Working alone or remotely can increase the health and safety risks of any job. Workers may be isolated from support and assistance because of where or when they’re working, or the nature of their work they are doing.
Mental health
Most jobs involve some psychosocial hazards. These are the hazards that can harm workers’ mental health.
/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/mental-health
Workplace bullying is repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed at a worker (or group of workers).
/safety-topic/hazards/bullying
This is the sixth annual national statement issued by Safe Work Australia to identify trends in psychosocial health and safety and bullying in Australian workplaces.
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/psychosocial-health-and-safety-and-bullying-australian-workplaces-6th-edition
This fact sheet provides information for employers on duties under work health and safety (WHS) laws to manage the risk of online abuse in the workplace.
/doc/online-abuse-fact-sheet-employers
This fact sheet provides information for workers on rights and duties under work health and safety (WHS) laws and what to do if you experience online abuse in the workplace.
/doc/online-abuse-factsheet-workers
This information sheet provides guidance for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), such as employers, about duties under work health and safety (WHS) laws and how to manage the risks of family and domestic violence at the workplace.
/doc/family-and-domestic-violence-work-information-sheet
This information sheet provides advice for workers about duties under the model work health and safety (WHS) laws and what to do if workers experience workplace violence or aggression.
/doc/workplace-violence-and-aggression-advice-workers
This information sheet provides simple and practical guidance to support small business meet their work health and safety (WHS) duties to manage health and safety risks from workplace violence and aggression.
/doc/preventing-workplace-violence-information-sheet-small-business
This guide provides information for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), such as employers, on how to manage the risk of violence and aggression in the workplace, including gendered violence.
/doc/preventing-workplace-violence-and-aggression-guide
This information sheet provides advice for workers about duties under WHS laws and what to do if workers experience or witness sexual harassment at the workplace.
/doc/workplace-sexual-harassment-advice-workers
This information sheet provides simple, clear and practical guidance to support small businesses meet their work health and safety (WHS) duties to manage health and safety risks from sexual harassment.
/doc/preventing-workplace-sexual-harassment-guidance-small-business
Recommendation 18 of the 2012 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment report, Workplace Bullying: “We just want it to stop”, requested an annual update of trends in workers’ compensation data relating to psychosocial health and safety generally and workpla
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/psychosocial-health-and-safety-and-bullying-australian-workplaces-5th-edition
This fact sheet has been prepared as part of the 2018 National Action Plan on Endometriosis. It aims to increase awareness of the prevalence and impact this chronic disease has on workers and its potential impact on workplace safety.
/doc/supporting-workers-endometriosis-workplace
This guide was developed and published prior to amendments to the model WHS Regulations in 2022. The guide is an archived document and is provided for background only.
/doc/work-related-psychological-health-and-safety-systematic-approach-meeting-your-duties-archived
Recommendation 18 of the 2012 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment report, Workplace Bullying: “We just want it to stop”, requested an annual update of trends in workers’ compensation data relating to psychosocial health and safety generally and workpla
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/psychosocial-health-and-safety-and-bullying-australian-workplaces-4th-edition-summary-findings
Recommendation 18 of the 2012 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment report, Workplace Bullying: “We just want it to stop”, requested an annual update of trends in workers’ compensation data relating to psychosocial health and safety generally and workpla
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/psychosocial-health-and-safety-and-bullying-australian-workplaces-4th-edition
This framework provides practical and evidence-based guidance to assist workers' compensation insurers and claims managers to better support workers with a psychological injury.
/doc/taking-action-best-practice-framework-management-psychological-claims-australian-workers-compensation-sector
This report investigates the predictors of early retirement among middle-aged workers, with particular interest in the influence of unfavourable psychosocial working conditions like high job demands, low job control and high perceived job insecurity.
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/role-psychosocial-work-factors-decision-retire-early
This report examines the similarities and differences between psychological and physical claims.
/resources-and-publications/reports/return-work-comparison-psychological-and-physical-injury-claims
This report provides an analysis of the Survey results and includes a comparative literature review on Return To Work after psychological injury.
/resources-and-publications/reports/return-work-psychological-claims
Why has this research been done?
- To better understand the prevalence of workplace bullying and harassment in Australian workplaces and to identify workplace risk factors associated with the occurrence of bullying and harassment.
