Manage psychosocial risks at work
Workplace health and safety includes both physical and psychological risks.
A psychosocial risk refers to any adverse workplace condition or interaction that may harm a person's mental health or overall wellbeing.
While work is generally beneficial to psychological and physical health, poorly managed aspects of work can:
- negatively impact mental and physical health
- reduce wellbeing
- affect organisational performance.
A psychologically healthy and safe workplace:
- promotes mental health and wellbeing
- protects against work-related psychological risks
- prevents mental illness and injury.
Psychological safety within a team is crucial for managing workplace hazards and fostering a culture of learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement. It’s the shared belief that you can speak up, offer ideas or admit mistakes without fear of embarrassment or punishment.
A psychologically safe environment isn’t risk-free, but it’s one where concerns and suggestions are welcomed and respectfully considered.
Types of psychosocial hazards
High and/or low job demands
Psychosocial risks can arise from:
- excessive or sustained high demands – physical, mental or emotional – that exceed a worker’s capacity
- very low mental demands, such as monotonous or unstimulating work.
Examples include:
- time pressure
- role overload
- unachievable deadlines
- high vigilance requirements
- challenging work hours or shift work
- unrealistic expectations to respond outside work hours.
Low job control
Psychosocial risks can arise when workers have little or no control over:
- their work environment
- how or when tasks are completed
- the goals they work toward.
Examples include:
- excessive monitoring of tasks or breaks
- unpredictable working hours
- limited input into decisions that affect their work
- job insecurity, such as rolling fixed-term contracts or uncertain employment duration.
Poor support
Psychosocial risks can arise when workers lack emotional or practical support from supervisors or co-workers, or don’t have the training, information, tools or resources needed to do their job effectively.
Examples include:
- poorly maintained or limited access to equipment or supervisory support
- lack of functional or adequate IT systems
- limited opportunities to interact with co-workers during shifts.
Low role clarity
Psychosocial risks can arise when there is uncertainty or frequent change in tasks, work standards or responsibilities. This includes situations where important information is missing or where roles and expectations conflict.
Examples include:
- a worker receiving multiple priority tasks from different managers
- a worker receiving conflicting information about work standards or performance expectations.
Poor organisational change management
Psychosocial risks can arise when organisational change is poorly planned, communicated, supported or managed.
Examples include:
- not consulting workers on changes that affect them
- lack of practical support during the implementation of workplace changes.
Low reward and recognition
Psychosocial risks can arise when there’s a mismatch between the effort workers put in and the recognition or rewards they receive – whether formal or informal.
Examples include:
- not being recognised for extra effort or commitment
- no reasonable opportunities for career development.
Poor organisational justice
Psychosocial risks can arise when fairness is lacking in workplace processes, communication or treatment. This includes:
- procedural fairness – fair and consistent decision-making
- informational fairness – keeping people informed
- interpersonal fairness – treating people with dignity and respect.
Examples include:
- inconsistent, unfair, discriminatory or inequitable decisions or application of policies and procedures.
Poor workplace relationships including interpersonal conflict
Psychosocial risks can arise from poor relationships or conflict between workers, managers, supervisors, co-workers or others they interact with. This includes frequent or excessive disagreements or disparaging and rude comments from one or more people.
Examples include:
- unresolved or ongoing conflict about tasks, processes, customers or interpersonal issues.
Remote or isolated work
Psychosocial risks can arise when work is isolated due to location, time or the nature of the task. This includes situations where workers have limited access to support or are required to live away from home for extended periods.
Examples include:
- workers who spend long periods travelling (e.g. driving)
- workers working alone from home or in socially isolated settings over extended periods.
Poor environmental conditions
Psychosocial risks can arise from exposure to hazardous environments that create a stress response.
Examples include:
- work environments that involve poor air quality, high or nuisance noise levels, extreme temperatures, or uncontrolled biological hazards (e.g. blood or bodily fluids or infectious pathogens).
Traumatic events
Psychosocial risks can arise from investigating, witnessing or being exposed to traumatic events. This may include reading, hearing or seeing accounts of traumatic events.
Examples include:
- witnessing or investigating fatalities, serious injuries, abuse, neglect or serious incidents
- being exposed to the extreme effects of natural disasters or seriously injured people.
Violence and aggression
Psychosocial risks can arise from any incident where a person is abused, threatened or assaulted at work or while carrying out work duties. This includes behaviour from workers, clients, patients, visitors or others.
Examples include:
- biting, spitting, kicking
- throwing objects
- using or threatening to use a weapon
- verbal abuse or threats
- aggressive behaviour such as yelling or physical intimidation.
