The newly implemented Workplace Health and Safety regulations on psychosocial risk management have placed a significant responsibility on employers to ensure the mental well-being of their employees.
Under these regulations, employers are now obligated to identify and address psychosocial hazards in their workplaces through risk assessments and policy changes.
According to Dr Georgi Toma, an expert in the field and the Director of Heart and Brain Works, the issue of mental well-being at work should not be seen as solely an individual problem but rather a joint responsibility of both employers and employees.
Psychosocial hazards can lead to severe and long-lasting psychological harm, including conditions such as depression, anxiety, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent legal cases have demonstrated that these new regulations emphasize the employer’s duty of care, management, and prevention in relation to psychosocial risks.
A 2021 McKinsey report highlighted that nearly 50 per cent of the workforce experiences burnout, indicating that many employees suffer from chronic stress and desire greater care and attention to their well-being in the workplace.
To understand psychosocial hazards better, the new regulations define them as aspects of work that have the potential to cause psychological harm when employees are exposed to them over extended periods, at high frequency, and/or intensity. These hazards can arise from various sources, including the design and management of work, the work environment, equipment used in the workplace, and workplace interactions and behaviours.
What are psychosocial hazards?
Psychosocial hazards are factors at work that can cause psychological harm to your employees when they’re exposed to them for long periods, frequently, or at high intensity. These hazards can come from various sources, including how work is designed and managed, the work environment, the equipment used, and how people interact at work.
Common psychosocial hazards
- High job demands due to staff shortages.
- Incivility and disrespectful behaviour in the workplace.
- Poorly managed organizational changes.
- Ineffective systems and processes.
Why is it important to address psychosocial hazards?
These hazards can lead to serious issues like depression, anxiety, burnout, and PTSD. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure your employees’ mental well-being and prevent these problems. Moreover, recent regulations place the responsibility on you to manage and prevent psychosocial risks in the workplace.
Dr Toma’s audits of different workplaces have revealed some common psychosocial hazards, such as high job demands due to staff shortages, incivility, poor organizational change management, and ineffective systems/processes.
Although measuring psychosocial hazards can be complex due to their subjective nature, rigorous methodologies can be employed to compensate for this. Dr Toma’s approach involves assessing hazards not in isolation but in relation to each other, as certain positive factors, such as good support from managers and high autonomy, can mitigate the negative impact of high workloads.
To fulfil their obligations under the new regulations, employers must familiarize themselves with the legislation and involve their employees in identifying workplace hazards. Collecting data on various aspects of work is crucial for effective measurement and monitoring. Once the risks have been assessed, a risk management plan should be developed, and appropriate measures must be implemented to mitigate the identified hazards.
How to identify psychosocial hazards in your SME?
To start the process of identifying psychosocial hazards, Dr Toma suggests asking several guiding questions:
- Are there any aspects related to task or job design, organization, and management that might cause stress?
- Are there any hazardous aspects in the work environment that might affect mental health?
- Could the systems, machinery, or equipment used in the workplace trigger stress responses in staff?
- Does the way people interact with each other result in negative outcomes?
- Are there instances of bullying, sexual harassment, or aggression in the workplace?
Dr Toma firmly believes that while implementing the new legislation may present challenges initially, it will ultimately lead to substantial growth and positive outcomes for both employees and employers. Considering that employees represent a significant cost to the company, investing in employee well-being is likely to yield a positive return on investment (ROI).
Citing a study by the New Zealand Institute for Economic Research, Dr Toma points out that for every $1 invested in employee wellbeing, organizations can expect a $5 to $12 return through productivity and employee retention improvements.
In light of her expertise, Dr Toma is scheduled to present at the Sydney Workplace Health and Safety Show, providing insights from audits conducted across different industries. Her presentation, titled “Psychosocial Hazards – Insights from Audits Across Different Industries,” will take place at 9:15 am on September 20, 2023, at the Sydney Showground.
Interested professionals can view the Workplace Health and Safety Show program and register for free, at https://www.whsshow.com.au/sydney/program
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