Week 5 Discussion

Workplace Health and Psychological Safety Climate

Health can be viewed from the following perspectives: physical health, mental health, social functioning, role functioning, and general health perceptions. In essence, the workplace can create a hazardous environment for individuals on a physiological and psychological level. Managers are often seen strategizing on safety training as it relates to some of the more traditional safety hazards; however, creating a training program to manage the psychosocial safety climate (PSC) is often overlooked. What actually creates this stressful workplace climate? Extended work hours, anticipated layoffs, workplace bullying, and more. In any event, a workplace that causes continuous psychological stress is actually a health hazard. What you may think is the norm for the workday can actually lead to mental and physical exhaustion. Sometimes, the event can be fatal.

Review the below case study of Jordan:

Jordan (an entrepreneur) was very much driven by his vision to be self-employed. He worked seven days a week and more than �fteen hours per day. Jordan chose to ignore the mental and physical fatigue that he was experiencing. He was temperamental, was extremely dif�cult to work with, and created a very stressful work environment for his staff since he did not feel well. After twenty years of hard work and dedication, his dream came to fruition. Just as Jordan was about to take his organization to the next level, he was suddenly diagnosed with a Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Jordan was one of the fortunate few who have lived to tell their story.

As an HR professional, what can you do to change the safety climate? The issue starts at the top of the organizational chart and must be addressed by the leaders before it �lters down to the employees. Any type of workplace safety hazard (physiological or psychological) experienced by the employees will ultimately result in a �nancial loss to the organization.

Additional Materials

From your course textbook The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Occupational Safety and Workplace Health, read the following chapters:

Workplace Health Promotion

Psychosocial Safety Climate:

From the South University Online Library, read the following articles:

Workplace Health Promotion Programs: Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation (https://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp? sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=cat06146a&AN=sou.620291&site=eds-live)

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Leveraging Psychosocial Safety Climate to Prevent Ill-Being: The Mediating Role of Psychological Need Thwarting (https://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp? sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=edselp&AN=S000187911830040X&site=eds-live)

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