Over half (52 percent) of employees in global organisations have encountered workplace bullying and felt psychologically unsafe at work, according to new research.
The study, conducted by City & Guilds Group, also revealed that only one in ten firms proactively take steps to support staff mental health, and found a major discrepancy in how senior management and employees view psychological safety in the workplace. Almost all of respondents surveyed (94 percent) said that they consider psychological safety to be “important”, but just 10 percent of businesses are seen to treat it as a priority. In part this seems down to confusion over accountability; almost half (43 percent) of senior management expect HR to deal with the psychological safety of employees at work, while the majority of employees (56 percent), believe line managers and senior management should take the lead.
The lack of ownership suggests businesses are taking the “wait and see” approach to employee mental health, which is reflected in the findings. One in five firms admit they would only take action once a psychological safety issue arises, while among senior management, 22 percent said they would only be motivated to take action if a high profile press incident occurs.
Commenting on the findings, John Yates, MD Corporate Learning City & Guilds Group, said,
Businesses clearly recognise the importance of ensuring psychological safety for employees, but a lack of understanding about who is responsible is leading to inaction. Without defining what psychological safety means to their business and who is accountable to address any risks and issues, organisations will struggle to achieve a safe environment for their employees and ultimately risk harm to the wellbeing of their workforce, productivity and their bottom line. The better leaders understand the value of psychological safety and their role in helping staff feel confident that issues will be acknowledged and actioned, within the space of an engaged, trusting culture.
It’s important that leaders define how to approach workplace tension and issues, and ensure the methodology is clear to all employees. The disconnect in psychological safety highlighted in the research stems from an absence of transparency, so if businesses are clear about their approach they will go some way to addressing what is a quickly spiralling challenge.
The study also found that social media and other digital channels have created even greater challenges for businesses. Although seen as valuable to connecting and collaborating with colleagues, these mediums have opened up more avenues for workers to feel anxious or stressed in the workplace and are almost impossible to monitor, leading to 63 percent of business leaders saying it’s more difficult to manage the psychological safety of employees due to social media.
On the impact of social media and non-business channels on the management of mental safety, Yates added,
While it may seem that social media hovers like a dark cloud in the workplace, advancements in technology are only going to evolve and avoiding issues like these will no doubt create problems further down the line. It’s a good opportunity for firms to revamp their policies, and for leaders to develop tactics for managing the welfare of employees in a way that is fit for the future.
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Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
Aphrodite has had a variety of high profile industry clients as a freelancer, and previously worked for a number of years as an Editor and Journalist for Prospects.ac.uk.
Aphrodite is also a professional painter.
