Work health and safety isn’t just about physical injuries any more. Australian WHS laws now make it explicit that employers must manage psychosocial hazards — the aspects of work that can cause psychological harm, like excessive job demands, bullying, or poor support. It’s one of the biggest shifts in workplace safety in years, and many employers still treat it as an HR issue rather than the legal WHS duty it now is. This guide explains what psychosocial hazards are, your obligations, and how to control them. It builds on our guide to WHS obligations for employers.
Quick summary
- It's a WHS duty:
Managing psychosocial risk is an explicit duty under the WHS Regulations, not optional
- The hazards:
Job demands, low control, poor support, bullying, harassment, isolation, remote/hazardous work
- Same process:
Identify, assess, control (hierarchy of controls), review — as with any hazard
- Consult:
Workers often see the risks first — consultation is central
What are psychosocial hazards?
A psychosocial hazard is anything in the design or management of work that can cause psychological (and sometimes physical) harm. Safe Work Australia’s model Code of Practice identifies common ones, including:
- High or low job demands — sustained overload, or work that is monotonous and under-stimulating
- Low job control — little say over how or when work is done
- Poor support — inadequate supervision, tools, training or resources
- Poor workplace relationships — conflict, or a lack of fairness and trust
- Bullying, harassment (including sexual harassment) and violence
- Low role clarity, poor change management, and inadequate recognition
- Remote or isolated work, and traumatic events or content
Many of these compound each other. Fatigue on demanding rosters (for example FIFO and shift work) sits right at the intersection of physical and psychosocial risk.
Your legal duty to manage them
The model WHS Regulations were amended to make the duty to manage psychosocial risk explicit, supported by a Code of Practice that regulators use when assessing compliance. In practice, the duty mirrors any other WHS hazard: you must identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risk, control it so far as is reasonably practicable using the hierarchy of controls, and review the controls.
Importantly, the emphasis is on fixing the source — redesigning the work — not just offering downstream supports like an Employee Assistance Program. An EAP is useful, but on its own it doesn’t discharge the duty if the work design is the problem. Bullying and harassment are also WHS hazards here, which is why they connect to your behaviour and conduct policies as well as safety.
How to identify and control the risk
A practical approach
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Consult workers — surveys, toolbox talks and one-on-ones surface hazards that aren’t visible from the top
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Look at the work design — workloads, rosters, deadlines, role clarity, and how change is managed
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Redesign first — adjust demands, increase control and support, and fix conflict at the source before relying on PPE-style ‘coping’ supports
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Address bullying and harassment with clear policies, reporting channels and prompt action
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Document it in a risk register, and record consultation — your safety consultation policy and hazard & risk policy give you the framework
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Review after incidents, complaints, or changes to the work
Good workforce practices reduce psychosocial risk at the source: realistic rostering that avoids chronic overload, clear communication, and fair, predictable scheduling all lower job strain. For the human side, see our glossary entries on mental health in the workplace and culture and wellbeing.
Design work that lowers psychosocial risk. RosterElf helps you build fair, predictable rosters, avoid chronic overload and last-minute changes, and keep communication clear — reducing job strain at the source. Pair it with our free safety & consultation policy templates.
Frequently asked questions
What are psychosocial hazards at work?
Psychosocial hazards are aspects of work design and management that can cause psychological or physical harm — such as high or low job demands, low job control, poor support, poor workplace relationships, bullying, harassment, violence, low role clarity, poor change management, remote or isolated work, and exposure to traumatic content. They often combine to increase overall risk.
Is managing psychosocial hazards a legal requirement in Australia?
Yes. The model WHS Regulations were amended to make the duty to manage psychosocial risk explicit, backed by a Code of Practice. Employers (PCBUs) must identify psychosocial hazards, assess and control the risk so far as is reasonably practicable, and review controls — the same process required for physical hazards.
What's the difference between a psychosocial and a physical hazard?
A physical hazard can cause bodily injury (machinery, falls, noise), while a psychosocial hazard arises from how work is designed and managed and can cause psychological harm (and sometimes physical harm through stress). Both are WHS hazards with the same duty to identify, assess, control and review.
Does having an EAP meet the psychosocial duty?
Not on its own. An Employee Assistance Program is a helpful support, but the WHS duty emphasises controlling the risk at its source — redesigning the work (demands, control, support, relationships). If poor work design is causing harm, offering counselling downstream doesn’t discharge the obligation to fix the cause so far as is reasonably practicable.
How do you control psychosocial risks?
Consult workers to identify hazards, examine the work design (workloads, rosters, role clarity, change management), and redesign to reduce demands and increase control and support before relying on ‘coping’ measures. Address bullying and harassment with clear policies and prompt action, document the risks and consultation, and review after incidents or changes.
