Navigating Psychosocial risks in the workplace: Key WHS insights you need to know

In February’s first BAL Lawyers HR Breakfast Club for 2025, Bill Pardy from the Employment Law & Investigations team led an informative session for HR professionals on managing psychosocial risks from a WHS perspective.

Bill’s discussion examined the following areas:

• WHS duties generally.
• Psychosocial risk management and the various WHS Codes of Practice.
• Some practical tips for understanding the SafeWork ACT Code of Practice.
• Suggested action items for employers.

Bill explored the shifting landscape of WHS compliance for employers and the challenges ACT businesses face in managing ever-increasing compliance burdens.

Key subjects of the session included:

The Scope of an Employer’s WHS Duties

Bill outlined compliance obligations for both PCBUs and individuals to fulfil their respective WHS duties.

The need to understand how to carry out a PCBU’s WHS obligations from a psychosocial risk management perspective was highlighted, especially given recent increased scrutiny of psychosocial WHS compliance by regulators.

A friendly reminder was issued to ensure that record-keeping was maintained in a sensible and orderly fashion. This will assist business by showing how and when issues had been identified and how and when hazards had been assessed and addressed.

A disciplined approach to this issue by employers would also stand them in good stead in the event of any future queries posed to them by a regulator.

Psychosocial Risk Management and the WHS Codes of Practice

Bill led the HRBC attendees through a consideration of the 14 different risks to be managed, as outlined in the WorkSafe ACT Code of Practice for Managing Psychosocial Risks.

Briefly, the risks included: 

1. Job Demand (High or Low)                           
2. Low Job Control
3. Poor Support
4. Lack of Role Clarity
5. Poor Organisational Change Management
6. Inadequate Reward and Recognition
7. Poor Organisational Justice (Fairness)
8. Exposure to Traumatic Events or Material
9. Remote or Isolated Work                                  
10. Poor (Hazardous) Physical Work Environment
11. Violence and Aggression
12. Bullying
13. Harassment
14. Conflict or Poor Workplace Relationships & Interactions

Reducing Complexity – 14 Risks to Manage, but only 3 Key Areas

In an effort to reduce complexity for employers, Bill explained how the 14 risks cited by WorkSafe ACT could be understood as risks falling within 3 key areas of concern, being:

1. Job Design and Scope.
2. Interaction Between Roles.
3. Work Environment.

Bill posed the above approach as an effective model to understand psychosocial risks and to then assess and address the interactions between those risks, in an effort to locate the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for employers and their employees – where everything is ‘just right’.

Suggested Actions for Employers

1. Address WHS risk management afresh from a specific psychosocial risk perspective.
2. Review education and training at all levels.
3. Update your policies and procedures every 12-24 months, to ensure compliance and address any potential risks or gaps in your systems.
4. Consider how effective WHS consultation about psychosocial risks in the workplace can be achieved – adopt a ‘bottom up’ rather than a ‘top down’ approach.
5. Document your actions as they occur. Accurate records are crucial for compliance and resolving disputes.

Closing Remarks

This session highlighted the need for accessible approaches to complex issues, to try to assist ACT businesses in managing psychosocial risks in the workplace.

Bill set out a goal for businesses and employees to aspire to, so all employees can enjoy:

A well-designed job, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, a collaborative environment, and adequate resources to maximise productivity and wellbeing.

If you are a HR professional in the ACT and would like to attend future HR Breakfast Club forums, visit our monthly forum page and register to attend.

If you have any questions or queries about your rights and responsibilities under the ACT Work Health and Safety Act 2011, as either an employer or an employee, please contact the BAL Lawyers Employment & Investigations team on 02 6274 0999.