Bullying
Psychosocial risks can arise from repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed at a worker or group that creates a risk to health and safety. This includes bullying by workers, clients, patients, visitors or others.
Examples include:
- repeated practical jokes or initiation rituals
- spreading misinformation or malicious rumours
- belittling or humiliating comments
- verbal denigration or threats.
Harassment including sexual harassment
Psychosocial risks can arise from harassment based on personal characteristics such as age, disability, race, sex, relationship status, family responsibilities, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that is intended to offend, humiliate or intimidate, or could reasonably be expected to have that effect.
Examples include:
- telling insulting jokes about racial groups
- making derogatory comments or taunts about someone’s disability
- asking intrusive questions about a person’s body
- staring, leering or unwelcome touching
- sexual or suggestive comments, jokes or innuendo
- unnecessary familiarity, such as deliberately brushing up against someone.
Hazards or incidents involving actual or potential psychological harm should be reported.
If you believe harm may result from work demands, the work environment, workplace processes or behaviours, please report the issue. It’s best to raise concerns early and locally where possible so they can be addressed promptly.
You can:
- raise them with your supervisor
- or speak with your HR client partner or local HSW coordinator.
Reporting in the complaints management system
Issues such as bullying, discrimination, sexual misconduct or other workplace misconduct can be reported via the Complaints Management System for investigation by the Integrity Unit.
Anonymous reports can be submitted, but this may limit the ability to investigate.
For more information, see Reporting in UQSafe and Complaints Management System (PDF, 184.42 KB).
Reporting in UQSafe
Psychosocial hazards and incidents should be reported in UQSafe, even if the hazard is inherent to the role (e.g. emotionally demanding tasks). Reporting helps review and improve existing controls.
You can submit a restricted report in UQSafe that will only be visible to senior HSW Division leaders.
For more information, see Reporting in UQSafe and Complaints Management System (PDF, 184.42 KB).
Some enquiries may be handled in partnership with HR or led by HR. For issues involving bullying, discrimination, sexual misconduct or other conduct-related matters, HR will take the lead. Depending on the case, it may be referred to the Integrity Unit.
Psychological injuries can be influenced by:
- elements of the work environment
- management practices
- the way that work is organised or designed.
Below are quick guides covering common psychosocial hazards and good practice tips:
- high and low job demands (PDF, 231.31 KB)
- low job control (PDF, 228.82 KB)
- poor support (PDF, 231.02 KB)
- poor organisational change management (PDF, 229.15 KB)
- poor organisational justice (PDF, 231.3 KB)
- low recognition and reward (PDF, 225.96 KB)
- low role clarity or role conflict (PDF, 233.54 KB)
- poor workplace relationships (PDF, 228.24 KB)
- remote and isolated work (PDF, 231.61 KB)
- exposure to traumatic events or materials (PDF, 229.9 KB)
- work-related violence and aggression (PDF, 230.77 KB)
- bullying (PDF, 231.51 KB)
- harassment (PDF, 229.26 KB), including sexual harassment & sex or gender-based harassment (PDF, 215.67 KB)
- poor environmental conditions (PDF, 230.76 KB).
For more information, the UQ psychological safety and wellbeing guide (PDF, 248.62 KB).
As part of effective risk management, UQ workplaces must assess psychosocial hazards relevant to their work area. These hazards may be present in teams, processes, work activities or the work environment.
Psychosocial hazards should also be considered in broader risk assessments for projects, tasks or events. All assessments should be entered into UQSafe-Risk.
Resources
- UQ tip sheet – psychosocial risk assessment (PDF, 158.99 KB)
- UQ psychosocial risk assessment supporting tool (PDF, 437.8 KB)
- Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) psychosocial risk assessment tool (PDF, 585.18 KB)
- Enterprise Governance and Risk – risk matrix (PDF, 234.14 KB)
People at Work
People at Work is a risk management program designed to identify, assess and manage psychosocial hazards.
It follows a five-step process to assess and control risks to psychological health at work. A key part of the program is the People at Work survey – a validated tool used to assess psychosocial risks and contributing factors in work areas.
Psychosocial risks must be managed in the same systematic way as other workplace health and safety risks.
The Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022 (PDF, 1.46 MB) provides practical guidance on meeting obligations under the WHS Act 2011.
The Code emphasises using a hierarchy of controls to manage psychosocial hazards – prioritising higher-order controls over administrative measures wherever possible. All steps must be supported by consultation.
