psychosocialhazard.comThe Australian employer's guide

Plain language, current law

What are psychosocial hazards?

A psychosocial hazard is any aspect of work that can harm a worker's mental health: how the work is designed, the systems it runs on, the way it is managed, and the behaviour people encounter doing it. The name is technical. The experiences are familiar: impossible workloads, unclear roles, poor support, bullying.

Under Australian work health and safety law, these hazards are treated the same way as physical ones. You must identify them, eliminate or minimise them so far as is reasonably practicable, consult your workers, and keep records that show your work. Regulators in every state and territory now inspect against these duties.

Work design Leadership & management Behaviour

One switch, every card: how each hazard shows up at work, or what an inspector asks you to produce for it.

Work design

Job demands - too high or too low

What it looks like at workSustained high workload, time pressure, long hours or emotionally demanding work. Sustained low stimulation or under-use of skills carries risk too.
What an inspector asks forA workload management procedure, workload or demand analysis, and this hazard named and assessed in your risk register.
Work design

Low job control

What it looks like at workWorkers have little say over how or when their work is done.
What an inspector asks forRecords of work redesign - job design, rostering - showing higher-order controls were genuinely considered.
Leadership

Poor support

What it looks like at workInadequate support from supervisors or peers, or insufficient resources and training to do the job.
What an inspector asks forA manager support framework - how supervisors are equipped, and how workers are resourced and backed up.
Work design

Lack of role clarity

What it looks like at workUnclear, inconsistent or conflicting roles and responsibilities.
What an inspector asks forA role clarity assessment, and position descriptions that match what people really do.
Leadership

Poor organisational change management

What it looks like at workChange that is poorly planned, poorly communicated or poorly supported.
What an inspector asks forChange impact and restructure risk assessments, with records of consultation before the change landed.
Leadership

Inadequate reward and recognition

What it looks like at workAn imbalance between workers' effort and the recognition, skills development or pay they receive.
What an inspector asks forRecognition and reward program records showing the imbalance has been considered and addressed.
Leadership

Poor organisational justice

What it looks like at workInconsistent, unfair or biased decisions and procedures.
What an inspector asks forA fair-process procedure - how decisions, complaints and investigations are run the same way every time.
Work design

Traumatic events or material

What it looks like at workExposure to, or handling of, traumatic events or distressing material.
What an inspector asks forTrauma exposure logs and documented support protocols for the roles that carry the exposure.
Work design

Remote or isolated work

What it looks like at workWorking alone, or away from support, with limited communications.
What an inspector asks forA lone and remote work risk assessment and control procedure - check-ins, communications, escalation.
Work design

Poor physical environment

What it looks like at workExposure to poor or hazardous physical conditions that affect psychological health.
What an inspector asks forWorkplace inspection checklists that cover the psychological impacts of the physical environment.
Behaviour

Violence and aggression

What it looks like at workAbuse, threats or assault from any person at work - colleagues, clients or the public.
What an inspector asks forA violence and aggression control plan, and risk assessments for customer or client aggression.
Behaviour

Bullying

What it looks like at workRepeated unreasonable behaviour that creates a risk to health.
What an inspector asks forA bullying and harassment prevention policy that is current, dated, and trained on - not just filed.
Behaviour

Harassment, including sexual harassment

What it looks like at workUnwelcome, offensive or intimidating behaviour, including behaviour of a sexual nature.
What an inspector asks forA prevention policy - and in Queensland, a written sexual harassment prevention plan is legally required where the risk is identified.
Behaviour

Conflict or poor workplace relationships

What it looks like at workFrequent disagreement, interpersonal conflict or poor working relationships.
What an inspector asks forA conflict resolution procedure, and evidence that it is used - not just filed.
Work design

Fatigue

What it looks like at workInsufficient rest and recovery; shift and scheduling demands that wear people down.
What an inspector asks forA fatigue management procedure and rostering controls that manage hours in practice.
Named in Cth & SA
Leadership

Intrusive surveillance

What it looks like at workExcessive or covert monitoring of workers.
What an inspector asks forA workplace monitoring policy, and records showing surveillance practices are reviewed.
Named in Cth & SA
Leadership

Job insecurity

What it looks like at workUncertainty over ongoing employment or hours.
What an inspector asks forConsultation records on organisational change, and clear communication about employment status.
Named in Cth & SA

The model code of practice names 14 hazards; the Commonwealth and South Australia name more. Evidence descriptions reflect RiskProof's assessment framework - the same logic the platform scores against.

The distinction that matters

Not a wellbeing problem. An organisational risk.

These hazards are not individual wellbeing problems. They are organisational risks, built into how work is designed and run, and under current WHS regulations they are the employer's legal responsibility. Wellbeing programs support people. Hazard management fixes work. The law asks for the second, and asks you to prove it.

The duty

What the law requires of you.

The core duties are consistent across the country. The details vary by jurisdiction - see your state - but every Australian employer must be able to demonstrate these six things.

01

Identify the hazards in your workplace

Name the psychosocial hazards that arise from your actual work - not a generic list. This is the spine of everything else.

EvidenceHazard registerSurvey resultsWorker reports
02

Assess the exposure

For each hazard, consider the required matters: how long and how often people are exposed, how severe it is, the design of the work, the environment, and the behaviours involved.

EvidenceRisk assessmentsMatters considered
03

Eliminate the risk if you can; minimise it if you cannot

Elimination comes first, then redesigning the work, and only then rules and training. Controls must map to the assessed exposure, not sit beside it.

EvidenceControl planElimination considered first
04

Consult your workers

Workers and any health and safety representatives must be consulted on the risks and the controls - and the consultation has to be real and recorded.

EvidenceConsultation minutesSurvey resultsHSR records
05

Train, inform and supervise

People need the information, training and supervision to work safely - and you need to be able to show it happened.

EvidenceTraining registersInductionsCompetency records
06

Review the controls - and govern the lot

Controls must stay effective: reviewed after incidents, after change, on new information. Officers carry a personal due diligence duty to verify all of this is happening.

EvidenceReview recordsAuditsBoard papers

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