Real-life situations to help you understand the managerial issues linked to psychosocial risks.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Identify signs of psychological risks within your team
- Establish dialogue to build confidence and encourage action
- Seek the right support to get help
- Find leverage with employees to improve their well-being at work
TEACHING METHODS
- 3 role-plays
- 2 video clips
- 3 memo cards
- 1 certificate of achievement
HIGHLIGHT
This short, targeted program provides managers with a complement to the “Preventing psychological risks : discovery for all” module.
Mental health in the workplace has become a major concern for companies that care about the well-being of their employees and their long-term performance. Psychosocial risks, often referred to by the acronym PSR, represent a complex challenge that requires a structured and human approach. High-quality PSR training is the most effective lever for building a strong culture of prevention, protecting employees, and ensuring the sustainability of the organization. Far from being a simple legal obligation, investing in awareness-raising and training for each employee is a strategic approach that promotes a peaceful social climate, strengthens commitment, and stimulates collective performance.
What is Psychosocial Risk Training?
Training on psychosocial risks is a structured learning process designed to give employees, managers, and executives the keys to understanding, identifying, and preventing situations of discomfort at work. It is not just a matter of reacting to a crisis, but of establishing a genuine culture of prevention. This educational approach addresses essential topics such as stress, harassment, and burnout, explaining their mechanisms and their consequences on physical and mental health. The goal is to enable everyone in the company to recognize warning signs, whether for themselves or their colleagues, and to know how to respond appropriately. It is a fundamental pillar of the Quality of Life and Working Conditions (QLWC) policy and meets employers’ obligations in terms of the safety and health protection of their staff.
What are the objectives of the RPS training?
The objectives of psychosocial risk training are manifold and go far beyond the simple acquisition of theoretical knowledge. The primary goal is to protect the mental and physical health of employees by reducing their exposure to risk factors. This requires the ability to identify sources of stress, whether related to work organization, management, or interpersonal relationships. Another crucial objective is to develop the skills of managers and supervisors so that they can create a caring and attentive work environment. By training managers to better manage pressure, communicate effectively, and support their teams, the company strengthens its first line of defense against psychosocial risks. To explore these aspects in greater depth, it is often useful to participate in a webinar on psychosocial risks in order to exchange best practices. Ultimately, this approach aims to improve the company’s overall performance by reducing absenteeism and turnover and promoting long-term employee engagement.
What are the different types of psychosocial risks?
Psychosocial risks encompass various work situations involving stress, internal violence, and external violence, either individually or in combination. These risks can have serious consequences for individuals’ health and for the functioning of the company. It is essential to distinguish between these three main categories of psychosocial risks in order to better tailor preventive measures. Each type of risk has its own causes and manifestations, although they are often interconnected. A detailed understanding of these categories makes it possible to develop a more targeted and therefore more effective prevention strategy to ensure the safety and well-being of every employee.
Stress at work
Work-related stress occurs when there is a perceived imbalance between the demands of the work situation and the resources available to a person to cope with them. It is not simply a temporary “burst of pressure,” but rather prolonged exposure to intense constraints. The causes can be varied: excessive workload, unclear objectives, lack of autonomy, or insufficient support from management. In the long term, this chronic stress can lead to burnout, a state of intense fatigue, cynicism towards work, and a loss of efficiency. Stress prevention requires better work organization and management that ensures a balance between professional and personal life.
Internal violence within the company (harassment, conflict)
Internal violence includes hostile acts that occur between employees of the company. Moral or sexual harassment is the most serious form of internal violence, manifesting itself in repeated behavior aimed at degrading a person’s working conditions. However, internal violence also includes interpersonal or inter-team conflicts which, if left unmanaged, can poison the social climate and undermine collaboration. These situations profoundly undermine the dignity and psychological health of the victims. Preventing this type of violence requires a zero-tolerance policy, clear communication about expected behavior, and training for managers in conflict management and promoting a respectful environment.
Violence outside the company (assaults, threats)
External violence is committed by people outside the company, such as customers, users, or patients, against employees. It can take the form of insults, threats, or even physical assault. Certain sectors, particularly public services, commerce, and healthcare, are particularly exposed to this type of violence. These attacks generate a strong sense of insecurity and stress, which can lead to significant psychological trauma. Preventing these risks involves securing workstations, training employees to manage difficult situations and emotions, and providing immediate psychological support in the event of an incident. Good preparation is essential to protect employees who are in contact with the public.
Raise awareness of psychosocial risks
An effective training program on psychosocial risks is more than just a simple information session. It must be part of a coherent, progressive, and engaging educational program that alternates between theory and practice to ensure real skill development. The goal is to transform knowledge into concrete action in the field.
Understanding psychosocial risks and their implications
The first step in any process is awareness and understanding. It is essential that every employee, regardless of their position in the hierarchy, understands what psychosocial risks are, their causes, and their consequences for both individuals and the group. This phase helps to break down preconceived notions, such as the idea that stress is a driver of performance or that harassment only affects “vulnerable” people .” Using clear definitions, concrete examples, and the legal framework, this initial step aims to create collective awareness. Comprehensive training on psychosocial risks provides the essential foundation for everyone to feel concerned and empowered to act for well-being at work. This shared understanding is the foundation on which the entire prevention strategy is based.
Identify and assess risk factors
Once the issues have been understood, it is necessary to learn how to identify the factors that can generate psychosocial risks in concrete terms. Training should enable participants to recognize the six main categories of risk factors: work intensity and hours, emotional demands, lack of autonomy, poor quality social relationships, conflicts of values, and job insecurity. This involves learning to observe the work environment and listen for subtle signs, such as changes in behavior, abnormal fatigue, or isolation. The aim is to develop shared vigilance within teams. This is why it is essential to equip managers with the tools to prevent psychosocial risks, as they are on the front line when it comes to detecting risky situations and initiating dialogue before they escalate.
Taking action and preventing psychosocial risks in the long term
The final stage is action. Understanding and identifying are not enough; you need to know how to act. This phase of the training focuses on concrete individual and collective levers for action. It teaches employees who to turn to in case of difficulty (manager, HR, occupational physician) and managers how to respond to an employee in distress. The aim is to develop key skills such as active listening, non-violent communication, and the ability to provide social support. The goal is to move from a remedial approach to a genuine culture of proactive prevention. This preventive approach is part of a comprehensive Quality of Life and Working Conditions initiative, where every action contributes to a healthier environment. For effective learning, innovative solutions can be implemented, such as an engaging e-learning module that allows employees to practice through role-playing scenarios. Finally, by integrating these skills into a catalog of training courses for continuous development, the company ensures that it maintains a high level of vigilance and kindness over the long term.
The stages of our RPS training
At Daesign, we believe that experiential learning is the key to lasting knowledge retention, by immersing participants in realistic situations. The course is divided into three practical cases:
Recognizing warning signs in an employee
Four testimonials to discover, with the goal of trying to figure out who is who! This fun exercise will help managers spot warning signs among employees.
Build trust and engage prevention stakeholders
In this practical case, the manager will try to adopt the right approach and attitude with an employee whose behavior has changed.
They will need to remain alert to the type of signals this employee is sending and remember that not everything depends on them. They will also need to seek the right support when necessary.
Finding ways to improve well-being at work
Find ways to address an employee’s proven discomfort. The manager will need to determine what actions to take.
