Emotional health is an important part of workers’ well-being

Occupational health extends beyond physical safety and working conditions to Psychological well-being of professionals, This aspect has become even more relevant since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, which has generated a state of pandemic fatigue, as defined by WHO, which is characterized by anxiety, sadness, discouragement, apathy and hopelessness, which significantly impairs the work environment. Affects form.

Assessing psychosocial risks in companies is important to promote the mental well-being of workers. AENORA pioneer in building trust in Spain, it has developed new certification The focus was on how organizations address issues related to mental health and emotional well-being in the work environment.

Carolina Soto, Health, Fitness and Safety Manager AENORexplains that the new certification “seeks to strengthen the trust of employees and other interested parties, and provide organizations with confidence that they are implementing best practices.” psychosocial risk management, Likewise, “this approach enriches preventive health management processes in general and promotes a proactive methodology that goes beyond simple regulatory compliance,” he adds.

psychosocial health at work

Before the pandemic, the importance of psychosocial health in the workplace, Inspired by the 2010 WHO publication, Healthy Work Environments, AENOR Developed the “Healthy Company Model” certification, which incorporated psychological and social health into workplace wellness.

It is complemented by the UNE ISO PAS 45005 and UNE-ISO 45003 standards published in December 2020 and June 2021 respectively. Furthermore, in April 2021, the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy published Technical Norm 104/2021 on the tasks of labor and social security inspections on psychosocial risks.

a comprehensive approach

AENOR Psychosocial Risk Management CertificationUNE-ISO provides guidelines to identify psychosocial risks of workers in companies, based on the ISO 45003 standard. This authentication has been added to Trusted Platform solutions AENOR “Promote safety and health in the workplace.” Its aim is to promote a strategic approach to organizations in the management of psychosocial risks, beyond the traditional perspective of a health and safety department or people management.

For organizations, this certification means “strengthening employee confidence in the organization, by establishing and implementing initiatives focused on psychosocial well-being,” says Soto, as well as “presenting a positive image to external stakeholders, demonstrating that To ensure that the organization not only complies with legal regulations, but also goes beyond them.

4 steps to success

To obtain the certificate, it is verified during an audit how organizations address the management of psychosocial risks four stages, First, the social, organizational and work environment factors of the company are identified. In the second phase, data analysis and evaluation is performed, where the information collected is analyzed to evaluate the results and establish priorities for action. Third, the action plan is verified, in which, based on the risk assessment and the results obtained, actions and measures are defined, the implementation of which is monitored to guarantee. And, finally, the fourth stage confirms the evaluation of the effectiveness of the defined measures to reduce the identified risk factors.

“To ensure success at each of these stages, it is important to include the management system support processes Such as leadership, resource allocation, and consultation and active participation of workers. Likewise, given that it is a process of continuous improvement, the standard establishes mechanisms for it, including internal audits and periodic reviews of the management system,” explains Soto. Furthermore, audits are not limited to documentary reviews. Rather, it also involves conversations with employees and middle managers as well as direct observation through site visits.