Assess your board's oversight of psychosocial hazards under Australia's updated WHS legislation, AICD guidance and Safe Work Australia's Model Code of Practice.
8
Governance Domains
2023
WHS Reg Reform
5 min
Completion Time
Aligned to: Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice 2022 • Model WHS Regulations — Psychosocial Hazards • AICD Director Guidance on Workplace Safety Culture • ASIC RG 247 — Workplace Governance
Why Psychosocial Risk Is Now a Board Priority
Since 2023, every Australian state and territory (except Victoria, which uses separate OHS legislation) has adopted updated Work Health and Safety regulations that explicitly name psychosocial hazards — including job demands, lack of support, poor workplace relationships and traumatic events — as notifiable risks requiring active management. Directors who fail to embed adequate governance oversight now face personal liability exposure alongside their organisations.
⚠️ Legislative Driver
Safe Work Australia's Model WHS Regulations (2022) require PCBUs to manage psychosocial hazards as a positive duty, not a reactive complaint-handling exercise.
⚖️ Director Duty
WHS Act s.27 imposes a personal due diligence duty on officers — including non-executive directors — to ensure the organisation has appropriate WHS governance and resources.
📊 Reporting Risk
ASIC increasingly views sustained psychosocial incidents as governance failures with potential disclosure obligations under continuous disclosure and financial reporting regimes.
👥 Scale of the Issue
Psychological injury claims cost Australian employers an estimated $6B annually. Safe Work Australia data show mental health claims have 4x the time-lost duration of physical injury claims.
Board Psychosocial Governance Assessment
8 questions across key oversight domains — takes approximately 5 minutes
1
Board Oversight
How does your board receive and act on psychosocial risk information?
2
Policy & Framework
What psychosocial hazard management framework does your organisation operate under?
3
Due Diligence (s.27)
How do directors fulfil their personal s.27 due diligence obligations in relation to psychosocial risks?
4
Culture & Leadership
How does your board assess and drive a psychologically safe workplace culture?
5
Hazard Identification
How systematically does your organisation identify psychosocial hazards across the workforce?
6
Incident Response
How does your organisation respond to and report psychosocial incidents?
7
Disclosure & Reporting
How does your organisation manage psychosocial risk disclosure to regulators and stakeholders?
8
Board Capability
What is the board's capability and resourcing level for psychosocial risk governance?
Analysing your governance profile...
✓ Mapping WHS legislative obligations
✓ Assessing director due diligence posture
✓ Benchmarking against AICD guidance
✓ Generating priority action plan
Psychosocial Governance Score
0%
Calculating...
📚 Applicable Frameworks & Legislation
⚖️
Safe Work Australia — Model Code of Practice 2022
Definitive operational guidance on identifying and controlling the 14 psychosocial hazard categories. Legally admissible evidence of what a PCBU 'should do' under WHS legislation.
📋
Model WHS Regulations — Part 3.5 Psychosocial Risks
Mandates that PCBUs eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks so far as reasonably practicable. Directors have a personal duty under s.27 to ensure compliance.
AICD guidance identifies psychosocial safety as a board-level governance obligation, requiring directors to challenge management, set culture expectations and monitor outcomes.
📊
ASIC RG 247 — Ongoing Disclosure Obligations
Sustained psychosocial incidents may constitute material adverse information requiring continuous disclosure. ASIC enforcement focus on workplace culture as a governance risk indicator.
🎯 Priority Actions for Your Board
Take the Next Step on Psychosocial Governance
Noventum Advisory helps boards build compliant, evidence-based psychosocial governance frameworks — from policy design to director training and regulator readiness.