PSC in Practice

Abstract

Addressing the factors that influence worker health is in the interest of employees and organisations, and has implication for national productivity. In particular, practices that protect employee mental health and promote wellbeing are important to prevent psychological harm that can be attributed to workplace factors, and improve organisational productivity outcomes. Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) indicates what the climate is like in an organisation in relation to how worker psychological health is valued. This chapter provides a case study of an organizational PSC analysis undertaken in an Australian public sector Agency and provides evidenced based practical outcomes. Applying PSC benchmark levels of risk to 38 work groups (n = 656 employees), 47% were low risk (i.e., high PSC), 24% were medium risk, and 29% were high risk (low levels of PSC) for future depressive symptoms and job strain. There were no work groups in the very high risk category. At the employee level, there were 697 employees with complete data on the PSC-12 scale; most reported low risk (51%), 12% medium risk, but 23% were in high risk and 13.3% in very high risk PSC contexts (indicating very low PSC levels). Note that we did not see any work units in this very high risk category. Therefore to understand risk, both work group averages and minimum PSC-12 scores should be used. Against generalworking population benchmarks, state (n=627) and national (n=3736), the Agency showed no significant differences in prevalence of PSC risk. PSC-12 measures (using evidence based benchmarks and subscales) related to organisational indicators (unplanned absence, mental injury claims). PSC-12 measures and subscales also predicted changing levels of absence rates across time; when PSC was low, absence in work units increased, when PSC was high, absence rates remained stable. Financial modelling suggests that an organisation of around 1000 personnel could save AUD $1.18 m in lost productivity due to unplanned absence by moving the organisation to low risk PSC levels. Taking together the extant evidence, the benchmark evidence, and the strong results found here regarding PSC-12 effects in relation to unplanned absences, and some evidence of PSC effects in relation to mental injury claims, indicates that the PSC-12 and its related benchmarks should be used on a continuing basis to monitor change. Focusing on improving PSC through targeting each of the four subareas should lead to significant improvements in working conditions, worker psychological health and engagement, and yield dividends in terms of organisational productivity.