Labour minister calls for psychosocial focus in workplace safety

Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector Colin Jordan, has called for a renewed national focus on safer, healthier and more supportive workplaces as Barbados joined the International Labour Organisation and the global community in observing World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026.

In a statement marking the occasion, the minister said the annual observance provides an opportunity to “pause, reflect and renew” commitment to creating decent work environments where employees are protected not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally and socially.

He said the day serves as a reminder that work should never come at the expense of wellbeing, noting that healthy workplaces are essential to productivity, sustainability and national development, “they protect lives, strengthen families and enhance the resilience of our economy.”

Below is the full message from Minister Jordan:
Good day Barbados. Today, as Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector, it is my distinct pleasure to join the International Labour Organization and the global community in commemorating World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026.

This annual observance provides us with an important opportunity to pause, reflect, and renew our collective commitment to creating safe, healthy, and decent workplaces – workplaces where people are not only physically protected, but also mentally, emotionally, and socially supported.

Significance of World Day for Safety and Health at Work

World Day for Safety and Health at Work reminds us that work should never come at the expense of wellbeing. Healthy work environments are fundamental to productivity, sustainability, and national development. They protect lives, strengthen families, and enhance the resilience of our economy.

This year’s theme, Let’s ensure a healthy psychosocial working environment, challenges us to look beyond visible hazards and address the less visible – but equally critical – psychosocial risks that affect workers every day.

Understanding the psychosocial work environment

The psychosocial work environment refers to how work is designed, organised, and managed, and to the organisational practices that shape daily working life. Factors such as workload, working hours, role clarity, decision-making autonomy, workplace relationships, leadership style, and fairness all influence how work is experienced and how it impacts workers’ safety, health, and performance.

Simply put, the question before us is: “How’s work?”
How does work make people feel?
Does it support dignity, balance, and respect?
Or does it contribute to stress, burnout, anxiety, and disengagement?

A human‑centred and preventive approach

The ILO’s focus for 2026 urges a people‑centred, prevention‑focused approach to occupational safety and health. It recognises that psychosocial risks exist at several interconnected levels – within individual jobs, across how work is organised and managed, and through broader workplace policies and practices.

This approach aligns squarely with Barbados’ own legal and policy framework. Our Safety and Health at Work Act places a clear duty on employers to protect the safety, health, and welfare of workers, which necessarily includes protection from psychosocial harm. Prevention, therefore, must be embedded in organisational culture – not treated as an afterthought.

Alignment with the National Workplace Wellness Policy

The theme of this year’s observance strongly complements the National Workplace Wellness Policy of Barbados. That policy recognises wellness as holistic and multidimensional, extending beyond physical health to include mental, social, environmental, occupational, cultural, spiritual, and financial wellbeing.

The policy seeks to operationalise several key principles:

• Shared responsibility among individuals, employers, trade unions, government, and other organisational stakeholders for creating healthy, safe, and supportive workplaces;
• Collaboration among tripartite partners and civil society to strengthen coordination, implementation, and impact;
• The sharing of knowledge, best practices, and evidence‑based initiatives to ensure sustainability; and
• A national commitment to developing, implementing, and evaluating wellness programmes that promote high‑quality health and wellbeing across Barbados.

When applied effectively, workplace wellness initiatives help to reduce excessive stress, manage workloads more fairly, support work‑life balance, and lower the risk of errors, injuries, and accidents caused by fatigue and pressure.

Call to action

Colleagues and partners, policies alone do not create healthy workplaces – people do.

Today, I call on all Ministries, departments, businesses, unions, and organisations across Barbados to renew and strengthen your efforts to manage psychosocial risks at work. I challenge you to:

• Start, continue, or deepen your implementation of the National Workplace Wellness Policy;
• Engage workers in open conversations about stress, workload, and workplace culture;
• Promote leadership practices that are fair, transparent, and supportive; and
• Invest in wellness initiatives that place people at the centre of productivity.

I encourage you to explore the guidance onImplementing the National Workplace Wellness Policy in your organisationand to visit www.workplacewellness.bb for tools and resources. My Ministry stands ready to provide further information, support, and collaboration.

As we mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026, let us commit ourselves – individually and collectively – to building workplaces where wellbeing is protected, dignity is upheld, and every worker can thrive.

Together, let us ensure a healthy psychosocial working environment, and in doing so, promote safer, healthier, and more productive workplaces for all in Barbados.

I thank you.