If you feel unsafe or have a personal safety concern please contact the Safer Community Team immediately on 9266 4444If you have any queries relating to psychosocial reporting, please contact Health and Safety on 9266 4900 or email healthandsafety@curtin.edu.au |
Health and Safety risks to workers include both physical and psychological injury risks. In relation to work, a psychosocial risk is an adverse interaction or condition of work that has potential to compromise workers’ psychological health and wellbeing.
A psychologically safe workplace is one that not only promotes mental health and well-being but also protects against psychosocial hazards that can negatively impact workers and the University as a whole. There are certain aspects of our work that, if not properly managed, can negatively impact an individual’s psychological health and wellbeing, and Curtin’s operational effectiveness.
While at work, workers have a responsibility to proactively identify and control psychosocial hazards at work.
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Psychosocial hazards
Psychosocial hazards at work are aspects of work and work situations that can lead to psychological or physical harm.
These stem from:
- The way the tasks or job are designed, organised, managed and supervised.
- Tasks or jobs where there are inherent psychosocial hazards and risks.
- The equipment, working environment or requirements to undertake duties in
physically hazardous environments.
Accordion
When identifying psychosocial hazards, it is important to investigate them in
combination/interaction with each other, as they have the potential to create new, changed or higher risks. Understanding contextual factors such as the work environment, organisational context, and the nature of the work is also critical in identifying and understanding the root of the issue.
As a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), Curtin University has an obligation to eliminate or, if not reasonably practicable, minimise psychosocial risks in the workplace.
However as with Physical hazards, everyone has a duty to address these. This can be achieved by following the risk management process which includes consideration of the hierarchy of controls, along with the implementation, and review of, appropriate control measures.
Understanding the right terminology is important in creating a working environment for people to flourish.
- Psychosocial hazards are defined in the WHS regulations and Curtin has a primary duty to provide and maintain a working environment without risks to health and safety under the WHS Act. Health includes both physical and psychological health.
- Psychosocial risk is the combination of the likelihood of occurrence of exposure to work-related hazard(s) of a psychosocial nature and the severity of injury and ill-health that can be caused by these hazards (ISO45003).
- Psychosocial safety climate (PSC) is the shared employee perceptions of an organisation’s policies, practices, procedures and systems that promote workers’ psychological health and safety (Dollard & Bakker, 2010).
- Psychological health and safety is promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm in the workp\lace.
- Psychological safety is the shared belief of being able to share ideas, beliefs, and experiences openly without judgement.
- Mental health/wellbeing is satisfying the physical, cognitive and mental needs and expectations of a worker related to their work.
- Fatigue is a state of mental or physical exhaustion, or both.
- Burnout is a psychological and physical response to chronic work-related stress.
There might be instances of reported psychosocial incidents that do not meet the definition of a psychosocial hazard. For example, receiving reasonable feedback regarding performance to which the worker does not agree with, not receiving a promotion/role applied for, and ‘not liking’ a team member or leader.Reports that don’t meet the criteria of a psychosocial hazard, Health and Safety will direct the individual to appropriate support and pathways.
What is our role in psychosocial risk management?
Psychosocial risks can affect mental and physical health, job satisfaction and overall performance. When workers are actively engaged in managing these risks, it leads to safer, inclusive, and supportive work environments for everyone.
Everyone in the workplace has a work health and safety duty. For workers, they must:
- Take reasonable care for their psychological and physical health and safety
- Take reasonable care not to adversely affect the health and safety of other persons
- Comply with reasonable health and safety instructions, as far as they are reasonably able, and
- Co-operate with reasonable health and safety policies or procedures
How can I contribute to workplace safety?
Recognising and Reporting Issues
Workers are often the first to notice signs of stress in themselves or those around them. Workers can make a significant impact by being observant and raising concerns when something feels off. When trying to resolve an issue, the first step is to raise it to a line manager to come to a resolution. If this is not feasible, psychosocial hazards/incidents can be reported to RISE.
Providing Input and Feedback
Meaningful worker involvement means having a voice in the decisions that affect health and wellbeing. Workers can contribute by participating in psychosocial risk assessments, team meetings, or workers surveys aimed at identifying stressors in the workplace.
