dougal sutherland

The start of a new year is often a good time to check in on how your business is going. Just like we’d take our car in for a WOF, it’s just as important to get a WOF done on the mental health and safety of your business. 

Recent court case highlights that workplaces can be held liable for the mental distress and injury their workers suffer. 

At its most basic level, mental health and safety at work means making sure that workers aren’t being mentally harmed by the work they’re doing. Mental harm can occur through things such as exposure to traumatic material (e.g., a first responder), having way too much work for one person, or from things like bullying.

Workplaces are legally obliged to identify risks to health (including mental health) and take steps to prevent or reduce these risks. This can involve things like providing EAP counselling to staff, training for managers about how to spot signs of distress in their people and support them, through to modifying workflows so it doesn’t all fall on one person. 

Some workplaces are really proactive in this area, and others are only just becoming aware of their responsibilities. For this latter group it might be helpful to get some outside support for this from an organisational psychologist. But can also start by actively engaging with staff around their experiences of mental stress and ideas they may have to reduce this. Often the best solutions come out of talking to people at the coalface. 

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The start of a new year is often a good time to check in on how your business is going. Just like we’d take our car in for a WOF, it’s just as important to get a WOF done on the mental health and safety of your business. 

Recent court case highlights that workplaces can be held liable for the mental distress and injury their workers suffer. 

At its most basic level, mental health and safety at work means making sure that workers aren’t being mentally harmed by the work they’re doing. Mental harm can occur through things such as exposure to traumatic material (e.g., a first responder), having way too much work for one person, or from things like bullying.

Workplaces are legally obliged to identify risks to health (including mental health) and take steps to prevent or reduce these risks. This can involve things like providing EAP counselling to staff, training for managers about how to spot signs of distress in their people and support them, through to modifying workflows so it doesn’t all fall on one person. 

Some workplaces are really proactive in this area, and others are only just becoming aware of their responsibilities. For this latter group it might be helpful to get some outside support for this from an organisational psychologist. But can also start by actively engaging with staff around their experiences of mental stress and ideas they may have to reduce this. Often the best solutions come out of talking to people at the coalface. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Wilhelmina Shrimpton for a chat about beginning the year with oomph. 

Top tips include: 

-Daily scheduled activity 
-Mapping your activities to match your personal energy flow 
-Learning how to mentally switch off from work 

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry. Emphasis on drink.

Increased alcohol consumption can be a problem at this time of year, especially as people are under increased amounts of stress and pressure. This can sometimes contribute to problem drinking, as people increasingly use alcohol or other drugs as a way to cope. At Christmas, drinking becomes even more socially acceptable, and workplaces have a role in this, often via work Christmas functions which give people the license to drink as part of unwinding from work. 

It’s useful to think about whether alcohol will have a role in workplace functions in the future. Lots of workplaces are reducing their emphasis on alcohol as part of their functions e.g., having outdoor picnics or doing activities where alcohol use isn’t the core thing or choosing a venue for a Christmas party that doesn’t serve alcohol. 

On a personal front there are some danger signs to look out for: 

- Increased tolerance: At first, 2 drinks was enough to relax, then it was 3, now it’s 4. The more you drink, the more your body adapts, so that the same amount has less effect. 

- It’s hard to stop or cut back.

- Problems with others: are you “that person” at the office Christmas party or social function? 

- Life feels smaller: Sometimes, we stop doing things that matter, or only do them if we can do them while drinking. This starts to limit your life and can lead to giving up hobbies or even people that you used to enjoy. 

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A few weeks ago we discussed ADHD in the workplace and how this is beginning to show up a lot in recent times. Following on from that, we are seeing a lot more people in the workplace with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). Together ASD, ADHD and Learning Disabilities are sometimes referred to as “neurodiversity”. ASD now the term used for what used to be call Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. A stereotype would be Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rainman but really important to note that the difficulties are experienced on a spectrum.

We're now seeing more adults diagnosed in adulthood for much the same reasons as ADHD (i.e., missed during childhood, not enough services out there, have had a child diagnosed with ASD and now wondering about it for themselves).

The main difficulties for people with ASD in the workplace are around social relationships, a strong need for routine and sameness, and sensory hypersensitivity (e.g., very sensitive hearing). There are other symptoms which include very strong “obsessional” interest in specific topics (e.g., being an expert on the French revolution) and some unusual behaviours (e.g., handflapping when distressed). 

People with ASD report not having the natural understanding of how social relationships work. They might find it hard to keep eye contact and have difficulty balancing conversations (e.g., they talk too much about themselves and not ask anything of the other person or barely participate in a conversation, might take things very literally). Expressing their emotions might be difficult because of the difficulties in social interactions. Hypersensitivity might make working in certain environments very difficult.

What can be done to help?

Recognition and understanding always hugely important for both the employee and employer. Work out together what can be done to the work environment to reduce stress. It may also, with permission of the individual, be useful to educate the wider team about ASD.

Work out best ways of communicating with the person.

It may also be useful to get a professional assessment to help guide employee and employers in what steps to take.

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Covid lockdowns may have played a part in the increase in learning and behavioural issues being picked up at early childhood education.  

The Educational Institute says the increase has meant waiting lists for specialist support are far too long.  

Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland told Tim Dower that the main thing kids that age do is play and interact with other kids, which provides social and cognitive development and learning.  

He says that while teenagers could jump online to socialise with their friends, that play and interaction can't be replaced, so young kids missed out during isolation. 

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A recent Gallup poll shows that a majority of workers in NZ are not engaged or are “quiet quitting”. 

4/10 say they are experiencing high levels of stress, 4/10 looking for new job, with managers playing a key role in determining whether people thrive or disengage at work. 

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Being unable to mentally disconnect from your work once your day is over can be a major problem, resulting in higher levels of stress, poor sleep, and even relationship issues.

Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to talk about the importance of disconnecting and reconnecting each day, and how to achieve it.

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We hear lots about “mindfulness” – it seems to be everywhere. But what actually is it and what does it do? 

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A recent survey from TradeMe has shown that people often invest more in themselves after a breakup. They spend more time and invest more energy into doing things like working out, eating healthier, buying things for themselves, and relaxing alone.

Clinical Psychologist with Umbrella Wellbeing Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to chat about this change.

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