For people working in these high risk jobs, every day offers the potential of exposure to things that may be psychologically distressing, whether it be the acting out behaviour of a mentally ill patient, dealing with an aggressive customer, or managing violent threats of someone under the influence of drink or drugs.  If the nature, or core business, of an organisation is known to put high psychological and emotional pressure on its employees, the ability of staff to respond constructively to that demand is crucial, not just for effective performance, but also for their own good mental health. This is particularly important as research tells us that often it is not operational demands or challenging events that cause workers most damage, but the response of the very organisation for which they work.

The term ‘wellbeing’ in an organisational context, refers to establishing the right conditions to generate high levels of employee engagement and an emphasis on the social and psychological aspects of the workplace, workforce and the work people do – for both physical and mental health.  An engaged workforce is characterised by high levels of resilience resulting in competent staff who understand the difference they make and have personal values and beliefs that fit the needs of the role they undertake. In this way an engaged workforce is one that has low turnover, low levels of sickness and high levels of performance. And the key to wellbeing is a flexible, dynamic and holistic approach from both the individual and the employer; a joint responsibility for sustaining good psychological health.

In high risk jobs the benefits should be obvious, an engaged, well supported and competent employee will not only be more resilient, committed and loyal, but also in a fast moving, unpredictable environment the possibility of negligence claims and long-term sick absence are also greatly reduced.