Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace: Supporting Your Young Workers
As an employer, you can develop a culture that prioritizes psychological health and safety. We encourage you to use this resource to help support the psychological health and safety of the young workers at your organization. Note that we do not suggest employers serve as mental health experts, nor does this resource replace mental health care. If someone is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical support, call 911. Free and confidential mental health support is also a call away.
About Young Workers (aged 15-24)
- They are stressed. Teens and young adults may be overwhelmed due to a variety of factors, and engaging in work - which may be new and unfamiliar - can increase stress. The impact this can have on their psychological health and safety may be poorly understood by young workers. In fact, the rates of psychological distress are higher for young people aged 15-24 than for any other age group1.
- They may be unsure of where to find support. Young workers may not know the processes and procedures to ask questions, express concerns, or seek support related to psychological health and safety. This could be because they are new to the workplace, are uncomfortable talking to authority, or have precarious work.
- They want their workplace to take psychological health and safety seriously. Having access to support for psychological health is the number one workplace benefit young workers want, after a retirement savings plan. Although the ability to discuss psychological health and safety at work is something they value, what they really want to see is action in the way of policies and benefits.
Consider each of these factors when supporting your young workers. It's important that you demonstrate the importance of prioritizing psychological health and safety, ensure they know who to approach when they have concerns, and consider the resources and benefits you can offer to help your young workers feel safe and supported at work.
1 Youth Mental Health Stats in Canada - Youth Mental Health Canada
Guide for Supporting your Young Workers
Leadership
Leadership: Commit to organizational leadership to enhance psychological health and safety through workplace interventions.
- Incorporate psychological health and safety strategies into your overall occupational health and safety management system
- Senior leaders are engaged and committed to supporting psychological health and safety
- Endorse a wellness committee/psychological health and safety champion/community of practice
- Evaluate your workplace's psychological health and safety interventions by selecting key performance metrics and determining data collection methods
Access
Assess: Assess the psychological health of your organization. Identify and investigate potential psychological hazards and take action to mitigate risks.
- Survey your workers using a tool (e.g. Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, StressAssess, the SCARF model) that provides a risk report of strengths and areas for improvement
- Create a plan to address and reduce psychological hazards in your workplace based on the survey results
Prevention
Prevention: Implement strategies that reduce psychosocial harm and promote psychological health and safety in alignment with the recommendations of theNational Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard).
- Incorporate the Standard into your health and safety management system
- Support work-home balance and provide accommodations
- Provide self-care tools and resources (e.g., workbooks, webinars, websites)
- Provide employee and family assistance programs (EFAP)
Social Support
Social Support: Develop programs for young workers to foster connection with peers and leadership in the workplace, and to encourage communication and support.
- A peer support program provides a space for peers to connect about work-related stressors
- Manager/supervisor mentorship supports professional development, learning and growth
Culture
Culture: Facilitate a psychologically safe culture to ensure all workers feel safe and welcome.
- Implement and maintain a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, harassment, and violence Encourage young workers to report to management about any concerns, issues or incidents.
- Provide tools and resources to show younger workers how to report
Training and Supports
Training and Supports: Provide training to workplaces and workers about fair and equitable treatment of young workers.
- Respectful workplace policy including workplace violence and harassment training
- Return-to-work needs
- Crisis response planning
- Stress management training/resiliency and coping skills training/self-assessment techniques
- Tips for talking about mental health, and dispelling mental health myths and stigma
Resources
The following resources can help you promote and maintain a safe and healthy workplace and put your knowledge into practice at the job site.
Although some links reference legislation that is specific to their jurisdiction, the information and materials are a fantastic guide to developing and maintaining your own young worker safety program, especially related to psychological health and safety.
- Mental health services for children and youth - Ontario
- New and young workers – Ontario
- Healthy workplace – physical or psychological health - Quebec
- Young workers – Newfoundland and Labrador
- Searchable OHS Regulation and related materials - British Columbia
- Stress Assess – Ontario
- OHS Legislation search tool - Alberta
- OHS OHS Resources, Psychosocial hazards – Alberta
- Tips for employers of youth – Saskatchewan
- Young Worker Injury Prevention Strategy – Manitoba
- Young and New Worker Code of Practice – YukonPDF
- Guide for Employers of Young Workers – Prince Edward IslandPDF
- Green Hand-Gold Hand program
- Adults who interact with Youth - Mental Health Commission of Canada
- Moving to Action Implementing Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ Mental Health Prevention Roadmap – Conference Board of CanadaPDF
- Importance of Psychological and Social Support in the Workplace
- Psychological Health and Safety An Action Guide for EmployersPDF
