Australian state now requires employers to manage psychosocial hazards. Here is what HR needs to do in 2026, and where training fits.
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State by state: what changed and when
The national picture is harmonised, but the detail varies.
New South Wales. From 1 July 2026, approved Codes of Practice in NSW became legally enforceable compliance benchmarks under section 26A of the WHS Act. The psychosocial code is now effectively the law in NSW, not just guidance.
Victoria. The Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 commenced on 1 December 2025, setting standalone psychosocial obligations that differ in structure from the harmonised approach.
South Australia. A Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards commenced on 19 February 2026.
Other jurisdictions adopted the model regulations between 2022 and 2025. If you operate nationally, you are managing several frameworks at once. The safest approach is to meet the highest standard everywhere.
Since I started practicing HR, emotions, mental health and distress were largely treated as a personal problem which ideally would be left at the door when coming to work. The law now says it is also an organisational problem. That is the right call. Having said that a risk register and a policy does not help individuals in their moment of need. A person does, and that’s why the people we train love our really practical tools and skills to help their colleagues.
Audrey Bevan, CEO, CALM
What “good” looks like in 2026
Compliance is not a policy document. Documentation alone is not sufficient. Capability must be demonstrated.
In practice, that means four things.
- A current psychosocial hazard register that names the actual hazards your people face, including customer aggression and emotional demands.
- A risk management framework with controls, escalation points and review cycles.
- Consultation with workers. Frontline staff know where the risk is. Ask them.
- Demonstrated capability in the people who face the hazard. Training records. Evidence that staff can recognise distress, de-escalate and escalate safely.
That fourth point is where most organisations fall short. They have the register. They have the framework. What they do not have is a team leader who knows what to say when someone breaks down in a one-on-one, or a hardship advisor who can hold a call with a customer who has just said they cannot go on.
Where training fits
Training is one control among several. It sits below work design and staffing in the hierarchy of controls, and regulators will ask about the environment and the roster before they ask about the workshop.
But training is the control that lives in the room when the hard conversation happens. No policy de-escalates an angry customer. No register supports a colleague in distress. A person does that. The question is whether they have the skills.
CALM Conversations builds those skills for people who are not mental health professionals. Managing Strong Emotions for frontline and contact centre teams. Conversations about Change for leaders delivering difficult news. Suicide Conversations in the Workplace for anyone who may encounter crisis. All built on the CALM method: Connect, Ask, Listen, Monitor.
Not awareness. Capability.
Key takeaways
- 12% of all serious workers’ compensation claims in Australia are now for mental health conditions. Source: Safe Work Australia, Key WHS Statistics
- Median time lost per mental health claim is 35.7 working weeks, against 7.4 weeks for all serious claims (2022-23). Source: Safe Work Australia
- Serious mental health claims grew 161% over the ten years to 2023-24. Source: Safe Work Australia
- South Australia’s psychosocial code commenced 19 February 2026. Source: SafeWork SAgrew by 161%, from roughly 6,700 to 17,600. Every other injury group combined grew about a quarter.
- Regulators have noticed. So have insurers.
Frequently asked questions
What are psychosocial hazards at work?
Anything about how work is designed, managed or experienced that can cause psychological harm. Examples include customer aggression, high emotional demands, poor change management and low support.
Is psychosocial safety training mandatory in Australia?
Training is not mandated as a specific product, but employers must demonstrate they have controlled psychosocial risks. Where staff face aggression or emotional demands, training is a standard and expected control.
What is the difference between psychosocial safety and psychological safety?
Psychosocial safety is a WHS obligation about controlling hazards. Psychological safety is a team culture concept about whether people feel safe to speak up. They overlap but they are not the same thing. Article 10 in this series covers the difference in detail.
References
- Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work
- Safe Work Australia, Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia (2023-24 preliminary)
- SafeWork SA, Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards at work
- WHS Act 2011 (NSW) section 26A, effective 1 July 2026. Legal summary. Web team: add legislation.nsw.gov.au link.
- Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 (Vic). Web team: add legislation.vic.gov.au link.
