A good mental working environment — and what the law requires

When we talk about work environment, many first think of safety helmets and heavy lifting. But the psychological work environment—the way work, cooperation, and tone affect us—is an equally important part. In work environment legislation the psychological work environment is equated with the physical, and the employer has a duty to prevent strain, including the invisible kind.

§What are offensive actions?

Offensive conduct is a collective term for actions where one or more people grossly or repeatedly subject others to behaviour perceived as degrading. It includes among other things bullying and sexual harassment. What matters is not whether the action was intended to offend, but how it can reasonably be perceived by the person it is directed at.

Bullying and sexual harassment

• 01Bullying: when someone is repeatedly subjected to unpleasant or degrading treatment they cannot defend themselves against
• 02Sexual harassment: unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that offends a person's dignity
• 03It can happen both face-to-face, in writing and digitally
• 04It can come from colleagues, managers or from outside — for example customers

§Workplace duties

The employer must prevent harmful actions from occurring at all and intervene if they do. This includes the risk being assessed in the APV that there should be clear guidelines for how to report an incident and that a report must be taken seriously and handled properly. Sweeping it under the rug is not an option — neither humanely nor legally.

§Handling an inquiry

If a colleague confides in you, or you yourself experience something, it is important to act calmly and properly. Listen without minimising, write down what happened, and take the matter to someone who can act — typically a manager or health and safety representative. A good process protects both the person affected and ensures fair treatment for all parties.

§Colleague's role in a healthy culture

The psychological work environment is created in large part by how colleagues are together in everyday life. A tone where it's okay to speak up where you talk nicely about each other and where you don't stand idly by when someone crosses a line prevents a lot. The person who breaks an uncomfortable silence with a friendly 'I don't think that's okay' often makes a bigger difference than any policy.

A good mental working environment is not the absence of busyness or disagreement. It is a workplace where people are treated properly where stress is taken seriously and where you help each other keep a decent tone — even when it is strained.