What's in this template?
This Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Wellbeing Policy gives Australian healthcare practices a complete policy aligned to regulations 55A–55D of the WHS Regulations and the Safe Work Australia Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice (2022). It is the policy regulators, accreditors and workers compensation insurers now expect every healthcare workplace to hold.
The policy covers 15 sections plus a sign-off block:
- Purpose and authority — links to s19 WHS Act and the new psychosocial regs
- Scope — workers, contractors, students, telehealth and home visits
- What are psychosocial hazards? — all 14 hazard categories from the Code, mapped to healthcare examples
- Roles and responsibilities — PCBU, manager, WHS Officer, workers
- Identification — survey, check-ins, incident review, leave/turnover trends
- Assessment — frequency, duration, severity, combination
- Control — hierarchy of controls — work design, environment, admin, support
- Aggression and occupational violence — Code Black, de-escalation, right of refusal
- Critical incident response — defusing, debrief, EAP, workload adjustment
- Bullying, harassment and sexual harassment — including the post-Dec 2022 positive duty
- Worker support and EAP — full contact directory (Drs4Drs, Nurse and Midwife Support, Beyond Blue, Lifeline)
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Monitoring and review — survey, register, KPIs
- Related documents
- Approval and review
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{abn}},{{practice_address}}{{whs_officer}},{{whs_officer_phone}},{{whs_officer_email}}{{eap_provider}},{{eap_phone}}— your EAP details{{wc_insurer_phone}}— workers compensation insurer{{review_date}},{{next_review_date}}and signature blocks
Who needs a Psychosocial Hazards Policy?
Every Australian healthcare practice with workers. Since the model WHS Regulations psychosocial provisions commenced (NSW Oct 2022, QLD Apr 2023, WA Mar 2022, Cth Apr 2023, ACT in force) the duty has been explicit: PCBUs must identify, assess and control psychosocial hazards in the same way they manage physical hazards.
Suitable for:
- General practices, day procedure clinics and specialist medical practices
- Allied health practices of all sizes
- NDIS providers — high exposure to behaviours of concern, traumatic content, lone work
- Aged care providers, palliative care and bereavement services
- Mental health services and psychology practices
- Pharmacies, pathology and diagnostic imaging providers with public-facing reception
- Multi-site practice groups that need a consistent policy across locations
Workers compensation insurers' fastest-growing claim category is psychological injury. WHS regulators are issuing improvement notices for absent or weak psychosocial controls. RACGP's 5th Edition (C3.5) and the NDIS Practice Standards Core Module 1 both require workforce wellbeing systems.
WHS requirement at a glance
Section 19 WHS Act — Primary duty of care. Includes psychological as well as physical health.
WHS Regulations regulations 55A–55D (psychosocial provisions). Require a PCBU to identify reasonably foreseeable psychosocial hazards; eliminate them so far as is reasonably practicable; minimise the risk where elimination is not practicable; review controls regularly and after exposure events.
Safe Work Australia Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice (2022). Identifies the 14 common psychosocial hazards used in this policy, sets out the four-step risk management process, and provides healthcare-relevant guidance.
Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) — positive duty (Dec 2022). Every employer (including healthcare practices) must take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation, as far as possible. The Code of Practice and this policy align with that positive duty.
The 14 psychosocial hazards in healthcare
The policy maps every category from the Code of Practice to a healthcare-specific example:
| Hazard | Healthcare example | |---|---| | High or low job demands | Sustained patient overload, low utilisation in solo practice | | Low job control | Inflexible rosters, fixed appointment scheduling | | Poor support | No clinical supervision, isolated practitioners | | Lack of role clarity | Undefined boundaries between GP, nurse, receptionist roles | | Poor change management | Software or ownership change without consultation | | Inadequate reward and recognition | Pay below award, no acknowledgement of accreditation work | | Poor organisational justice | Favouritism, opaque decision-making | | Traumatic events or material | Patient death, suicide, abuse disclosure, child protection | | Remote or isolated work | Solo telehealth from home, lone after-hours work | | Poor physical environment | Cramped reception, poor air, no natural light | | Violence and aggression | Aggressive patients or family, threats | | Bullying | Repeated unreasonable behaviour | | Harassment, including sexual harassment | Comments, gestures, contact of a sexual nature | | Conflict or poor workplace relationships | Unresolved disputes between practitioners |
State variations
| State / Territory | Status of psychosocial regulations | |---|---| | NSW | In force since 1 Oct 2022 | | QLD | In force since 1 Apr 2023 | | WA | In force under WHS Regulations 2022 | | Cth | In force since 1 Apr 2023 | | ACT | In force | | SA, TAS, NT | Code of Practice applies; regulations being progressed | | Victoria | Psychological health regulations under Engage Victoria consultation; OHS Act s21 already covers psychological health |
The Code of Practice methodology applies in all jurisdictions, even where the dedicated regulations are not yet in force.
