Managing Psychosocial Hazards Starts with Strong Leadership
Are you taking the right steps to protect your employees?
Imagine an employee too afraid to report bullying because they fear retaliation.
Another worker is constantly overwhelmed by unrealistic deadlines, leading to burnout.
Meanwhile, a supervisor dismisses concerns about workplace aggression, assuming it is just part of the job.
These are psychosocial hazards that affect mental health and wellbeing, and reflect an unsafe workplace.
The legal and ethical responsibility of managers and executives goes beyond physical safety. They must take proactive steps to identify, prevent and manage psychological risks before they escalate.
Find out more about how leaders can create a psychologically safe workplace and why training for managers is essential to help avoid a worst-case scenario where a problem turns into a legal issue and a potential PR nightmare.
What Does Due Diligence Look Like for Leaders?
Strong leadership includes embedding safety and wellbeing into everyday workplace culture.
A good leader will:
1. Stay Informed
Understanding psychosocial hazards is just as important as knowing physical risks. Leaders should:
- Keep up with workplace safety laws and industry standards.
- Seek expert advice on psychosocial risk management.
- Engage in training programs that help identify and prevent workplace aggression, bullying, and stress-related risks.
2. Know What’s Going On
Many leaders are detached from day-to-day risks. Actively engaging with employees can uncover hidden issues. Steps to take include:
- Observe team interactions, workloads, and workplace culture.
- Conduct surveys or one-on-one discussions to understand employee concerns.
- Identify signs of burnout, workplace conflict, or unresolved tensions before they escalate.
3. Provide Resources and Support
Employees need the right policies, tools and pathways to stay safe both physically and psychologically. This includes:
- Psychosocial risk training for managers and supervisors.
- Support services like an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Workplace adjustments to manage high job demands and improve work-life balance.
4. Strengthen Reporting Systems
A reporting culture is essential for addressing harmful workplace behaviours before they escalate. Leaders and HR managers should take steps to:
- Implement clear, confidential and accessible reporting processes.
- Ensure employees trust that concerns will be taken seriously and addressed promptly.
- Train managers to handle complaints professionally and with empathy.
5. Monitor, Review and Improve
Workplace risks change over time, and leaders must adapt. Regular activities should include:
- Regular risk assessments on workplace stressors, team dynamics and leadership behaviours.
- Tracking trends in incident reports and absenteeism as indicators of psychosocial hazards.
- Updating safety policies and training programs to reflect emerging risks and updated industrial relations policies.
Why Record-Keeping Matters in Managing Psychosocial Hazards
Keeping accurate records provides proof that your organisation is taking reasonable steps to manage risks. This will:
- Protect your organisation in case of audits, claims, or investigations.
- Identify recurring issues so leaders can implement proactive solutions.
- Build trust with employees by demonstrating transparency and accountability.
Records to keep include:
- Training logs showing leadership and employee participation in safety programs.
- Incident reports documenting cases of bullying, aggression, or work-related stress.
Employee feedback from surveys or consultation records that document discussions about mental health, wellbeing, and workplace improvements.
The Benefits of Proactive Leadership
When leaders prioritise psychosocial safety, the benefits go beyond compliance.
- Stronger Employee Engagement – Workers feel safe speaking up and contributing ideas.
- Reduced Workplace Conflict – A respectful culture lowers bullying, harassment, and aggression.
- Better Productivity and Retention – Happier, healthier employees stay longer and perform better.
- Reduced Risk to the Business – Misconduct allegations cost a great deal of time and money to resolve. When people are happy at work, there is less risk of this kind of disruption.
Psychosocial hazards rarely resolve themselves. Leaders must take responsibility for creating a workplace that prioritises safety, trust and respect by being aware of what harmful behaviour is, setting the right example and ensuring employees have someone to turn to if a problem arises.
Workplace Training for Leaders
Everything starts with education. At Trust Culture, we provide two levels of half-day training for managers and executives.
Leadership Safety Training - empowers leadership teams to foster a proactive safety culture.
Executive Duty of Care Training - ensures your leadership team upholds their responsibilities for safety and compliance in the workplace.
This half day training will give managers a clear understanding of what psychological safety looks like at work and what their responsibilities are when it comes to creating a more positive environment.
Training is more effective when it is tailored to your business. To plan an insightful session for your leadership team, connect with Trust Culture today.