Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Psychosocial Risk Management Training
Practical training to help leaders understand psychosocial risks, meet their WHS obligations and create healthier, safer workplaces.
Psychological health and safety is an essential part of workplace health and safety.
Under Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, employers and other duty holders must manage risks to workers’ psychological health and safety, including risks arising from psychosocial hazards.
Psychosocial risk management requires organisations to identify what could cause psychological harm, assess the associated risks, implement effective controls and regularly review whether those controls are working.
Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Psychosocial Risk Management Training is an interactive half-day program designed to help leaders, managers and workplace professionals understand their responsibilities and develop practical strategies for managing psychosocial risks.
What is psychosocial risk management?
Psychosocial risk management is the process of identifying, assessing and controlling workplace factors that may cause psychological harm.
Psychosocial hazards can arise from the way work is designed, organised and managed, as well as from workplace interactions and behaviours.
Under WHS laws, psychosocial risks must be managed using the same fundamental risk management approach applied to other workplace health and safety risks.
This means organisations should:
identify reasonably foreseeable psychosocial hazards
assess the risks associated with those hazards
eliminate risks where reasonably practicable
minimise risks where they cannot reasonably be eliminated
maintain and review control measures to ensure they remain effective
Safe Work Australia recommends applying the risk management process to psychosocial hazards, supported by consultation with workers.
What are psychosocial hazards?
A psychosocial hazard is a work-related factor that may cause psychological harm.
Psychosocial hazards can arise from work design, systems of work, the work environment, workplace interactions and behaviours.
Common examples include:
excessive workloads or unrealistic deadlines
low job control
poor organisational change management
unclear roles or competing priorities
inadequate support from managers
remote or isolated work
workplace bullying and harassment
sexual harassment
workplace conflict or poor workplace relationships
exposure to traumatic events or high emotional demands
violence and aggression
Psychosocial hazards can interact or combine with one another, potentially increasing the level of risk to workers.
What are an employer's obligations for psychosocial risks?
Under Australian WHS laws, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has a primary duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others who may be affected by the work.
This includes psychological health and safety.
Specific WHS requirements also apply to the management of psychosocial risks.
In practical terms, organisations need to:
Identify reasonably foreseeable psychosocial hazards.
Assess the risks associated with those hazards.
Control the risks by eliminating them where reasonably practicable or minimising them where they cannot be eliminated.
Review control measures to ensure they remain effective.
Organisations must also consult with workers and, where applicable, health and safety representatives when managing WHS matters that affect them.
The specific WHS legislation and regulatory requirements that apply can vary between Australian jurisdictions, so organisations should ensure their approach reflects the requirements that apply to their workplace.
Psychosocial risk management is more than an employee wellbeing program
Employee wellbeing initiatives can be valuable, but they are not a substitute for managing psychosocial risks at the source.
For example, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), counselling service or wellbeing initiative may provide important support to an employee experiencing psychological distress.
However, if the underlying issue is an excessive workload, poor management practices, workplace bullying or inadequate support, the organisation also needs to address the workplace factors contributing to the risk.
Effective psychosocial risk management focuses on preventing psychological harm through better work design, systems, management and workplace practices.
How should organisations manage psychosocial risks?
Psychosocial risk management should be integrated into an organisation's broader WHS and workplace management systems.
A practical approach includes:
1. Identify psychosocial hazards
Look at how work is designed and managed and consider what could cause psychological harm.
This may involve reviewing:
workloads and job demands
staffing levels and resourcing
role clarity and job control
organisational change
management practices
workplace relationships
bullying, harassment and other harmful behaviours
exposure to traumatic or high-pressure situations
systems for raising and responding to workplace concerns
Consultation with workers is an important part of identifying hazards and understanding how work is actually experienced.
2. Assess the risks
Once hazards have been identified, organisations need to understand the level of risk they create.
This includes considering factors such as:
how often workers are exposed
how long they are exposed
the severity of potential harm
how different psychosocial hazards may interact
the way work is designed and managed
the effectiveness of existing controls
Not every psychosocial hazard will create the same level of risk in every workplace.
The assessment should therefore reflect the organisation's actual work, workforce and operating environment.
3. Implement effective controls
The goal is to eliminate psychosocial risks where reasonably practicable.
Where elimination is not reasonably practicable, risks should be minimised through appropriate control measures.
Depending on the hazard, controls may include:
redesigning workloads or work processes
improving staffing and resourcing
clarifying roles and responsibilities
improving communication and consultation
strengthening management practices
improving change management
addressing bullying, harassment and harmful behaviours
providing appropriate training, instruction and supervision
improving systems for reporting and responding to workplace concerns
The most effective controls generally address the source of the risk rather than relying solely on individual employees to cope with it. Safe Work Australia's guidance emphasises preventing psychological harm through work design and effective risk controls.
4. Monitor and review
Psychosocial risk management is not a one-off exercise.
