Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mothers in our network!
As we honour mothers this, Sunday 12 May 2024 its crucial to recognise two work health and safety topics on our agenda: pregnant and new mothers; and sexual harassment in the workplace.
It’s imperative to recognise the importance and legislative duty to protect pregnant and new mothers in the workplace. Ensuring their safety and mental health is not just the PCBU’s responsibility but those in the workplace interacting with pregnant women.
From a legal perspective PCBU’s should conduct an individual risk assessment for pregnant workers and new mothers, those who are pregnant, have given birth in the last 6 months, or are currently breastfeeding. Some working conditions (e.g. working with lead) and psychosocial hazards (e.g. bullying, harassment, victimization) can potentially harm them and / or their child so line managers should assess, and control the risks posed in each case.
At Spring Safety Consultants through risk assessments, tailored accommodations and protective measures we strive to create an environment where mothers can thrive both personally and professionally. Consulting is challenging work, we are always ‘on’ so we have designed our monthly workflow to take the time to feed our wellbeing needs.
Did you know that women are at significantly higher risk of experience workplace sexual harassment compared to men? The impact of sexual harassment can lead to significant physical and psychological harm for affected persons (i.e. workers experiencing it and anyone witnessing the behaviors) including:
- Psychological injuries (e.g. anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder)
- Physiological health affects (e.g. sleep, loss of appetite and muscular tension)
- Feelings of isolation, social isolation or family dislocation
- Loss of confidence and withdrawal; and
- Suicidal thoughts.
On this Mothers Day 2024, as a community, and workplace leaders must take proactive measures to prevent and protect women from harm in the workplace. We must cultivate a culture of respect, empathy and zero tolerance for any form of harassment or discrimination. This starts with education and awareness ensuring that everyone understands the importance of creating safe, respectful and inclusive work environments.
In conclusion, we are super proud to share that Spring Safety Psychology Services Team Sonia Ceglinski and Dorit Ozchakir have been working with our clients to design and develop Respectful Workplace interventions, education and training programs to protect and prevent harm to women at work.
