With the adoption of new regulations in 2022, Australia is leading the way in the global movement to enhance rules around psychosocial hazards in the workplace to align with physical safety hazards.

The movement is driven by escalating benefits costs and lost productivity since psychosocial risks — defined as causing psychosocial or physical harm — impact employee well-being and performance, as well as exposing employers to potential claims.

In particular, the movement took off in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, an event that finally pushed employers to recognize workplaces can do so much more for their employees, says Wendy Poirier, global well-being leader at WTW.

Read: Mental health firmly in the spotlight due to impacts of coronavirus, says report

“That was the first time in my career I’ve heard the [human resources] department talking about burnout and wanting to get the C suite involved, understanding how they designed work . . . and how their workplace practices had such a big influence. They were allowed to take ownership of that in a way that said, ‘If we want to be a high-performing company, we need to acknowledge that we have a big part to play in keeping employees’ minds healthy, just like their bodies.”

In 2018, the International Organization for Standardization published ISO 45001, a standard for occupational health and safety management systems that provides a framework for employers to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses, improve safety performance and create safe workplaces. In 2021, the organization published another guideline — ISO 45003 — for managing psychosocial risks and promoting employee well-being within an OH&S system.

“To have that equivalent focus on mental health or psychosocial aspects of work was a great way to validate these are real things,” says Poirier. “It was broader than psychological safety; it wasn’t just bullying and harassment. It was all about employers having a big part to play in how they........

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