Well@Work

A psychosocial hazard is anything that can cause harm to someone’s mental, emotional, or physical health (Safework Australia).

There are 14 common psychosocial hazards included in the updated WHS legislation including hazards such as role clarity, job control, organisational change management as well as hazards such as bullying, violence, and aggression, and harassment, including sexual harassment. See the question below for a full listing.

1. Poor physical environment 
2. Violence and aggression 
3. Bullying 
4. Harassment, including sexual and gender-based harassment 
5. Poor organisational change management 
6. Inadequate reward and recognition 
7. Poor organisational justice 
8. Traumatic events or material 
9. Remote or isolated work 
10. Conflict or poor workplace relationships and interactions 
11. Job demands 
12. Low job control  
13. Poor support 
14. Lack of role clarity 

An engagement survey is a measure of staff sentiment of how engaged and connected people are to an organisation and therefore committed to contributing to its success.  High engagement scores reflect an overall positive disposition by staff towards the organisation.

Well@Work can be packaged with our engagement survey and delivered as one survey.

1. Poor physical environment

• Safe work environment: ensure that the working environment will not compromise physical, mental or emotional wellbeing for employees.  
• Policy: ensure policies and procedures are clearly communicated regarding working environment, including flexible working arrangements. 

2. Violence and aggression

• Protocols and procedures: develop and communicate clear protocols for reporting and responding to incidents of workplace violence. 
• Training: provide training on conflict de-escalation, personal safety, and emergency response to mitigate the risk of workplace violence. 

3. Bullying 

• Zero-tolerance policies: implement and enforce zero-tolerance policies against bullying and harassment in the workplace. 
• Training: provide training on respectful behaviour, conflict resolution, and bystander intervention to prevent and address workplace misconduct.  

4. Harassment, including sexual and gender-based harassment

• Policy: develop and communicate clear policies and procedures regarding all forms of harassment in the workplace.  
• Training: ensure staff are aware and trained to recognise, respond and report all forms of harassment.

5. Poor organisational change management

• Communication: communicate organisational changes clearly and transparently, addressing potential impacts on employees. 
• Support: provide support and resources (e.g. training, counselling) to help employees navigate periods of change and uncertainty. 

6. Inadequate reward and recognition

• Feedback mechanisms: establish regular feedback mechanisms (e.g. surveys, focus groups) to assess job satisfaction and act on feedback received. 
• Recognition and rewards: recognise and reward employee achievements, contributions, and efforts to enhance job satisfaction. 

7. Poor organisational justice

• Fairness: ensure fairness in policies, procedures, and resource allocation throughout the organisation. 
• Grievance procedures: establish accessible and effective grievance procedures for employees to address perceived injustices. 

8. Traumatic events or material

• Trauma-informed policy: develop and communicate clear policies and procedures for handling traumatic events. 
• Training: provide training and education for staff to raise awareness, recognise and respond to signs of trauma.  

9. Remote or isolated work

• Flexible work arrangements: implement flexible work schedules, remote work options, or compressed workweeks to support work-life balance where possible. 
• Encouragement of breaks: encourage employees to take regular breaks and utilise vacation time to prevent burnout. 

10. Conflict or poor workplace relationships and interactions 

• Promotion of positive Interactions: encourage positive interpersonal relationships through team-building activities, social events, and open communication.  
• Review and adjust roles: evaluate job roles and responsibilities to identify and minimise conflicting expectations. 
• Communication: encourage open communication between employees and supervisors to address conflicting demands effectively. 

11. Job demands 

• Assessment: regularly assess workloads and task demands to ensure they are reasonable and manageable for employees. 
• Management: implement workload management strategies such as prioritisation of tasks, resource allocation, and realistic goal-setting. 
• Conflict resolution: provide training in conflict resolution and establish clear procedures for addressing interpersonal conflicts or disputes. 

12. Low job control

• Empowerment: provide employees with decision-making authority and autonomy over their tasks and work methods. 
• Participation: involve employees in decision-making processes and solicit their input on work-related issues. 

13. Poor support

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): provide access to counselling services, mental health support, and other assistance programs. 
• Manager training: train managers and supervisors to recognise signs of distress and provide appropriate support to employees. 
• Peer support: ensure people are supported not just by their leaders but also by their peers. 

14. Lack of role clarity

• Clear job descriptions: clearly define job roles, responsibilities, and expectations for each position within the organisation. 
• Feedback: provide regular feedback to employees regarding their performance and priorities and clarify roles as needed to minimise ambiguity. 

Implementing these recommendations involves a combination of organisational policies, training initiatives, and cultural interventions aimed at creating a supportive and healthy work environment. Regular monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment of these strategies based on employee feedback and changing circumstances are essential for effective risk mitigation. 

Employers can take several steps to proactively manage psychosocial risks in the workplace. Here are some other strategies: 

1. Identify the risks: the first step is to identify the potential risks in the workplace through employee surveys, risk assessments, reviewing incident reports, listen to employee feedback, exposure to violence, critical incidents, or traumatic events. 
2. Develop policies and procedures: employers should develop policies and procedures that address the identified risks. This can include policies related to workload, work-life balance, workplace relationships, workplace harassment and bullying, protocols for managing critical incidents or violence prevention programs. 
3. Promote a supportive work culture: employers should foster a work environment that is psychologically safe and supportive. One that emphasises open and safe communication, collaboration, and supports employee’s ability to speak up. This can also include promoting work-life balance, providing opportunities for employee feedback, and addressing workplace stressors, and providing resources to help employees manage stress and build resilience. 
4. Provide training: employers should provide training to employees and managers on how to recognise and manage psychosocial risks, as well as on how to provide support to colleagues who may be experiencing psychological distress. 
5. Ensure adequate resources: employers should ensure that employees have adequate resources to perform their job duties, such as appropriate training, tools, and equipment. 
6. Offer support and assistance: employers should provide support and assistance to employees who are experiencing psychosocial risks. This can include access to mental health support, employee assistance programs, and other resources. 
7. Monitor and evaluate: employers should monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies to manage psychosocial risks in the workplace. This can involve regular assessments, surveys, as well as provide opportunities for employees to provide feedback and raise concerns.