Organisations should monitor whether controls are working and review them when circumstances change, new risks are identified or existing controls are no longer effective.
Workplaces change over time. New systems, staffing changes, organisational restructures, increased workloads and other changes can create new or different psychosocial risks.
Why leadership capability matters
Managers and leaders play a critical role in psychosocial risk management.
They influence:
workload allocation
communication
team relationships
organisational change
performance expectations
employee support
how workplace concerns are identified and addressed
Without appropriate knowledge and tools, psychosocial risks may go unrecognised or be addressed only after problems have escalated.
Strong leadership capability helps organisations move from reactive responses to proactive prevention.
Leaders need to understand not only what psychosocial risks are, but also how their everyday management decisions can contribute to, or reduce, those risks.
What does psychosocial risk management training cover?
Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Psychosocial Risk Management Training provides practical guidance for leaders and workplace professionals responsible for managing psychological health and safety.
The program combines legal context, risk management principles and practical workplace strategies.
Participants explore:
what psychosocial risks are
common psychosocial hazards and how they arise
employer obligations under WHS legislation
how to identify psychosocial hazards
practical approaches to risk assessment
strategies for eliminating or minimising psychosocial risks
effective control measures
consultation and worker engagement
leadership practices that support psychological safety
how to embed psychosocial risk management into everyday workplace practices
The focus is practical, helping participants understand how psychosocial risk management applies to their own workplace.
Who is the training suitable for?
Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Psychosocial Risk Management Training is suitable for:
business owners and organisational leaders
managers and supervisors
HR and People & Culture professionals
WHS and safety representatives
governance, risk and compliance professionals
leaders responsible for workplace culture and employee wellbeing
The program is relevant across industries and can be particularly valuable for organisations with people-intensive, high-pressure or psychologically demanding work environments.
Team training sessions
For organisations seeking to build shared understanding across their workforce, Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Psychosocial Risk Management Training can be delivered exclusively for your team.
Team sessions can include:
face-to-face or online delivery
content tailored to your workplace context
practical examples relevant to your industry
consistent messaging across leaders and teams
scheduling to suit your organisation
alignment with your existing WHS policies and procedures
Tailored training can help organisations connect psychosocial risk management principles with the actual risks and challenges experienced by their workers.
Contact Workplace Plus to discuss team training >
Building a mentally healthy workplace
Creating a mentally healthy workplace requires more than a single policy, training session or wellbeing initiative.
It requires a combination of:
effective risk management
appropriate workplace policies and procedures
capable leaders and managers
consultation with workers
practical systems for identifying and responding to concerns
ongoing monitoring and review
Training can be an important part of this broader approach by helping leaders and employees understand psychosocial risks and their role in preventing psychological harm.
Frequently asked questions about psychosocial risk management
Is psychosocial risk management required under Australian WHS laws?
Yes. Psychosocial risks are covered by Australian WHS duties. Under the model WHS framework, PCBUs must identify reasonably foreseeable psychosocial hazards and eliminate or minimise the associated risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Specific requirements for managing psychosocial risks are included in the model WHS Regulations.
The exact requirements and legislation applying to an organisation depend on the jurisdiction in which it operates.
What are common psychosocial hazards at work?
Common psychosocial hazards include excessive workloads, low job control, poor organisational change management, inadequate support, bullying, harassment, workplace conflict, remote or isolated work, and exposure to traumatic or high-pressure situations.
What is the difference between psychosocial hazards and psychosocial risks?
A psychosocial hazard is something arising from work that has the potential to cause psychological harm.
A psychosocial risk is the possibility that a worker could be harmed as a result of exposure to that hazard.
For example, excessive workload may be a psychosocial hazard. The risk is the potential psychological harm that may result from sustained exposure to that workload.
Why is psychosocial risk training important for managers?
Managers influence many factors that can contribute to psychosocial risks, including workload, communication, support, team relationships and organisational change.
Training can help managers recognise hazards earlier, understand their responsibilities and contribute to effective risk controls.
Does an EAP meet an employer's psychosocial risk obligations?
An EAP can be an important support for employees experiencing psychological distress, but it does not replace the employer's obligation to identify and manage psychosocial risks arising from work.
Where a workplace factor is contributing to psychological harm, employers should address the underlying risk as well as providing appropriate individual support.
Can psychosocial risk management training be delivered for our team?
Yes. Workplace Plus can deliver Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Psychosocial Risk Management Training for teams and organisations, with content tailored to the workplace context and audience.
Contact us to discuss team training >
How Workplace Plus can help
Workplace Plus helps employers understand and manage workplace risks through practical HR, WHS and workplace relations support.
Our team can assist with:
Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Psychosocial Risk Management Training is one of our workplace training programs designed to build practical capability and support organisations in managing psychological health and safety.
Workplace Plus also offers:
These programs can be completed individually or combined to build organisational capability.
Need help strengthening your organisation's approach to psychosocial risk?
