Employers are ‘wellbeing washing’ as safety regulations kick in

New rules demand companies are proactive on mental health, but some employers are finding it tough.

Employers under pressure to get it right on mental health in the office. Picture: iStock

Companies are “wellbeing washing” – ticking the boxes on their mental health policies to abide by new work health and safety regulations that require them to build safe “psychosocial” workplaces.

That’s the view of Jamie MacLennan, senior vice-president and managing director APAC at TELUS Health, who says in most cases the “washing” is innocent enough – it’s simply that many employers find it hard to implement and measure actions to create safe spaces.

“I think it’s very problematic,” MacLennan says. “A lot of organisations are failing to deliver effective and meaningful programs. So it comes across to employees as this sort of ‘wellbeing washing” or an ineffective program and often as a tick-the-box exercise. I think the majority genuinely believe in wellbeing but are very ineffective in terms of their strategic approach.”

He says companies are not linking wellbeing strategies to their HR strategies within the context of their company strategies.

“Most people have what I call a cottage industry approach where they take a bunch of programs that often include an EAP (Employee Assistance Programs, which generally offer telephone or online counselling) and other offerings like a Pilates class. One company we met had 16 individual programs.”

MacLennan says that historically, companies used absenteeism as an indication of mental health of staff, but the far bigger impact on financial results of the business is presenteeism.

“They’re not measuring and tracking the right tools,” he says. “I would be critical of a lot of HR departments because they want silver bullets and they look at the next shiny new digital tool. There’s a danger thinking that a lot of digital tools will solve the issue. People at the end of the day are social animals who need to engage with other people, who need to have meaningful connections.”

He says there’s a significant correlation between wellbeing and productivity.

Renee Thornton, CEO of Rehab Management, a leading rehabilitation provider, agrees many employers are struggling with the new rules that require them to be proactive in creating a healthy psychological environment.

“It’s not black and white in how they can make sure that they’re adhering to (regulations) within this new framework that’s been released,” she says. “So it’s a problem. We probably haven’t always had that proactive approach around psychosocial hazards and I think some employers are struggling with some of the terminology.”

She defines a psychosocial issue as “any factor or situation in the workplace that could pose a risk to employees’ mental health or emotional wellbeing. So that might be things like periods of stress or stressful events that have occurred at the workplace. It could be things like bullying or harassment.”

Is there a proportion of box ticking?

“I think there’s always that risk with any legislation,” Thornton says. “But in general in society mental health is becoming more and more prevalent. And traditionally our workplace health and safety regulations have really been focused on that physical injury.”

While the push over recent decades to lift physical health and safety practices has come in large part from the union movement, the effort to make employers more responsible for mental health has come more broadly from a shift in social attitudes. As well, insurers facing big mental health claims., have become more active in the area.

Thornton says there is a noticeable contrast in how employers treat employees with physical injury compared to those with psychological injury. Recent research showed that of the employees who made a claim, 59 per cent of those with a physical injury reported being contacted by their employer about their injury, while only 33 per cent of those with a psychological injury reported the same level of contact.

Thornton says psychosocial hazard refers to any factor or situation in the workplace that may pose a risk to an employee’s mental or emotional wellbeing. This can include job design, workplace relationships, communication, leadership, workloads and organisational culture. These hazards can arise from various sources, such as work-related stress, bullying or harassment, violence, or exposure to traumatic events. Thornton suggests companies should conduct regular risk assessments of their workplaces; develop clear policies and procedures; provide training and education; foster a positive work culture; encourage early reporting and intervention; and foster a culture of safety.