1. Introducing the New Zealand Workplace Barometer
Healthy Work Group
Tim Bentley, Kate Blackwood, Bevan Catley, Natalia D’Souza, Darryl Forsyth, Dianne Gardner, David Tappin, Zoe Port

2. The Healthy Work Group
Formed in 2009 to undertake an HRC funded project: ‘Understanding and preventing stress and bullying in NZ workplaces’
We adopt a multidisciplinary approach to OHS and wellbeing research (OHSW)
Underpinning assumption that the social organisation of work is the primary contributor to OHSW problems and their solutions
Recognition of social sustainability as a relevant way to talk about OHSW and psychosocial risk to industry
1. To briefly outline my position - I am interested in the nature and quality of work, and its effects on health, wellbeing and performance. My background is PT, then HFE, then organisational studies. In OHS I’ve worked as a consultant, a researcher, and for the last 6 years as an academic.
2. I adopt a ST systems perspective, which considers the wide range of system elements both within and external to organisations, and recognises that these systems are comprised of people with a range of inter-relationships.
3. I’m part of the HWG, a group of 7 academic staff and currently 6 postgraduate students based in Albany & PN.
4. The assumption we make is that the social organisation of work (at workplace, co, ind, national levels) is the primary contributor to OHS problems and their solutions
5. Increasingly we’re incorporating soc sust principles into our research design and our conversations with others. Often we find that the issues and the solutions are similar, so it can increase the reasons that people have for making changes. Later I’ll briefly touch on this again.

3. What are psychosocial hazards and risk?
Psychosocial hazards include aspects of work organisation that are a result of human action and have potential to cause psychological harm.
These include job design, the organisation and management of work, and relational factors.
Changes in the nature of work have potential to increase the risk of psychological harm to workers.
Research indicates that New Zealand workers are highly vulnerable to psychosocial workplace problems, placing a considerable burden on the economic and social wellbeing of society.

4. What is Psychosocial Risk?
risks
Biological
risks
Impairment
risks
Incapacity
risks
Two-way relationship
Effects of
work on health
Effects of
health on work
Physical
risks
1. Your HW strategy refers to work-related health to differentiate it from health promotion and wellbeing, and the inclusion of PSR as one of five risk categories is very positive.
2. Just how this will be developed further is unclear however. I’m also not sure what is meant by ergonomic risks!
3. We know that work-related stress is the response people may have when work demands & pressures are not matched to their capab. & thus their ability to cope.
4. However we also know that there are other contributory factors and other potential outcomes that could be involved, and the relationship between them all is not that clear.
5. The most prominent researchers state that PSR and occ stress are linked, but that PSR are not high on many governments policy making agenda and therefore attention often remains on individual outcomes - like stress, and individual risk factors – such as workload.
6. However, there is evidence that PSR are a leading course of lost-time from work and reduced levels of engagement and productivity due to their influence on mental health and depression, psychological distress and absenteeism. EU reports estimate PSR account for as much as 50-60% of all lost time (EU-OHSA), while recent research from Aust also provides strong evidence of the high social and economic costs of a poor PS work environment.
Ergonomic
risks
Chemical
risks
Mobility
risks
Sensory
risks

5. The rationale for a national psychosocial risk monitoring system
Health and Safety at Work Act requires organisations to ensure the physical and mental health of workers
NZ has no comprehensive approach to understanding or preventing psychosocial hazards and risk in New Zealand.
Need to understand the influence of psychosocial hazards on individual and organisational outcomes for policy and to focus research and intervention.

6. NZ Workplace Barometer
NZWB will provide longitudinal monitoring and surveillance of exposure to psychosocial risks among a representative sample of NZ workers.
NZWB will examine impacts of psychosocial risk on a range of individual and organisational outcomes.
The costs of poor psychosocial safety climate can be estimated.
PSC risk (low, medium, high) predicts organisational mental health outcomes.
Centre for Organisational Health and Development at the University of Nottingham – Prof Stavroula Leka
Asia Pacific Centre for Work Health and Safety – Assoc. Prof Michelle Tuckey.

7. NZ Workplace Barometer tools
Level of inquiry
Research strategy
Methodology
Status
NZ Workplace Barometer Longitudinal Study
National
Quantitative
Data collection using on-line survey and telephone interviews
Implementation of year 1: Feb, 2018
Psychosocial safety culture assessment tool
Organisation
Qualitative
Focus groups (self-assessment)
f2f interviews (researcher assessment)
Development and implementation: 2018

8. NZ Workplace Barometer measures
Tool
Antecedents
Mediators/proximal outcomes
Outcomes
NZ Workplace Barometer Longitudinal Study
Psychosocial safety climate
Management competencies
Workplace bullying
Cyber-bullying
Work stress
Work-family conflict
Job insecurity
Flexibility
Inclusion
Depression/mental health
Psychological distress
Absenteeism
Performance
Engagement
Intention to quit

9. Management competencies
1. Respectful and responsible
Demonstrate integrity
Manage emotions
Have a considerate approach
2. Manage/communicate existing and future work
Manages work proactively
Have good problem-solving skills
Participate with and empower others

10. Management competencies
3. Managing difficult situations
Managing conflict
Uses the organisation’s resources
Take responsibility for resolving issues
4. Managing the individual within the team
Be personally accessible
Be sociable
Use empathetic engagement

11. Potential impact of future forces
Future of work
Globalisation
New organizational forms
New ways of working
Casualisation of work
Growing service sector
Demographic shifts
Greater workforce diversity
Automation of jobs
Multiple careers
Risks to wellbeing
Insecure work
Increasing demands and reduced control
Reduced meaning in work
Interpersonal relationship conflict
Work-family conflict
Social isolation
Reduced support
Lack of personal development
Potential outcomes
Stress and anxiety
Depression and mental health concerns
Physical health impacts
Absenteeism
Performance impacts
Reduced engagement
Reduced staff retention
Reputational risks

12. NZ Workplace Barometer future of work and NZ context
Tool
Future related factors assessed
NZ specific factors
NZ Workplace Barometer Longitudinal Study
Working remotely
Flexible hours
Casualisation
job security
Ageing workforce
Maori and Pacifica
SME context
Multi-cultural diversity
Union density

13. Psychosocial safety culture assessment measures
Tool
Aspects of psychosocial safety
Levels of maturity/advancement
Psychosocial safety culture assessment tool (NZWB)
Top management commitment and prioritisation
Psychological health and safety communication
Psychosocial risk reporting
Employee involvement
Interpersonal relationships
Job content
Demands and control
Career and personal development
Generative
Proactive
Calculative
Reactive
Pathological

14. NZWB research model Identific-ation of priority areas for attention
National surveillance of psycho-social risk
Identific-ation of priority areas for attention
Applied research
Intervention
Healthy Work Group
Healthy Work Group, Government
and industry stakeholders
Healthy Work Group,
Research collaborators
Government
Industry/organisations
Healthy Work Group,
Research collaborators
Centre for Organisational Health and Development at the University of Nottingham – Prof Stavroula Leka
Asia Pacific Centre for Work Health and Safety – Assoc. Prof Michelle Tuckey.

15. Discussion time Your feedback Your interest Your ideas
Your connections
Your partnership
Your investment
Your involvement