Since the Virginia Tech tragedy, more companies are deciding to focus on strategies that could help them create a more psychologically healthy workplace.
Each year, the American Psychological Association recognizes companies that work proactively to provide employees with an opportunity to feel more in control of their lives both at work and in their homes. These programs not only benefit the employee, but they pay large dividends to the employer.
Why institute a program that will lead to a psychology healthy workplace? Here are a few reasons for you to consider:
1. Two-thirds of both men and women say, “Work has a significant impact on their stress level.”
2. One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the No. 1 stressor in their lives.
3. Productivity losses related to personal and family health problems cost U.S. employers $1,685 per employee year or $225.8 billion annually.
4. Employers could save $3.50 for every dollar spent on improving their work environment in terms of reduced absenteeism and health care costs.
5. In 2001, 8.8 million sick days were used due to untreated or mistreated depression.
Let’s look at a number of actual case studies to see how these criteria lead to strategies that produce measurable benefits to the company and its employees.
El Nuevo Dia Newspaper, Puerto Rico
• No-cost health insurance for employees.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services.
• On-site infirmary and an annual health fair.
• On-site restaurant offers healthy meal options and employees can receive personal assistance with menu preparation.
• After work exercise program that includes kick boxing, aerobics and yoga sessions.
• Gym memberships are subsidized.
The results were as follows:
• Employee satisfaction rate of 90 percent.
• Employee turnover rate of only 3 percent.
• Half the employees have been with the newspaper for 10 or more years.
• High levels of productivity and financial performance.
• Health care savings and a low rate of workplace accidents and injuries.
Besides El Nuevo Dia, in each case study reviewed, many of the same results were experienced by the companies who instituted similar strategies.
Honda in Spokane, Wash., uses the following strategies to create a more psychology health workplace:
• Regular meetings are scheduled and run by professional group facilitators, which focus on ways of improving the quality of service to customers, increasing the morale and dynamics of teams.
• Workers are encouraged to contribute their ideas for improvement.
• Executives do not view these suggestions as criticisms of past management practices.
The key to their success is the last point, the fact that the executives are open to suggestions from the rank and file. Keeping this channel open to two-way communications encourages feedback and permits management to respond to suggestions.
Healthwise in Idaho stresses employee recognition as one of their strategies in maintaining a psychology health workplace:
• Monthly staff meetings provide a forum for individual recognition.
• Names of long-term employees are displayed in building lobby.
• Gifts on birthdays and holidays.
• Weekly “Healthy Snack Wednesday” permits employees to gather in lobby and connect with each other.
This focus on the employee at Healthwise creates a positive work environment and builds relationships between employees that lead to higher levels of synergy.
High levels of employee satisfaction were experienced when employees were involved in the decision-making process, participated in self-directed teams and had clear performance measures, and where there were open channels of communication to management. Many of these satisfiers were identified by Frederick Herzberg and set the stage for higher levels of performance, higher profitability for the corporation and lower than current industry employee turnover rates.
Employee retention levels and satisfaction are higher, because employees are being trained for the next job as part of an ongoing process of employee development.
Health care and workers compensation costs are driven down by the impact of the various health related programs such as, gym memberships, after work exercise programs, health fairs and healthy eating programs.
Combined, these programs take a holistic approach to the employees’ mental as well as physical health. These types of programs also impact the level of absenteeism. Government statistics have shown that as many as 1 million workers or almost 1 percent of the workforce is absent each day due to physical or mental health reasons.
The American Psychological Association’s Healthy Workplace annual awards are based on the following criteria:
• Employee involvement.
• Work-life balance.
• Employee growth and development.
• Health and safety.
• Employee recognition.
For additional information on the awards, visit www.apa.org
There is no “one size fits all” approach to creating the psychologically healthy workplace. Success is based on addressing the challenges unique to a particular organization and tailoring programs and policies to meet the needs of its employees. An organizational consultant can assist your company in developing the strategies needed to promote a psychologically healthy workplace.
What can your company do to enjoy the benefits of a psychologically healthy workplace?
• Take a hard look at the health care benefits you offer your employees. Do you provide sufficient mental health coverage to deal with the daily stresses of life?
• Review those benefits directly related to the job, to ensure that employees are recognized for productivity improvements and cost savings.
• Provide a program to assist employees with their personal and job-related problems, for example an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Put in place a program for employee development, one that provides for continuous growth in skills and earnings.
• Involve your employees in the decision-making processes that directly affect their jobs.
