Psychosocial HAZARDS

The new ‘Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice’ came into effect on 1 April 2023 for all Queensland workplaces. The Code outlines the responsibilities of employers and employees as it relates to managing work related psychological health risks. Many organisations are still getting their heads around how to proactively manage psychosocial hazards. We take a look at what they are and some of the things you can do to help manage them.

What is a psychosocial hazard?

A psychosocial hazard is anything that could cause psychological harm (e.g., harm someone’s mental health). They are factors in the design or manage- ment of work that increase the risk of work-related stress and can lead to psychological or physical harm. Common psychosocial hazards include:

• Low job control & role clarity

• High and low job demands

• Poor change management

• Poor organisational justice

• Low recognition and reward

• Poor workplace relationships

• Poor environmental conditions

• Remote and isolated work

• Violent or traumatic events

• Work-related stress

Looking after your people

There are a number of factors that make up a ‘safe’ place to work both physically and mentally. Businesses focused on employee well-being are committed to:

Workplace Health & Safety – Having up to date policies, procedures, training and development, and safeguards designed to manage risks to the health and safety of everyone in the workplace. These are communicated and reinforced on a regular basis and are very much part of the organisational culture.

Psychological Health & Safety – Psychological health means being committed to the psychological wellbeing of all staff and taking steps to prevent psychological harm. Psychological safety includes things like showing your team you’re engaged/you understand them; avoiding blaming to build trust; addressing negativity; including your team in decision making; being open to feedback and being a champion for your team.

Psychosocial Risk Mitigation – All risks in the workplace associated with the work, the people and the environment that impact the physical and psychological health of the team members.

Strategies to mitigate psychosocial risk

There are lots of measures you can put in place to mitigate psychosocial risks and we’ve outlined a few below:

• Review your current risk management practices and understand your obligations.

• Be proactive – don’t wait for issues to arise. Have a plan in place to regularly connect-in with your employees. If you can’t do this personally, build processes within your business to improve psychological health and safety capability in a structured and deliberate way.

• Conversations are one of the best ways to mitigate psychosocial risk in the workplace. A quick in check-in chat can nip many issues in the bud early. Regular conversations build trust and engagement.

• Put yourself in the shoes of your employee, take the time to listen and understand their perspective. Sometimes this is the best way to tackle a sensitive issue.

• Think about the way you start a conversation – use constructive language. Instead of saying “I’ve noticed there have been some issues”, try something less confrontational like “I’d really like to catch up with you for a chat; I’m sensing you might be a bit overworked at the moment”. Minimise the potential for escalation where you can, and get the facts on the table so you are not working off assumptions.

• Take action, don’t ignore a potential issue. Leaving a problem to fester often results in a bigger, more serious problem.

• Don’t do it on your own. We all feel out of our depth at times as managers. If you are unsure of how to tackle something, speak to peers, seek advice from trusted advisors or bring in the HR or legal experts.