Each year, the National Safety Council (NSC) designates June as National Safety Month. This year, safety in and out of the workplace has been top-of-mind for most of the world because of COVID-19. But while your frontline heroes have been working 24/7 to prioritize your patients and the mounting needs of your community throughout the pandemic, has upper management been checking in with staff?
The NSC reminds organizations that part of being safe is taking care of the physical and mental wellbeing of your workers. It is understandable that during increased times of stress (like a pandemic for instance), it can be more difficult to handle day-to-day activities. It is also important to note that increased levels of stress, uncertainty, and anxiety can also potentially lead to an increase in substance misuse or substance use disorders and an increase in absenteeism.
Below is a guideline you can follow from the NSC to break the month into weekly topics for your team. Consider meeting once a week either in-person or via Zoom to review these topics and spark transformative conversations. Remember, the more in tune you are with your team, the higher employee satisfaction is bound to be. The result? A more positive and productive work environment, and invaluable savings in new-hire training thanks to lower burn-out and turn-over rates. Even as New York begins to get infection rates under control, and COVID-19 related hospitalizations dwindle, the healthcare industry continues to face immense pressure and stress. Make it your job to lighten the load for your staff and show some additional compassion.
Week 1 – Prevent Incidents before They Start: Identifying risks and taking proactive safety measures to reduce hazard exposure is crucial to creating a safe workplace.
Week 2 – Address Ongoing COVID-19 Safety Concerns: As the pandemic continues, employers play an important role in expanding operations and returning remote workers to physical workspaces, building trust around vaccines, supporting mental health and so much more.
Week 3 – It’s Vital to Feel Safe on the Job: Being able to be one’s self at work without fear of retaliation is necessary for an inclusive safety culture. Leading organizations focus not only on physical safety but psychological safety as well.
Week 4 – Advance Your Safety Journey: Safety is all about continuous improvement. Whether organizationally or individually, what can your organization do to advance your path forward?
Another way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of National Safety Month is to select one safety hero per week to highlight within your team. This can be anyone from cafeteria staff to an E.R. doctor or a member of your administration who demonstrates safety at work and inspires others around them. Consider treating them to lunch, offering them a few hours of PTO, or finding another way to express your gratitude to them. Their actions can set a chain reaction for your other team members to model future behavior off of. Bonus? It illustrates to your organization that upper management cares, recognizes, and rewards high standards. At RBT, we pride ourselves on assisting healthcare professionals to build more sustainable organizations with our comprehensive services. But most importantly, we aim to pass along useful, relevant information to help our communities succeed, grow and prosper. As we continue to dedicate time and resources to help our healthcare clients achieve success, we look forward to connecting with you and your team.