Understanding Psychosocial Risks: Your Legal Obligations and Action Steps
- jessica050043
- Apr 4
- 1 min read
Updated: May 9
As your HR partner, we're seeing increasing focus on workplace psychosocial hazards. With recent changes to Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, managing these risks isn't just good practice – it's a legal requirement.
What Are Psychosocial Hazards?
Psychosocial hazards are aspects of work that can impact an employee's psychological health and wellbeing. These include:
High job demands
Low job control
Poor support
Workplace conflict
Role uncertainty
Poor organisational change management
Workplace violence and aggression
The Legislative Framework
Recent WHS regulations explicitly require businesses to manage psychosocial risks with the same rigour as physical risks. This means you must:
Identify psychosocial hazards
Assess associated risks
Implement control measures
Review their effectiveness
Why You Need a Psychosocial Risk Management Plan
Legal Compliance Your organisation must demonstrate active steps to identify and manage psychosocial risks. Failing to do so can result in significant penalties.
Business Performance Research shows that organisations with strong psychosocial risk management see:
Reduced absenteeism
Higher productivity
Better staff retention
Improved workplace culture
Employee Wellbeing Proactive management of psychosocial risks leads to:
Better mental health outcomes
Increased job satisfaction
Stronger team cohesion
Enhanced work-life balance
Next Steps
As your HR partner, we recommend:
Conducting a baseline psychosocial risk assessment
Developing a targeted action plan
Implementing control measures
Regular monitoring and review
Need Help?
GrevilleHR specialises in psychosocial risk management. Contact us to learn about our Psychosocial Risk Management Program, which includes:
Risk assessment tools
Policy development
Training programs
Implementation support
Download our free Psychosocial Risk Management Checklist below:
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