Manage the risks you can’t see with our workplace psychosocial checklist

Workplace safety is about more than hard hats and safety rails. Under New Zealand’s Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, leaders must manage psychosocial risks at work — not just physical ones. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) defines ‘health’ as physical and mental health.

Organisations must consult with their team when making decisions about how to manage health and safety risks related to their work and this includes psychosocial risks. Psychosocial risks at work can harm a person's physical and mental health. They can be present in any industry, and everyone has a part to play.

The trouble is, these risks can be harder to spot than physical dangers. Here’s a simple checklist to bring hidden hazards to light:

• Clarity: Would a new team member understand what’s expected of them in their first week? If not, review job descriptions and inductions to make sure roles are clear from day one.
• Workload check: Are schedules and deadlines realistic? Look out for red flags, like people regularly working late or frequently swapping schedules.
• Feedback: How does your team raise concerns around group culture, bullying, or lack of support? From one-on-one check-ins to team discussions to anonymous surveys, multiple channels help issues surface early.
• Recognition: Do you let your people know their efforts matter? Celebrating milestones and acknowledging good work in real time builds morale and reduces the risk of burnout.

Supporting psychosocial health is a big responsibility. Not sure where to start? We've got some great video resources that we recorded when doing webinars on this topic. Feel free to check them out below.

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