

New Zealand decided to enforce a zero tolerance policy by defining a set of minimum standards (roles and commitments) that organisations, management and employees need to meet.

¹ Santetravail-fp.fr is a new French platform offering methods, tools, resources and case studies to help understand the issues surrounding psychosocial risk prevention in the civil service.