How To Report Pyschosocial Hazards At Work
Encourage and improve reporting of psychosocial hazards at work with Foremind’s practical guidance.
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Key Take-aways
- Psychosocial hazards stem from various sources, such as workload, workplace interactions, and management practices and can lead to both psychological and physical harm.
- Effective hazard reporting systems are crucial for compliance with safety regulations. Businesses must implement processes to ensure that all reported hazards are documented and addressed systematically.
- Overcoming barriers to reporting, such as lack of awareness or fear of repercussions, is essential to promoting a culture where employees feel safe to report psychosocial hazards.
Understanding Psychosocial Hazards
Psychosocial Hazards arise from the design or management of work, the working environment and workplace interactions or behaviour. According to The Model Code of Practice 2022.
Psychosocial hazards are hazards that arise from or in relation to:
- the design or management of work
- the working environment
- plant at a workplace, or
- workplace interactions or behaviours; and
- may cause psychological and physical harm
Types of Hazards in the workplace
Psychosocial hazards may vary between workplaces and between groups of workers, depending on the work environment, organisational context and the nature of work.
They can stem from various sources such as workload, lack of control over work, poor social support, and more. Unlike physical hazards psychosocial hazards can be hard to identify and can impact on different teams at different intensity’s, and can be in isolation, as well as on a global context.
Why Reporting Psychosocial Hazards Matters in 2026
Most Australian workplaces have a reporting process, but few have one that actually gets used. That's a problem, because regulators are no longer just asking whether you have a system. They want evidence it works.
The enforcement signals are unambiguous. In March 2026, the NSW Government announced 20 dedicated psychosocial inspectors as part of 51 additional SafeWork NSW inspectors, the largest ever uplift in the agency's inspectorate, representing an increase of more than 12 per cent to active inspector numbers.
The biggest barrier to an effective reporting system remains fear, and the data confirms this. Recent cross-industry research drawing on anonymised data from 2,495 workers across seven industries, found that 15 per cent of workers reported not feeling safe or supported to speak up and 14 per cent did not feel comfortable raising concerns or know who to raise them with.
Good practice means closing that gap structurally, not just culturally. It means making reporting genuinely anonymous, ensuring workers see action taken after they speak up, and ensuring that leaders walk the talk.
A reporting system that nobody uses isn't a safety net. It's a compliance risk, and in 2026, it's one regulators are actively looking for.
Find out how non-compliance and mental health are costing businesses.
Hazard reporting Systems
To comply with the Code of Practice, your business must have processes for identifying, assessing, and controlling hazards. Many risk registers focus only on physical hazards, leaving a gap in managing psychosocial risks.
An internal tracker such as a spreadsheet or shared database is only effective if key personnel are clearly identified in the reporting and escalation process—otherwise, hazards may be reported but not actioned.
Hazards are often raised informally in team meetings, emails, or casual conversations with supervisors. Without a consistent system to document these, valuable information and opportunities for prevention are lost.
Foremind addresses this gap with an integrated platform that combines incident management, reporting and tracking tools, and proactive mental health support—all in one place.
Barriers to Reporting Psychosocial Hazards
Creating a culture that encourages open dialogue and however workers might not report psychosocial hazards for a number of reasons, such a lack of awareness or understanding of reporting procedures.
In some workplaces perceptions of the hazards associated with the job may be seen as “normal” or unavoidable, however they still need to be identified and documented.
- they may see them as just ‘part of the job’ or the work culture,
- they might think reports will be ignored, or not handled respectfully and confidentially
- The might fear they will be blamed or believe reporting may expose them to additional harm, discrimination or disadvantage
- They do not know or understand how to report a hazard
Encouraging and Facilitating Reporting
If you’re just starting out, focus on strategies that make it easy and safe for staff to report psychosocial hazards. Train leaders and employees to recognise and report these risks, and communicate your commitment to a healthy, safe workplace through multiple channels—especially for casual or offline staff.
Encourage reporting by providing clear feedback on actions taken and risks identified. Building a culture of safety starts with visible accountability and genuine follow-through.
Psychosocial hazards can affect teams in different ways, so risks need to be identified and assessed at multiple levels. Accurate reporting and tracking help reveal trends and enable preventative action.
Foremind simplifies this process with an integrated platform for hazard reporting, risk management, and employee wellbeing—all in one place.
FAQs
Is remote work including work from home, a psychosocial hazard?
Yes. The WHS and OHS duties apply wherever a worker performs work for a PCBU or employer, including work from home. Safe Work Australia explicitly states "your WHS obligations still apply when staff are working remotely or from home," and remote or isolated work is itself listed as a recognised psychosocial hazard. PCBUs and employers must consult with remote workers and implement appropriate controls.
