We Need to Talk About Mental Health at Work
Recently, I was talking with some safety professionals about creating a strong safety program and being an effective safety manager. Despite using different words, they all said basically the same thing: To have a safe workplace, you have to show people you care.
That means knowing a bit about employees and their family. That means asking employees questions about their lives. That means connecting with employees and engaging with them on an emotional level rather than just in a transactional nature. That means being brave enough to share, and sometimes even be vulnerable.
This is by no means an easy task, but speaking from personal experience, I can tell you it is everything.
We all want to feel like we matter. It’s so easy to get stuck in the daily routine and focus on the work at hand. As safety professionals, you are in a position to walk the floor and talk with employees. You’re in a position to intervene if you see something concerning, be it an electrical hazard or concern about someone’s well-being.
By acting to keep people safe, you can make a meaningful impact in the lives of others. While you may be used to acting to keep workers physically safe, I understand that it can be uncomfortable to talk about personal matters. I know I’m guilty of hiding behind the mask of professionalism and limiting small talk to the weather. Nevertheless, if you see something that concerns you, I hope you are courageous enough to speak up or reach out.
COVID-19 has laid bare the fact that people are struggling in so many different ways. It doesn’t matter if it’s a professional or personal matter because our troubles follow us wherever we go.
It’s past time we dismissed the idea that we check our personal problems at the door when we clock in to work. Instead, let’s decide to care for the whole employee and invite them to talk about anything that’s weighing on them.
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This newsletter was written and produced by Managing Editor Nicole Stempak. If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, please add them in the comments below.
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Construction Safety Manager
2 个月It doesn't matter how people got to a particular point in their lives, what matters is that they are there. Some people have some pretty screwed up lives. And to ask them to check it and leave it all outside the work gate is both emotionally and physically impossible. Building relationships with everyone we come in contact with at work simply makes you a better safety professional. People will understand how much you care through our personal relationship with them. Soft skills sometimes have to be learned, but over time, trial and error, we can all get there.