Psychological Health and Safety Strategy

The strategy

Preventing psychological harm needs to be a core focus for every business in NSW. 

SafeWork NSW’s Psychological Health and Safety Strategy 2024 – 2026 outlines how we will reduce harm to NSW workers by supporting businesses to manage factors that impact mental health (called psychosocial hazards) and meet their legal obligations.

Our vision is for all NSW workplaces to ensure psychologically healthy and safe work. 

In particular, we are increasing our focus on compliance. The previous Mentally Healthy Workplaces Strategy 2018–2022 saw NSW Government spend four years raising awareness and building capability in businesses to manage mental health at work. The information and tools businesses need to provide a psychologically healthy and safe workplace have now been available for some time. 

While we will continue to work to raise awareness and build capability, we will be increasingly taking action against high-risk and large businesses and government agencies who are not meeting their legal WHS duties.  
 

Strategy focus areas

Every worker needs support to stay safe at work. However, some industries and workers may be at greater risk of injury or illness at work and need extra support to stay psychologically healthy and safe.

We will focus on workplaces, industries, and workers at greater risk of psychological harm, based on data and evidence. These include: 

High-risk workplaces in these industries:

• Public administration and safety
• Education and training
• Healthcare and social assistance.

Small and medium businesses:

• Small businesses with less than 20 full-time workers (including local businesses, sole traders and start-ups)
• Medium businesses with 20-199 full-time workers. 

At risk workers: 

• Young workers 
• Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workers 
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 
• Workers with lived experience of mental ill-health.
   

Targets and outcomes

We have set these ambitious targets to deliver by 2026:

• 80% of workplaces revisited after six months sustain their compliance improvements
• increase planned inspector compliance visits by 25% per year between 2023 to 2026
• 125,000 workplaces are taking effective action to become mentally healthy
• deliver workplace mental health training to 21,000 individuals and coach 960 businesses
• complete a psychosocial WHS check for all inspector visits to organisations with 200 or more workers.

The outcomes we want to achieve by 2026 are:

1. increased awareness and understanding in NSW workplaces of how to comply with their duty to manage psychosocial risks
2. increased capability in high-risk industries to comply with their duty to manage psychosocial risks
3. workplaces in high-risk industries sustain their compliance improvements
4. improved regulatory action on psychosocial matters
5. more workplaces taking effective action to become mentally healthy.

Results from the Mentally Healthy Workplaces Strategy

Our new strategy builds on the strong foundations laid by the NSW Mentally Healthy Workplaces Strategy 2018-2022. 

The former strategy delivered resources, toolkits and training to build the capability of NSW businesses to take effective action to create mentally healthy workplaces.  An independent evaluation (PDF 2.18MB) of the strategy showed it achieved:

• increased awareness and understanding of mentally healthy workplaces
• increased capability of NSW businesses to create mentally healthy workplaces
• lasting changes in workplaces as a result of businesses taking part in strategy programs
• improved productivity and a quicker return to work, shown through a reduction in the average time off work and a reduction in the cost of claims. 

Major achievements 

We exceeded our target of 90,000 businesses taking effective action to create a mentally healthy workplace. 

Change through legislation

We published the Code of Practice for Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work in May 2021. It gives guidance to businesses on the importance of mental health at work and how to meet their obligations under WHS laws.

The Code has been influential in raising employer awareness and understanding of mental health at work and is the first of its kind in Australia.

In 2022, we also added a clear definition of psychosocial hazards and risks to our WHS regulation, by adopting Safe Work Australia's model regulation. We were the first state to do this.

Measuring workplace wellbeing 

We developed the Workplace Wellbeing Assessment in consultation with customers. This self-service online tool lets businesses assess how mentally healthy their workplace is and understand the mental health experiences of their workers. 

Businesses that use the tool get a comprehensive report that details their strengths and weaknesses, and tailored recommendations on how to become a mentally healthier workplace. 

The tool allows businesses to compare themselves to others in their industry and track changes in their workplace over time. 

Free programs for business

We delivered workplace mental health training to over 25,000 participants, exceeding our target. The program was well received, with 99% of participants surveyed indicating they would recommend the training.

We provided workplace mental health coaching to more than 1000 micro to medium sized businesses. The program targeted businesses in high-risk industries and gave tailored support to participants. Overall, participants said they found the program useful and had made beneficial changes in their workplace as a result.

Change through collaboration

Our Mentally Healthy Workplace Ambassadors program contributed to the strategy’s success, reaching over 1.2 million people through organic and paid social media. 

As recognised and respected leaders in their field, our ambassadors increased mental health awareness by:

• sharing their experiences and leading change in their industries 
• hosting and attending events to help support their peers to roll out mentally healthy work practices.

Related information