Psychological Safety of Employees

In a rapidly changing world, which researchers characterize as fragile and anxious (BANI world), the psychological state of employees directly affects the level of occupational injuries. Decreased concentration, accumulated fatigue, and high stress levels inevitably lead to mistakes. In her presentation, Tatiana Borisova, Head of HSE and Business Continuity at Novartis, analyzes practical experience in building a comprehensive psychological well-being program.

Diagnostics: Who is Actually Prone to Stress

Creating an effective program begins with deep diagnostics, rather than implementing random tools. The speaker shows, using a conducted stress audit as an example, how the real picture can differ from stereotypes. The study revealed unexpected facts: the stress level of young specialists (Generation Y) turned out to be higher than that of older colleagues, office employees are more prone to burnout than production workers, and line personnel experience more tension than managers. Understanding these specifics allows for targeted assistance and the selection of relevant communication channels.

From One-off Webinars to Skill Development

Traditional formats, such as one-off lectures or master classes, show low effectiveness in the long term. To build real stress resistance, a transition to the level of sustainable skills is necessary. The presentation details the format of corporate marathons, where participants complete practical tasks over several weeks. This allows not only to increase awareness but also to identify employees on the verge of exhaustion in order to promptly direct them for professional support.

Pre-Psychological First Aid

By analogy with first aid, which is taught at every enterprise, the speaker proposes introducing skills for providing pre-psychological first aid. Every day, employees face serious stress factors that can lead to breakdowns and mistakes at work. Training non-psychologists in basic empathy techniques and proper dialogue management helps to notice alarming signals in colleagues in time, reduce the degree of conflict in the team, and, if necessary, direct the person to specialists of the corporate support program.

Cognitive Safety and Post-COVID Syndrome

Special attention is paid to the impact of physiological factors on occupational safety. Post-COVID complications, such as decreased memory and concentration, directly increase the risk of accidents when working with equipment or driving vehicles. Modular recovery programs, including neuropsychological practices, help employees regain focus, work through the fear of making a mistake, and, as a result, ensure a higher level of occupational safety.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to conduct a stress audit in the company and correctly interpret its results?
• Why standard psychology webinars do not work and what to replace them with?
• How to train line managers and employees in pre-psychological first aid skills?
• How to organize the work of a corporate psychological and legal support line?
• How cognitive impairments affect injury rates and how to help employees restore concentration?