What did we find?
- B
/resources-and-publications/reports/bullying-and-harassment-australian-workplaces-results-australian-workplace-barometer-2014-15
Why has this research been done?
-
Sickness absence and presenteeism have a direct impact on organisation productivity
/resources-and-publications/reports/psychosocial-safety-climate-and-better-productivity-australian-workplaces-costs-productivity-presenteeism-absenteeism
Recommendation 18 of the 2012 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment report, Workplace Bullying: “We just want it to stop”, requested an annual update of trends in workers’ compensation data relating to psychosocial health and safety generally and workpla
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/psychosocial-health-and-safety-and-bullying-australian-workplaces-3rd-edition-summary-findings
Recommendation 18 of the 2012 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment report, Workplace Bullying: “We just want it to stop”, requested an annual update of trends in workers’ compensation data relating to psychosocial health and safety generally and workpla
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/psychosocial-health-and-safety-and-bullying-australian-workplaces-3rd-edition
The publication provides a concise and factual statistical profile of mental disorders as compensated by Australian workers’ compensation schemes. It shows statistics on how many Australians are awarded a mental disorder claim each year to allow estimation of societal and system impacts.
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/work-related-mental-disorders-profile-2015
Recommendation 18 of the 2012 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment report, Workplace Bullying: “We just want it to stop”, requested an annual update of trends in workers’ compensation data relating to psychosocial health and safety generally and workpla
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/psychosocial-health-and-safety-and-bullying-australian-workplaces-2nd-edition
This guide may help workers determine if workplace bullying is occurring and how the matter may be resolved. It provides information for workers who believe they may be experiencing or witnessing workplace bullying and those who have had a bullying report made against them.
/doc/dealing-workplace-bullying-workers-guide
Workplace bullying is a risk to health and safety. It can occur wherever people work together in all types of workplaces. It is best dealt with by taking steps to prevent it from occurring and responding quickly if it does occur.
/doc/guide-preventing-and-responding-workplace-bullying
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/relationship-between-work-characteristics-wellbeing-depression-and-workplace-bullying-summary-report
The report 'The relationship between work characteristics, wellbeing, depression and workplace bullying' describes the early findings from a project conducted as a partnership between Safe Work Australia and The Australian National University.
/resources-and-publications/statistical-reports/relationship-between-work-characteristics-wellbeing-depression-and-workplace-bullying-technical-findings-survey-32-36-year-old-workers-canberra-and-queanbeyan
If you’re a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), this model Code of Practice provides practical guidance on how to effectively consult with workers about work health and safety and meet your duties under the work health and safety (WHS) Act.
/doc/model-code-practice-work-health-and-safety-consultation-cooperation-and-coordination
About this seminar
In this video, registered nurse Tiffany Plummer, Secretary of the NSW Health Services Union Gerard Hayes, and Petrice Wallis from WorkSafe Victoria, discuss the wicked problem of occupational violence in emergency departments.
/resources-and-publications/video-and-audio/workplace-violence-not-ok-keeping-emergency-departments-safe
In this video Kevin, Carolina, Steve and Rachel describe their experiences as first responders. They share the impact of their experiences and discuss practical ways that first responders can be supported to stay safe and healthy on the job.
/resources-and-publications/video-and-audio/workplace-violence-not-ok-keeping-first-responders-safe
About this seminar
In this video, employers are challenged to reduce stigma and provide strong leadership on the issue of workplace mental health. They are also asked to consider how they would deal with a mental health crisis in their workplace.
/resources-and-publications/video-and-audio/complex-mental-health-workplace
In this panel discussion, Lucinda Brogden, Carolyn Davis and Dr Peter Cotton put the spotlight on workplace mental health. Our expert panellists explore why a mentally healthy workplace is important, what it looks like, and what employers can do in the context of their business.
/resources-and-publications/video-and-audio/facts-and-fallacies-behind-mentally-healthy-workplaces
The Australian Workplace Barometer project aims to provide science driven evidence of Australian work conditions and their relationships to workplace health and productivity, through a national monitoring and surveillance system.
/resources-and-publications/reports/australian-workplace-barometer-report-psychosocial-safety-climate-and-worker-health-australia