Prioritising Personal Well-being
It is important to maintain your health and wellbeing by setting appropriate boundaries, taking regular breaks, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Seeking support when feeling overwhelmed, whether from your line manager or a colleague is a proactive step towards resilience. Additionally, making use of existing supports such as employee wellbeing and EAP can help manage stress and overcome challenges.
Line managers are instrumental in identifying hazards, communicating with their workers, and implementing effective control measures. For line managers, they need to take reasonable steps to:
- Acquire and keep-to-date knowledge of psychosocial work health and safety matters
- Gain an understanding of the nature of the business and potential hazards
- Ensure that there are resources and processes to eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks
- Responding to psychosocial hazards and risks in a timely way
How do I know when someone in my area has reported a psychosocial incident?
You will only be informed of a report if you have been assigned to the incident. As part of the triaging process, Health and Safety will determine if the involvement of the line manager is appropriate.
What do I do after I have been assigned an incident?
If a concern has been raised to you in your capacity as a line manager, you should meet with the worker to listen, address and resolve concerns. This may involve asking if they are okay, listening to their concerns and acknowledging their distress, recognising and validating their emotions and finding out if the worker has appropriate support and if not, directing them to those supports.
You can also reach out to your Senior Advisor partner from Management Support (Advisory) team within People and Culture who can provide guidance and support.
Further support is available through our EAP Provider in their Management Support service, who can also provide advice and help you better support your team and be an effective leader. For more information, please visit EAP for manager and leaders.
What are some ways I can best support my team?
Below are some practical controls that can manage psychosocial risks effectively:
- Manage workloads and resources by setting clear expectations and providing resources to help individuals perform their jobs effectively. This can be achieved through regular check-ins, workflow planning and providing guidance on prioritisation of tasks during peak periods.
- Prevent and address workplace conflict by addressing concerns as they arise in a timely manner and provide opportunities for team building.
- Clarifying roles and responsibilities through career conversations, annual planning days, and being transparent of team’s strategy.
- Promoting a supportive work culture that encourages open communication through fostering inclusivity, recognising achievements, providing necessary training and resources to complete duties, and regularly checking-in on emotional and mental well-being.
The Health and Safety (H&S) team plays a critical role in triaging psychosocial hazard reports by acting as the first point of contact, once reported via RISE. When a report is received, H&S evaluate the nature and severity of the issue determining whether immediate intervention is required.
Depending on the hazard reported, H&S will collaborate with key stakeholders (e.g., People and Culture team, Integrity Standards Unit, Employee Wellbeing team etc) where appropriate, to coordinate support and identify suitable control measures to manage the hazard.
Grid Items
Recognise the Signs
Psychosocial hazards are aspects of work and work situations that has the potential to cause psychological harm. Different to physical hazards, these are associated with emotional and mental challenges employees may face in their work environment. Common psychosocial hazards, and recommended controls are provided below.
Accordion
High demand tasks or jobs is when the worker has to use high levels of physical, mental and/or emotional effort to complete their job or tasks. Experiencing high demand tasks or job can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, being overwhelmed or unable to cope.
- Low demands tasks or jobs is when the worker is frequently using low levels of physical, mental and/or emotional effort to complete their job or tasks. Experiencing low demand tasks or job can lead to a lack of motivation, feelings of disengaged or underutilised.
Controls
- Set achievable performance targets and expectations in consultation with workers through consistent meetings.
- Provide opportunities for regular performance and career check-ins, whether that be quarterly or annually.
- Regular check-in with your team to monitor workloads and consider additional support during peak periods or scheduling non-urgent tasks for quieter times.
- Creating opportunities for professional development for staff to ensure they have the necessary training and resources to complete their duties.
- Consult and provide staff with multiple different tasks to increase task variety and keep workers engaged.
- Utilise workload allocation tools to assist with planning and managing workload for staff.
Learn more by watching the following video – Good work design (managing workload)
How do I manage the risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there are concerns regarding high/low work demands, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing the high/low job demands, the control needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Uncertainty, frequent changes, conflicting roles or ambiguous responsibilities and expectations.
