Psychological Competencies and Demands
Included in the National Standard are 13 organizational factors that are elements within the influence of the workplace that can impact the psychological health and safety of staff and faculty.
Think and Take Action
- Think of a time at work when you felt that your job demands did not match your emotional and interpersonal competencies. What did you do to maintain your mental health, while ensuring you accomplished necessary tasks?
- What do the psychological demands of your job mean to you? Is this different for you than it is for your colleague(s)?
- What are some strategies to help YOUR workplace respond to psychological demands?
- Write down different ways that YOU can help manage psychological demands in your workplace.
The following video and content were adapted with permission of Ottawa Public Health and for educational and non-commercial purposes only.
What are Psychological Competencies and Demands?
Psychological demands are emotional, cognitive or mental pressures placed on an individual. All workplaces would have some level of psychological demand. It becomes psychologically unsafe when the demands exceed an individual’s ability or competency to endure them. For example, conflict can be a psychological demand in a call centre because people calling in with complaints may feel angry and upset. Some call centre employees may not be affected by this, but some may be extremely affected. The ability or competency not only varies from person to person, but it will also vary throughout your day, your career and your lifetime.
In a work environment where psychological competencies and demands are not a health risk, employees are continually supported to meet the psychological demands of their position.
This isn't about simply hiring people who will never have stress. That's unrealistic. We never know what life will throw at us in terms of personal, family or health issues. The recommended approach to a psychologically safe workplace is to identify stressors at work that could or will happen. Then, put safeguards in place. These safeguards can include effective training, prevention and support. Training can help build competency while prevention and support help us manage demands. In sum, those who may be struggling with particular aspects of the work should be provided with opportunities to discuss the issue, ask questions, and seek feedback on their work.
In a work environment where psychological competencies and demands are not a health risk, employees are continually supported to meet the psychological demands of their position.
This isn't about simply hiring people who will never have stress. That's unrealistic. We never know what life will throw at us in terms of personal, family or health issues. The recommended approach to a psychologically safe workplace is to identify stressors at work that could or will happen. Then, put safeguards in place. These safeguards can include effective training, prevention and support. Training can help build competency while prevention and support help us manage demands. In sum, those who may be struggling with particular aspects of the work should be provided with opportunities to discuss the issue, ask questions, and seek feedback on their work.
