More and more employers are looking for ways to ensure that their workplace is “psychologically healthy”. They are aware of a growing body of research that has established that psychological wellbeing is one of the most important factors in job performance. People are better able to learn how to live, and do their jobs, in ways that are more productive and less burdensome if they are taught the skills to improve their psychological flexibility.

Psychological Flexibility is about being able to view your options in the current situation, and make a choice based on what you value and on your value-driven goals, instead of one driven by your difficult thoughts, feelings, urges, memories and impulses.

In terms of their psychological health, psychological flexibility has been shown to increase employees’ resilience and their ability to cope with work demands; reduce their sickness absence; and improve their general functioning at work and in their leisure time.

In terms of their behavioural effectiveness, psychological flexibility has been shown to improve learning, productivity and improve employees’ sensitivity to performance-related opportunities; it has improved leadership performance, and helps employees to untangle from work related worry and rumination during evenings and weekends.

OHS offers an evidence based workplace training program based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT in the Workplace is customized to a particular target population, with the objective of taking a proactive approach to reducing absenteeism, short and long term disability, and unnecessary or protracted requests for work accommodation and modification. The program is specifically designed to improve employees’ psychological health as well as their effectiveness at work and in their personal lives through a combination of mindfulness and values guided behavioural skills.

This training program is easy to use in any environment, and is useful for all employees – as both an organizational prevention strategy and an early intervention strategy. Researches show that ACT based training increases employee resilience which in turn increases engagement, improves productivity, increases customer service outcomes and reduces absenteeism.