What's the difference between reporting a psychosocial hazard and making a workers' comp claim?
Reporting a psychosocial hazard is a proactive WHS/OHS process , which aims to prevent further harm.
A psychosocial hazard can be reported to a PCBU/employer or regulator. While a workers' compensation claim is a separate legal process which aims to seek financial support for an injury that has already occurred. The two processes operate under different legislation and can proceed independently of each other.
Are small businesses required to manage psychosocial hazards?
Yes. The WHS and OHS Act applies to all PCBUs and employers, regardless of size. There is no small business exemption in relation to managing psychosocial hazards. The 'so far as is reasonably practicable' standard, accounts for the resources available to a smaller business, but does not remove the obligation to identify, assess, control and monitor psychosocial hazards and risks.
Regulators have been actively inspecting small businesses and can issue improvement notices or prosecute for non-compliance.
What are the fines for businesses that don't comply with psychosocial hazard laws?
Penalties under the model WHS Act (as at 1 July 2025) are substantial. A Category 1 offence (gross negligence or recklessness) carries up to $11.839 million for a body corporate. A Category 2 offence (failure to comply with a duty exposing a person to serious risk) carries up to $2.373 million for a body corporate.
Category 3 breaches can still attract fines of over $795,000 for corporations. Industrial manslaughter carries up to $20.4 million for a body corporate. Penalties are indexed annually and insurance cannot be used to cover WHS fines.
Can an employee report a psychosocial hazard directly to a regulator if their employer does nothing?
Yes. Each state and territory has a dedicated WHS/OHS regulator (e.g. SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland) that workers can contact directly. Workers are also protected from retaliation for raising WHS concerns. The regulator has powers to investigate, issue improvement notices and prosecute employers. Safe Work Australia emphasises the need for workers to be able to report hazards without fear of reprisal.
Related Content
Answers to the frequently asked questions.
Our last EAP was barely touched. Why would this be different?+
Most EAPs go unused because of how they're accessed, not because staff don't need them. Phoning a stranger, explaining yourself, then waiting weeks is enough to stop most people before they start. Foremind removes all three steps: staff see real counsellor profiles, pick someone themselves, and book the same day.
If you already have a provider, the question worth asking is what your current utilisation is. Most traditional EAPs sit in low single digits, which means you're paying for cover your people aren't reaching. If yours is being used, staff can get seen quickly, and it covers your psychosocial obligations, there's no reason to move. If not, it's worth knowing what you're getting for the spend.
Do you offer 24/7 support?+
Yes. A 24/7 after-hours crisis line means staff can reach someone immediately at any hour, including nights and weekends.
Counselling appointments are also available outside standard business hours, so shift-based and on-call teams aren't limited to a nine-to-five window. Those are two different things, and it's worth checking any provider offers both rather than just the crisis line.
Are your EAP counsellors based in Australia?+
Yes. Every practitioner on the platform holds current membership with an Australian professional body and practises under Australian standards, codes of ethics and disciplinary frameworks. There are no offshore call centres.
Practitioners hold membership with the Australian Counselling Association, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, or the Australian Association of Social Workers, along with a current Working with Children or Vulnerable People Check.
How much does an EAP cost?+
Pricing is usually per employee per month, based on total headcount rather than how many people use the service. Costs vary widely depending on whether sessions are bundled in and whether compliance tooling is included.
A more useful comparison is cost per employee who actually uses it. An EAP with 2% utilisation can work out several times more expensive per person helped than one that gets used. Foremind offers pay-as-you-go, inclusive session plans and compliance-inclusive plans, with discounted pricing for not-for-profits and charities.
For full breakdown of our plans, see our EAP pricing page or request a quote for a tailored proposal.
What information does an employer receive about EAP usage?+
Nothing that could identify anyone. All counselling is completely confidential and all reporting is anonymous - you'll never see who booked, when, or what was discussed.
What you do see is the aggregated picture: how many people are using it, what psychosocial risks are prevalent in the business, and which teams are under pressure. Enough to know the investment is working and where to act, never enough to identify a person. Reporting thresholds mean small teams can't be reverse-engineered from the data.
Does having an EAP meet an employer's psychosocial duty of care?+
No. An EAP is a control measure, and a valuable one, but it only addresses harm after it has occurred. It doesn't identify hazards, assess risk, or evidence that controls are working.
Australian WHS law requires you to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risk, control it so far as is reasonably practicable, and review whether those controls are working — with documented evidence at each step. Offering counselling on its own leaves three of those four steps undocumented.
Foremind covers both in one platform. See how the compliance side works in our product tour.