The impact of work on mental health and wellbeing is often ignored and when the most vulnerable workers reach the conclusion that suicide is the answer to their troubles, including any work related issues they may have, then often they may not be able to access, or be aware of, the potential life saving support available.
Trade unions are playing an important role in challenging workplace behaviours such as bullying, harassment and victimisation that if unchecked may have drastic consequences as well as equipping reps on how to support members with suicidal thoughts.
However, in the main suicide is ignored as a work relelated issue particularly by the HSE who, unless in specific circumstances in priority sectors such as health and social care will not investgate suicide in the workplace, even when there is strong evidence to suggest that the suicide was wholly or partly related to work.
Scottish Hazards accepts that the Scottish Government can do nothing to change the HSE’s strange position on suicide at work they can, and have to, support trade unions and other worker based organisations seeking to prevent work related suicides as well as ensuring families impacted by suicide at work get answers when loved ones take their own lives. We also have to ensure employers who, through their negligence, contribute to the work related suicides are held to account.
Unfortunately the proposed suicide prevention strategy is silent on the role unions can play and how fair work could be used to create work environments where workplace behaviours and relationships reduce the likelihood of workers being placed under such intolerable levels of anxiety and stress that they take their own lives.
Scottish Hazards response calls on the Scottish Government to implement further actions to address this glaring anomaly.
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