Thought Leadership: Psychological Health Regulations in Victoria (2025)
The following summary has been provided as a means of sharing our knowledge on potential topics of interest.
Psychosocial Risk
Navigating psychosocial risks and ensuring organisational compliance is a complex challenge. While organisations are committed to creating safe workplaces and protecting their reputation, they also recognise the significant benefits of prioritising psychosocial health for both employees and the broader organisation. However, what we hear in this space are that many employers are understandably concerned about how to effectively meet evolving legislative requirements, rising social and community expectations, and the potential costs of getting it wrong.
Changing Regulatory Context
As of December 2025, Victoria has introduced new Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations that place psychosocial hazards on equal footing with physical hazards These regulations are part of a broader movement across Australia to address the rising incidence of work-related mental injuries. In April 2023, amendments to the Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Act 2011 introduced new regulations addressing psychosocial hazards. These changes marked a significant shift, prompting Commonwealth Government departments and agencies to adopt more proactive and preventative approaches to workplace health, safety, and wellbeing.
Key Employer Duties under the OHS Act
Under the new regulations, employers must:
· Identify psychosocial hazards (e.g., bullying, harassment, high job demands, poor support).
· Assess the associated risks to psychological health.
· Implement control measures to eliminate or reduce these risks.
· Monitor and review the effectiveness of these controls.
· Consult with employees and health and safety representatives (HSRs) on psychosocial risk management
Work Well Program
WorkSafe Victoria’s Work Well program supports employers through:
· Psychological Health Regulations: Introduced to clarify employer duties in managing psychosocial hazards, including bullying, harassment, aggression, and exposure to trauma.
· Risk Management Guidance: Offers a structured approach to identifying, assessing, and controlling psychosocial risks in the workplace
· Compliance and Enforcement: WorkSafe has begun prosecuting employers who fail to meet their obligations regarding psychosocial safety
· Work Well Program: Provides funding and resources to help employers create mentally healthy workplaces.
However, there is currently a clear gap in the level of practical, hands-on support being offered by both WorkSafe Victoria and the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC)to help organisations mature their approaches to psychosocial risk management. While these bodies provide valuable regulatory guidance, many organisations are left seeking more tailored, actionable support.
This is where Scyne can make a real difference.
We bring deep expertise in developing practical tools, delivering bespoke training programs, and conducting comprehensive psychosocial risk assessments and audits. Our approach is grounded in real-world application, helping organisations not only meet compliance requirements but also embed sustainable, proactive strategies that foster mentally healthy and high-performing workplaces.
Supporting organisational maturity in health, safety and wellbeing: Scyne’s services:
To help Victorian organisations mature their health, safety, and wellbeing approaches, Scyne is supporting compliance and maturity uplift by:
1. Maturity organisational health, safety and wellbeing:
· Delivery of awareness training on new OHS psychological regulations.
· Training leaders in wellbeing leadership, having difficult conversations and leading teams
· Developing a Psychosocial Risk Management Plan
· Conducting structured consultation processeswith employees
· Using data analytics to monitor trends inmental health and wellbeing
· Co-designing wellbeing initiatives with staff
2. Risk reviews, internal audits, control design and benchmarking
· Conducting psychosocial risk internal audits across a range of government and non-government clients
· Benchmarking organisational practices against global best practices (e.g., ISO 45003)
· Conducting a baseline psychosocial riskassessment
· Embedding psychosocial risk controls into operational planning
3. Artefact design – Frameworks, policy and process
· Psychosocial risk assessment templates
· Design or updating of enterprise-wide health, safety and wellbeing frameworks
· Establishing basic reporting and response protocols
· Designing workplace policies (workload policy, bullying and harassment etc.)
Key Scyne Contacts:
Chris Braithwaite
National Risk Lead
+61 414 373 191
Kimberley de Veth
Health,Safety & Wellbeing
+61 422 370 607