Organisational Systems

Apply the Legal Framework ^[1-3]

• The Health and Safety in Employment Act requires employers to maintain a safe working environment and to implement sound practices to identify, eliminate, contain, or minimise all possible hazards. This includes managing issues of workplace stress and fatigue.
• Employees have a role in reporting issues of concern regarding their own safety and wellbeing.
• Workplace bullying is a significant hazard in New Zealand, affecting people physically and mentally, disrupting workplaces, and reducing productivity. Employers who ignore bullying risk breaching legislation, such as the Health and Safety in Employment Act, the Employment Relations Act, and the Human Rights Act.

Beware of Unconscious Bias ^{[4, 5]}

Stress

• A person with mental health issues can experience stress as a result of workplace causes, so do not assume stress is caused by any mental health issues they may have.
• Distress and low morale can come from two main sources:
  • Work experiences such as: physically, mentally, or emotionally tiring work; having little control over how to do their job.
  • The organisational climate such as: poor feedback about performance; unfairness; being ignored, and so on.

Bullying

• Bullying can be obvious (e.g. put downs) or subtle (e.g. attempts to undermine credibility, performance, or confidence).
• Bullying can be direct and personal, or indirect and task-related.
• Direct and personal bullying includes:
  • Shouting, yelling, name calling, threats of violence, or actual physical attack.
  • The silent treatment or excluding an employee from the group.
  • Intrusions on an employee's private life.
• Indirect and task-related bullying includes:
  • Setting impossible deadlines or targets, or constantly assigning meaningless and unpleasant tasks.
  • Not providing training or resources, or changing goals and expectations.
  • Subtle whispers about job security, "what the boss thinks of you", feeding wrong information, and using the employee as a scapegoat.
  • Sanctioning the employee by denying leave, subjecting them to unreasonable supervision, or not allowing them to partake in meetings or offer opinions.

Demonstrate Inclusive Practice ^{[6, 2, 7-9]}

• Focus on the prevention of stress and the provision of a healthy workplace rather than stress management of individuals. An emphasis on the amount, content, and organisation of work is essential to maintain a healthy, safe, and productive workplace.
• Build good relationships to create a respectful work environment that sees value in diversity and prevents bullying.
• Provide a clear picture of what a business wants to achieve with guidelines for expected behaviour, work culture, and values.
• Use ordinary management tools to identify issues and needs for all employees.
• Regular work planning sessions, appraisals or informal chats about progress can all provide neutral and non-stigmatising opportunities to find out about any issues your employee may be having.
• Use open questions such as “How are you doing at the moment?” to identify possible issues, or to address any specific grounds for concern before the situation escalates. 

Challenges are “an opportunity to win” that motivate us to accomplish things and can be a good kind of stress. Threats are “an opportunity to lose” that can lead to low morale and distress in the work environment. ^[5]

As with any high performing team, you have to make allowances for people’s physical and mental health. Everybody at some point needs to take some time out, for whatever the reason. Elizabeth*^[10]

References:

1. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Employment Relations. 2011 2011; Available from: http://prod.dol.govt.nz/er/index.asp.
2. Worksafe New, Z. Bullying - Preventing and responding to workplace bullying | Worksafe. 2014; Available from: http://www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/information-guidance/all-guidance-items/bullying-guidelines.
3. New Zealand Council of Social Services, et al., Mana Mahi: A guide to the employment of people in tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector organisations. 2010, New Zealand: Workplace Wellbeing Project.
4. WorkSafe New Zealand, Preventing and responding to workplace bullying: Best Practice Guidelines. February ed. 2014: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment,.
5. Worksafe New Zealand. Morale, distress and healthy work | Worksafe. 2014; Available from: http://www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/information-guidance/all-guidance-items/morale-distress-and-healthy-work.
6. Like Minds Like Mine. Stigma free work places – what can employers do. 2013 [cited 2014; Available from: http://www.likeminds.org.nz/assets/Employment/stigma-free-workplaces-27-oct.pdf.
7. Gordon, S. and D. Peterson, What works: Positive experiences in open employment of mental health services users. 2014, Mental Health Foundation: Auckland, New Zealand.
8. Beyondblue and Population Mental Health Group, University of Melbourne,. Return to Work | Helping Australian employees successfully return to work following depression, anxiety or a related mental health problem. 2014 [cited 2014 October]; Available from: http://returntowork.workplace-mentalhealth.net.au/.
9. Mental Health Foundation, Return to Work: Returning to work after experiencing mental illness and other mental health issues. 2007, Mental Health Foundation Auckland.
10. Gordon, G. and D. Peterson, What works: Positive experiences in open employment of mental health service users. 2014, Auckland, New Zealand: Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.