Resources
- Psychosocial risk management resources for UQ leaders (PDF, 97.34 KB)
- Psychosocial hazards guidance material for managers (PDF, 327.3 KB)
- Summary poster – psychosocial hazards for supervisors (PDF, 245.68 KB) (developed by EAIT)
- Workday training module – understanding and managing psychosocial risk for supervisors
- Supervisor guide – the 4Rs for workplace mental health support (PDF, 177.28 KB)
- Psychosocial Risks Enterprise Level Risk Mitigation Strategies (PDF, 223.55 KB)
- Good work design using SMART work principles (PDF, 141.92 KB)
- Supervisor guide to effective one-on-one meetings (PDF, 140.92 KB)
Example controls
WHSQ provides a helpful guide outlining control measures (PDF, 2.26 MB) to help eliminate or minimise psychosocial hazards.
Ideally, work-related factors affecting psychological wellbeing should be addressed at the primary or organisational level. In addition to managing psychosocial risks, best practice for mentally healthy workplaces includes:
- promotion of individual health and wellbeing
- early intervention for staff with health-related challenges
- support, recovery and return-to-work options.
UQ resources include:
UQ’s Psychological Health and Safety Master Action Plan is a collaborative initiative that addresses interconnected issues from HSW psychosocial risks and Respect at Work obligations. The plan outlines short, medium and long-term actions, with full implementation scheduled by the end of Q4 2025.
View the UQ Psychological Health and Safety Master Action Plan (PDF, 373.64 KB)
The UQ Psychological Health Statement provides background on the plan and details the strategies being implemented to manage psychosocial risks. It also outlines the working groups and governance structures overseeing the actions.
Prevention of sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment
In September 2024, the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) was amended to clarify that employers must proactively manage the risk of sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment. Where a risk is identified, a documented prevention plan is required by 1 March 2025.
Since the release of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2017 report into sexual misconduct at universities, UQ has developed a Strategic Framework and Action Plan to foster a safe and respectful environment. This work is led by the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Group for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response, supported by the Sexual Misconduct Support Unit (SMSU).
UQ’s enterprise-level risk assessments outline strategies to prevent and minimise harm from sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment. Local business units and event organisers should also conduct risk assessments to identify and implement relevant controls.
Read more:
- Strategic Framework and Action Plan for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response (PDF, 4.18 MB)
- 2024–2027 Action Plan for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response (PDF, 342.84 KB)
- 2023 Annual Report – Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response (PDF, 9.87 MB)
- Enterprise-level risk assessments – sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment (PDF, 193.7 KB).
Psychosocial Risk Assessment resources
- UQ Tip Sheet: Psychosocial Risk Assessment (PDF, 158.99 KB)
- UQ Psychosocial Risk Assessment Supporting tool (PDF, 437.8 KB)
- Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) Psychosocial Risk Assessment tool (PDF, 585.18 KB)
- Enterprise Governance and Risk: Risk Matrix (PDF, 234.14 KB)
Managing psychosocial risks
- Psychosocial Hazards - Guidance Material for Managers (PDF, 327.3 KB)
- Summary poster - Psychosocial Hazards for Supervisors (developed by EAIT) (PDF, 245.68 KB)
- Webinar - Managing psychosocial risks for healthier and more productive workplaces (presented by Sam Popple for Safe Work Month 2024)
- Workday training module: Understanding and Managing Psychosocial Risk for Supervisors (staff login required)
Additional support or referral options
- Local Human Resources representative or Ask HR – HR representatives are able to provide support and advice around workplace concerns, for example issues relating to bullying/harassment, staff grievances or workplace relationships.
- Local HSW Safety Coordinator – HSW coordinators can provide support or advice on matters related to work tasks or the workplace environment.
- Sexual Misconduct Support Unit (SMSU) – The SMSU is a safe and supportive place for the UQ community to receive guidance around sexual assault and sexual harassment.
- Integrity Unit – The Integrity Unit can assess, investigate and manage complaints or matters raised about the conduct of staff, including sexual misconduct, assault, serious breaches of policy and procedures.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – The EAP is available to UQ staff and provides free, confidential counselling support for personal or work-related matters.
- Student services (Student counselling and support) – Student counselling services provide free and confidential counselling to all UQ students currently enrolled and located in Australia.
- Mental Health Champion Network – Mental Health Champions are trained UQ staff members who can provide support and referral information about mental health and wellbeing.
- Work Injury Management (WIM) – WIM provide information on claiming Workers’ Compensation at UQ (PDF, 1.39 MB)