Although employees trained in first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation are commonplace in workplaces, the concept of first responders for mental health crises is still very much in its infancy, even though millions of workers take sick leave or paid time off each year due to mental illness.
The digital workplace has introduced both exciting new possibilities and an unwelcome new dimension to the problem of work-related stress, according to Andrea Maria Nahles, Germany’s Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. The key to dealing with both, she says, is flexibility.
A 2005 study demonstrated the scope of the health problems of 9-1-1 emergency call centre dispatchers, namely a high rate of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and psychological health problems (PsyHPs) as well as physical and psychosocial risk factors.
Despite widespread concern about work-related stress and workplace violence, most European companies still don’t have procedures in place for managing psychosocial risks, according to two new reports from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).