The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on our emotional and mental health. Yet while the impact has been devastating, it has also stimulated positive change in the world of work.

One silver lining amid all the disruption is that the pandemic has helped raise awareness of the importance of mental health in the workplace. To address the issue, new guidelines and standards have been developed to help employers create the right environment for the physical and mental safety of their workers, regardless of whether the work is being done on site or online at home. Aligning with the International Labour Organization’s slogan “Let’s Act Together”, International Organization for Standardization (ISO0 has been leading the way in working with experts around the globe to recognize, develop and implement standards to increase and maintain safety at work.

ISO 45003 Occupational health and safety management — Psychological health and safety at work — Guidelines for managing psychosocial risks is a global standard giving practical guidance on managing psychological health in the workplace, is the latest addition to ISO’s series on occupational health and safety. Its primary purpose is to define psychosocial hazards and develop a management framework that recognizes them as major challenges to health, safety and well-being at work.