Controls
- Set clear deliverables and expectations in consultation with workers. Can be done as part of the onboarding process, as well as check-in (e.g., monthly).
- Establishing a task management system (e.g., Asana) to ensure workers know who is responsible for each task, especially when sharing responsibilities.
- Providing clear instructions, training and necessary support when introducing work tasks and projects for staff.
- Properly induct new workers and give them a comprehensive overview of their role and responsibilities and come to a mutual agreement around expectations and work styles.
- During change processes, consult openly with workers about the impact and communicate any changes in performance expectations or operations.
Learn more by watching the following video – Good work design (Communication)
How do I manage the risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding low role clarity, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing low job clarity, the control needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Workers feeling they have low control and participation in decision making activities that would be reasonably expected within their role.
Controls
- Provide opportunities for workers to have control over their workflow, such as switching tasks or participating in new learnings to manage fatigue.
- Consult and develop a better understanding of staff’s skills and capabilities to match them to tasks that are aligned with their strengths.
- Plan and consult workers on additional workload in advance for better workflow planning.
- Consult and offer flexibility in work arrangements where appropriate.
Learn more by watching the following video – Decoding psychosocial risks in the workplace: low job control
How do I manage the risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding low job control, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing low job control, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Poor organisational change management is when changes happening in the workplace are poorly planned, managed, communicated or supported.
Controls
- Involve workers in the change process by consulting and communicating with them and their health and safety representatives.
- Encourage workers to engage with consultation and change management processes.
- Provide clear information about upcoming changes as soon as possible.
- Make sure workers understand the WHY. Why they’re happening, and the implications for their work
- Consider and identify communicating methods to meet worker’s needs (meetings, emails etc.).
- Provide practical support for changes, such as training on how to do new tasks
- Allow for a change period when setting work plans. For example, giving workers more time to do new tasks while they’re being trained and getting used to them.
- Make sure changes are reasonable and fair.
- Provide practical support for changes, such as training on how to do new tasks.
Be empathetic to frustration and support with any challenges.
Learn more by watching the following video – Good work design (Managing change at work)
How do I manage the risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding poor organisational change management, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing poor organisational change, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Inadequate reward and recognition are when there is an imbalance between the effort workers put in and the recognition or reward they get. Reward and recognition can be formal or informal and can be delivered through task performance feedback, development opportunities, performance reviews, rewards program, and group rewards.
Controls
- Provide prompt, specific, practical and fair feedback.
- When providing feedback to staff, use performance metrics and goals (i.e., objective measures) to help evaluate performance and guide direction.
- Consult with workers when developing reward and recognition systems. Understand what works best for the individual/team.
- Ensure line managers are trained in effective performance management and aware of support from People and Culture Team at Curtin.
- Providing training opportunities around having courageous conversations for all staff.
How do I manage the risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding inadequate recognition and reward, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing inadequate recognition and reward, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Something is more likely to be traumatic when it is unexpected, seems uncontrollable or is caused by intentional cruelty. Traumatic events or materials become a hazard when they are severe (e.g. very traumatic), prolonged (e.g. long term) or frequent (e.g. happens often).
Experiences of traumatic events vary between individuals. Some of the common reactions include:
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Difficulty in managing emotions
- Feeling exhausted and having difficulty sleeping
- Increased irritability and aggressive behaviours
- Decreased participation in activities that used to be enjoyable
- Physical (e.g., aches) and relationship problems (e.g., interpersonal conflict)
It is important to note that any delayed reaction to traumatic events is a normal response and can occur months or years later.
Controls
- Ensure transparency during pre-employment discussions regarding potential situations and exposure risks that may arise on the job.
- Conduct regular one-on-one check-ins with employees to monitor their psychological health after exposure to stressful situations.
- Create opportunities for peer support and debriefing situations through open forums organised monthly.
- Consult with workers following an event and adjust workloads to aid in recovery at work.
- Flag or password-protect files containing distressing content to prevent accidental access, provide content warnings where necessary.
