Workplace Psychosocial Practice in Canada (Ontario)

John Oudyk & Ted HainesOctober 18, 2019

Canadian (Ontario) Context:

• Canada has 14 legal jurisdictions each with different labour laws

• In Ontario there is a legal requirement to have a violence and harassment policy & response system

• No legal requirement to assess psychosocial workplace hazards• Until recently only acute post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is recognized by workers’ compensation – as of January 2018 Ontario now compensate for chronic stress claims but only if the workplace is the “predominant cause”

• January 2013 – voluntary CSA standard on psychological H&S in the workplace – rumour that ISO asking Canada to chair committee to establish standard?

CSA Standard Z1003-13

http://shop.csa.ca/en/canada/occupational‐health‐and‐safety‐management/cancsa‐z1003‐13bnq‐9700‐8032013/invt/z10032013/?utm_source=redirect&utm_medium=vanity&utm_content=folder&utm_campaign=z1003

Requires worker participation and senior management commitment – but it is a voluntary standard

Vision A workplace that promotes workers’ psychological well‐being and allows no harm to workers mental health...

Key Drivers

Risk Management Excellence & sustainabilityRecruitment & RetentionCost Effectiveness

Strategic pillars

Prevention (1°) Promotion (2°) Resolution (3°)

Psychological& social support

Growth and development

Engagement

Psychological demands

Protection of physical safety

Workload management

Civility and respect

Psychologicalprotection

Involvement and influence

Clear leadership & expectations

Work/life balance

Recognition and reward

Organizational culture

Guarding Minds @ Work:

https://www.guardingmindsatwork.ca/info/index

Attempt to validate 13 factors:

Validation of the Guarding Minds @ Work Survey: A Tool for Assessing Psychosocial Factors in the Workplace Aleka MacLellan1, Dan Bilsker2, Merv Gilbert2, E. Kevin Kelloway1

1Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

… found that a four‐factor structure provided a good fit for the data:1. work environment, 2. supervisor support, 3. workload management, and 4. psychological health factors

http://spact.pt/research/proceedings/%5B2016%5D%2012th%20EAOHP%20Athens.pdf

https://www.iso.org/standard/64283.html

Public discussion:

https://www.ccohs.ca/topics/wellness/mentalhealth/

Is the solution to a high rate of accidents to train more people in first aid?

Psychology

focus on what’s going on between the ears

Psychosocial

focus on the interaction between the social environment and the person

Differing Perspectives:

Prevention Framework

prevention level

Intervention levelsindividual group 

(dept/shift/team)organizational economic sector societal

primary (1°) prevention (at the source)

coping and appraisal skills

(resiliency)

same as organizational but

more personal

changing the culture, climate, work structure &

organization

inherent stressors associated with the type of work

recognition –CSA standard;

legislation; attitudes

secondary (2°) prevention (along the path)

wellness, relaxation techniques

(mindfulness)

same as organizational but

operationalized

awareness, Mental Health

1st Aid, screening (surveys)

training, debriefing procedures,

support activities

media profile,legislation,

enforcement, early detection

servicestertiary (3°) prevention (at the worker)

therapy, counselling, medication,

support

same as organizational but with more personal

supports

EAP, WSIB/WSIAT recognition,

Return to Work

societal recognition of

inherent risk and appropriate

supports

availability of mental health

support services,legislation & enforcement

Mental Injury Tool (MIT) Group:• OHCOW had been measuring workplace stress as a part of IAQ investigations since 1991 and with Firefighters since 1997

• The Mental Injuries Tool group was established in 2009 out of a stakeholder sub‐committee of worker representatives and the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers who were charged with “supporting worker representatives in taking action on prevention and workers’ compensation”. 

• This sub‐committee held a workshop in 2010 to select projects which could be developed jointly to address common concerns.  The topic which received the most interest was mental injuries (workplace psychosocial risk factors; recognition & compensation for mental injuries). 

10 yrs!

MIT Tools:• Website http://www.ohcow.on.ca/mental‐injury‐toolkit.html• Guide (90+ pages)• Survey• You‐Tube videos• Posters, cards• [training materials]*• [mini‐MIT: shorten the 90+ page guide for workplaces]*• App http://www.ohcow.on.ca/measure‐workplace‐stress.html• Webinar http://www.ccohs.ca/products/webinars/workplace_stress/• Online survey administration app

… we still have our old app …

• In partnership with the  CCOHS, we’ve created an app that allows you to do the survey and have your own personal score using the Danish population reference data

• 7000+ downloads to date (since Oct/14)

https://www.ohcow.on.ca/measure‐workplace‐stress.html

App downloads

Average: 134 downloads per monthTotal downloads: 6827 (to Dec/18)

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Web‐app using 2019 Canadian population reference data

New App coming soon based on:

Personal edition StressAssess Web‐App users:

• From November 2017 to April 26 2019:• 3309 accesses logged• 2228 began survey• 2217 completed survey• 421 volunteered results to “National Database”

• Volunteered results (on average) worse scores than Canadian average• Single volunteered responses from: Columbia, Estonia, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Thailand, Tunisia

• Multiple responses from: 2 from New Zealand; 6 from US

Using 2019 Canadian population reference data

Workplace Edition:

StressAssess Workplace edition users:

From November 2017 to May 7, 2019:• set up an account: 720• validated account: 620• updated since Jan1/19: 121• surveys created: 176• accounts with deployed survey(s): 65 

(may have deployed more than 1 survey)

• accounts with deployed survey(s) since Jan 1/19: 19• asked for OHCOW involvement: about 15‐20

How do we do it in a workplace?

1. Get buy‐in (workers, (management), establish steering committee)

2. Recruit a coordinator/champion in each unit (knowledgeable and motivated)

3. Administer survey (define units, collect e‐mail lists, Dilman’s 5 contact survey administration, automated report production, identify top issues)

4. Begin dialogue to improve issues (focus groups discussing results, brainstorming ideas for improvement)

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participation/ownership

History of participation:

• originally (2012‐2015) union driven• after the CSA standard and media mental health attention, management curiosity (2016‐2018)

• now (2019+), management requests

Perspectives/Stages/Focus:

early: violence prevention, regulatory compliance

awareness: mental health/stigma reduction (affect attitudes)

risk assessment/management: evaluate and manage psychosocial factors

organizational development: optimization/ innovation

The Positive Side of Occupational Health Psychology, edited by Christensen, Saksvik & Karanika‐Murray, Springer International Publishing AG, 2017

… the future?