Psychologically Safe Workplaces

Discover how evolving work health and safety laws highlight the need for self-aware leadership to create thriving, psychologically safe workplaces. LEAD UP INTERNATIONAL recommends assessing and enhancing your leadership style to adapt effectively to these changes.

Leadership culture creates workplace of thriving

Important changes to Commonwealth work health and safety laws came into place in April 2023, with the penalty consequences commencing as of December 2023. These changes detail how employers must identify and manage hazards and risks to workers’ psychological health and safety.

Businesses will need to review their current strategies for managing psychological risks, as well as the tools they implement to foster mentally healthy workplaces (including how they engage and consult with their workers, as well as document these meetings).

As a business owner or manager, there is a Model Code of Practice that Comcare has provided for specific tasks you can implement to identify and minimise hazards and risks. Detailing 14 main psychological hazards workplaces can experience:

• Job Demand

• Low job control

• Poor support

• Lack of role clarity

• Poor organisational change management

• Inadequate reward and recognition

• Poor organisational justice

• Traumatic events or materials

• Remote or isolated work

• Poor physical environment

• Violence and aggression

• Bullying

• Harassment, including sexual harassment

• Conflict or poor workplace relationships or interactions

Here at LEAD UP INTERNATIONAL, our view has always been that a self-aware leadership style will have a flow on effect to create a safe workplace. We believe that the quality of the leader contributes to the mental wellness of the whole company. A self-aware leader makes better business decisions, delegates appropriately, builds stronger relationships within the team, seeks support when they need it, creates an environment of growth and development, and overall enhances the culture of workplaces. A self-aware leader is often also human-centric . They create an environment where open dialogue is encouraged – which is the first step in these new Workplace Health and Safety law changes.

With these new changes coming into play, our recommendation would be to first look inwards and assess what sort of a leader you are. To be the leader your team deserves, you need to cultivate your own self-awareness to ensure you can respond effectively in all situations. Take stock of your own strengths and weaknesses – by understanding these, you can more readily seek and accept the help of others, and you can better connect with the team you are leading.

If you want to learn more about how you can become a self-aware leader, and how this will be an advantage with these new penalties coming into effect, contact LEAD UP INTERNATIONAL . With over three decades of experience in Leadership & Executive Coaching; complimented by my expertise & qualifications in Organisational Psychology, I would be delighted to be of service to you on your leadership journey to success.