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with your details - Set up an EAP before publishing — most insurers and brokers can connect you with a low-cost EAP
- Display the EAP number in the staff room and at clinical workstations
- Walk through the 14 hazards in section 3 and identify which apply to your practice
- Run an anonymous wellbeing survey — the People at Work tool from Safe Work Australia is free and recommended
- Train managers in early intervention — most psychosocial harm is preventable when team leaders notice and act early
- Set a critical incident debrief schedule — within 48 hours of any traumatic event
- Review annually and after any psychological injury, claim or critical incident
Related templates and tools
The policy is the cornerstone of the workforce wellbeing system:
- Hazard and Risk Register — psychosocial section uses this policy as the control document
- Incident and Hazard Report Form — captures aggression, traumatic events and bullying reports
- Workplace Inspection Checklist — section 9 (psychosocial environment) audits this policy
- Workplace Bullying and Harassment Policy — detailed procedure for the bullying and harassment categories
- Return to Work and Injury Management Procedure — graduated return after psychological injury
- Privacy Policy and Privacy Management Plan — protects worker information shared in EAP and investigations
- Manual Handling Policy — addresses the physical-load drivers of stress and overuse
For the high-level policy, see the Work Health and Safety Policy in the RACGP library.
Frequently asked questions
Is a psychosocial hazards policy mandatory?
In NSW, QLD, WA, the Commonwealth and ACT, the WHS Regulations expressly require management of psychosocial risks. Even where dedicated regulations are not yet in force, section 19 of the WHS Act has always covered psychological health, and the Code of Practice has weight in evidence. WHS regulators and insurers treat a policy as effectively mandatory for any healthcare workplace.
What's the difference between a wellbeing program and a psychosocial hazards policy?
A wellbeing program (yoga, fruit boxes, mindfulness apps) is supportive but it does not change the work itself. The psychosocial hazards policy applies the standard WHS hierarchy of controls — work design first, supports last. Regulators have been clear that wellness initiatives alone do not satisfy the duty.
Do we need an EAP?
The WHS Regulations don't mandate an EAP, but the Code of Practice describes worker support as a core control. An EAP is the lowest-friction way to provide professional, confidential support and is treated by insurers and accreditors as standard. Most low-cost EAPs are around $5 to $10 per worker per year.
How does this policy interact with the Sex Discrimination Act positive duty?
Since December 2022, every employer has a positive duty to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation. This policy sets out the practice's prevention approach (training, reporting pathways, no-reprisal protections) and refers to a dedicated Workplace Bullying and Harassment Policy for the procedure.
What counts as a "critical incident"?
The Code of Practice and the policy treat any event that may overwhelm a worker's normal coping as a critical incident — patient suicide, child protection disclosure, sudden death, serious assault, workplace violence, or any event nominated by the worker. Section 9 of the policy sets out the debrief and follow-up process.
Are healthcare workers more at risk?
Yes. Healthcare and social assistance is the highest-claim industry in Australia for psychological injury. Common drivers — high demand, traumatic content, occupational violence, and lone work — are well documented. The policy is built around the healthcare profile.
How often does the policy need to be reviewed?
At least annually, and after any psychological injury, claim, critical incident, or change in workforce structure. The annual wellbeing survey results inform each review.
Will accreditors accept this template?
Yes. RACGP 5th Edition Criterion C3.5 (work health and safety) and C3.4 (workforce wellbeing) both require documented mental health systems. NDIS Practice Standards Core Module 1 (HR management and governance) and ISO 45001 (clause 6.1.2.1 hazard identification including psychosocial factors) cover the same territory. The policy structure — identification, assessment, control, support, review — maps cleanly to all three frameworks.