- Provide opportunities and communicate to staff about taking breaks and getting support if exposed to traumatic events or materials.
- Provide workers with clear information on how to report exposure to traumatic events and outline available supports.
- Equip managers with the necessary information, training (e.g., managing vicarious trauma), and guidance on how to manage and respond to reported exposure, including recognising early signs of distress or psychological injury and offering appropriate support.
- Offer training and education around behavioural techniques to reduce the psychological impact of others traumatic experiences, as well as common signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma and encouraging help-seeking behaviour.
How do I manage the risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding traumatic events, including vicarious trauma, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing the concerns with experiencing traumatic events, including vicarious trauma, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Poor support means not getting enough support from supervisors or other workers, or not having the resources needed to do the job well.
Controls
- Organise the workplace to facilitate collaboration and support, for instance, by seating teams together and creating spaces for private discussions and teamwork.
- Conduct regular check-ins and career conversations to questions, assist with challenging tasks, and support worker’s skill development.
- Provide training to ensure workers are equipped with the knowledge to perform their roles and effectively use relevant tools, equipment, systems, policies and processes.
- Implement a mentor-mentee program to allow new staff to gain the understanding of their role and responsibilities, the context of the business and have a support person when needed.
- Organise opportunities both at work, and outside of work to build team cohesion such as team-building activities.
When deciding on control measures, workers need to consider all psychosocial hazards and how they may interact and combine with each other
How do I manage the risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding poor support, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing poor support, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Remote or isolated work means work that is isolated from the assistance of others because of the location, time or nature of the work. It often involves long travel times, poor access to resources, or limited communications. Some of risks associated with remote or isolated work include suffering psychological distress (e.g., anxiety, stress), feeling disconnected, and unable to get help during an emergency.
Controls
- Establish clear communication plans, including call-in systems and procedures for workers to check-in. Satellite tracking systems or devices can be used for scheduled check-ins and may include SOS distress or alert functions.
- Provide training for workers on safety when working alone or in remote locations. This may cover journey management, communication systems, emergency preparedness, response protocols, and first aid.
- Implement a buddy system to allow staff to ask for support when required.
- Encourage the use of Safezone App, which offer 24/7 direct contact with the Safer Communities team.
How do I manage the risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding remote or isolated work, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing concerns raised with working remotely or in isolation, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Harmful Behaviours
If you feel unsafe or have a personal safety concern, please contact the Safer Community Team immediately on 9266 4444 and/or police in life threatening emergency on 000.
Accordion
If you feel unsafe or have a personal safety concern, please contact the Safer Community Team immediately on 9266 4444 and/or police in life threatening emergency on 000.
If there is immediate risk, workers should report concerns to Safer Community Team, or via a confidential online form as soon as possible. This includes threats of suicide, self-harm, violence, sexual harassment, sexual assaults and other criminal acts. If there is a breach of the suspected code of conduct, a worker can lodge a complaint via the Integrity Standards Unit complaints portal.
Work-related violence and aggression covers a broad range of actions and behaviours that create a risk to health and safety of workers in circumstances related to their work. These are actions or behaviours that may physically or psychologically harm another person. Examples include:
- abusive behaviour, including insults and name-calling, and intimidating behaviour that creates a fear of violence, such as stalking or threatening to cause physical harm
- any form of assault, such as biting, spitting, scratching, hitting, kicking, punching, pushing, shoving, tripping, grabbing or throwing objects.
Violence and aggression can be:
- physical, psychological, verbal or written
- one off or repeated incidents
- minor behaviours through to more serious acts, including criminal offences, which require the intervention of public authorities
- in person or can include threats by correspondence, electronic means or by social media
Controls
- Consider communication accessibility and resources, specifically around standards of behaviour expected in the workplace.
- Promote use of Safezone App, which provides direct contact with Safer Communities team 24/7.
- Review the layout and design of the workplace to ensure safe spaces. For example, in customer facing roles, where a worker has a risk of exposure to violence or aggression consider physical barriers (counters or screens), duress alarms, sufficient lighting and aware of how to Safer Communities team.
- Provide training on de-escalation techniques.
- Train managers and supervisors on how to have courageous conversations and conflict resolution when issues are escalated.
- Clear expectation of behaviour established, published and adhered to. Regularly evaluate work practices, in consultation with workers and their representatives, to see if they contribute to violence and aggression.
How do I manage these risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding violence and aggression, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing violence and aggression, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Additional Resources
If you feel unsafe or have a personal safety concern please contact the Safer Community Team immediately on 9266 4444 and/or police in life threatening emergency on 000.
In cases of bullying, a worker can lodge a complaint via the Integrity Standards Unit complaints portal.
Bullying is repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or group of workers, that creates a risk to workers health and safety. Repeated behaviour refers to the persistent nature of the behaviour and can involve a range of behaviours over time. Unreasonable behaviour means behaviour that a reasonable person, having considered the circumstances, would see as unreasonable, including behaviour that is victimising, humiliating, intimidating or threatening.
A single incident of unreasonable behaviour is not workplace bullying. However, it may constitute another type of inappropriate or unreasonable behaviour and create a risk of harm to health.
Controls
- Management commitment, specifically modelling respectful behaviours, clear expectation of behaviour established, published and adhered to, early intervention, properly investigating and consulting with workers.
- Promote use of Safezone App, which provides direct contact with Safer Communities team 24/7
- Having a positive workplace behaviours policy
- Promote positive leadership styles via training and mentoring
- Having access to internal and external support mechanisms (e.g., EAP, Employee Wellbeing)
- Training around responding to incidents of bullying, as well as strategies in preventing it
How do I manage these risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding bullying, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing bullying, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Additional Resources
- Complaints Procedures
- Integrity Standards Unit, Complaints Portal
- Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Procedures
- Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy
If you feel unsafe or have a personal safety concern please contact the Safer Community Team immediately on 9266 4444 and/or police in life threatening emergency on 000.
Workers should report concerns to Safer Community Team, or via a confidential online form as soon as possible. This includes threats of suicide, self-harm, violence, sexual harassment, sexual assaults and other criminal acts. Where there is a breach of the suspected code of conduct, a worker can lodge a complaint via the Integrity Standards Unit complaints portal.
Harassment occurs when a person is treated poorly based on personal characteristics such as age, disability, race, nationality, religion, political affiliation, sex, relationship status, family or carer responsibilities, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
Sexual harassment refers to any unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, where it would be anticipated the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated.
Harassment can be a one-off incident or repeated and continuous occurrences.
Controls
- Set workplace standards about behaviours, attitudes and language that disrespects or excludes people based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or assumptions about dominant gender stereotypes and socially prescribed gender roles
- Ensure the physical layout of the workplace provides good visibility of work areas and avoids restrictive movements
- Evaluating work systems and practices, in consultation with workers and their representatives to see if they contribute to circumstances where sexual harassment is more likely to occur
- Training workers in how to deal with difficult customers or clients, when and how to escalate issues to senior workers and procedures to report sexual harassment
- Promote use of Safezone App, which provides direct contact with Safer Communities team 24/7
How do I manage these risks?
All workers have a role in recognising and addressing psychosocial risks to maintain a supportive working environment for everyone.
If there is a concern regarding harassment, including sexual harassment, it should initially be raised with the line manager to identify any aspects of work design or tasks that may be contributing to reported workload issue. The line manager should meet with their worker to listen, address and resolve concerns as reasonably practicable. Where there is no change, this may be escalated to next in line to assist with controlling the hazard.
A psychosocial hazard can be submitted via CHARM, and/or can be referred to a member from the Health & Safety team, and Management Support (Advisory) from People & Culture for further guidance and support.
Evaluation of Controls
Control measures need to be reviewed to see if it is achieving what it is set to do. If the controls are not managing harassment, including sexual harassment, the control(s) needs to be adapted. Reviewing should be undertaken through regular (e.g., 3, 6, 12-month basis) scheduled discussions at management meetings, workers meetings and health and safety committee meetings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Additional Resources
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Employee Wellbeing
The Employee Wellbeing Team provide a range of support, resources and assistance with your own wellbeing and how to support others.
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