If you’ve been anywhere near LinkedIn in the last fortnight, you’ve probably seen the headlines: Australia’s updated Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards in the workplace is now in effect across most states. And honestly, it’s about time.

But between the legal jargon and the hot takes, it can be hard to figure out what this actually means if you’re someone who, you know, just goes to work every day and wants to not burn out doing it.

So let me break it down.

What Changed?

The original Work Health and Safety (WHS) regulations have always included a duty of care for psychological health. But the updated code, which builds on Safe Work Australia’s model framework, now spells out specific psychosocial hazards that employers must actively identify and manage.

We’re talking about things like:

• Excessive workloads and unrealistic deadlines
• Low job control — being micromanaged or having no say in how you do your work
• Poor organisational change management — restructures handled badly, lack of communication
• Workplace conflict and bullying
• Remote and hybrid work isolation
• Exposure to traumatic content or events

The shift here isn’t that these things are newly recognised as harmful. Research has established that for years. What’s changed is that employers now have clearer, more enforceable obligations to do something about them.

Why This Matters Right Now

Mental health claims in Australian workplaces have been climbing steadily. According to Safe Work Australia data, psychological injury claims cost an average of three times more than physical injury claims, and workers are off the job significantly longer.

The pandemic accelerated a lot of conversations about burnout, boundaries, and what we’re willing to tolerate at work. But conversations alone don’t change systems. Policy does.

This updated code gives workers and safety reps something concrete to point to. If your employer is ignoring chronic understaffing, or if organisational change is being handled with all the grace of a wrecking ball, there’s now a clearer framework to say: this is a hazard, and you need to manage it.

What Employers Should Actually Be Doing

If you’re a manager or business owner reading this, here’s the practical bit. The code doesn’t require perfection. It requires a systematic approach:

1. Identify psychosocial hazards through consultation with workers, surveys, and incident data
2. Assess the level of risk — how likely is harm, and how serious could it be?
3. Control the risks using the hierarchy of controls (eliminate, substitute, isolate, engineer, administrate)
4. Review your controls regularly, especially after incidents or significant changes

For small and medium businesses, this can feel overwhelming. Many are turning to external consultants to help set up frameworks — firms like AI consultants Brisbane are helping businesses use technology to monitor and manage psychosocial risk more effectively, which is one practical path forward.

The key thing is that “we didn’t know” is no longer a reasonable defence. The code makes the expectations explicit.

What Workers Can Do

If you’re an employee, here’s what I’d suggest:

Know your rights. You can raise psychosocial hazards with your health and safety representative, or directly with your employer. They have a legal obligation to respond.

Document what you’re experiencing. Keep notes on workload, hours, incidents — not to be litigious, but because specifics matter when raising concerns.

Use your EAP if you have one. Employee Assistance Programs aren’t perfect, but they’re a free, confidential starting point.

Talk to your GP. If work stress is affecting your sleep, your appetite, your relationships — that’s a health issue, and your doctor can help.

The Bigger Picture

I think what excites me most about this code update isn’t the compliance side. It’s the cultural signal. Australia is saying, clearly and formally, that psychological safety at work isn’t optional. It’s not a nice-to-have. It’s a legal baseline.

We’ve spent decades building safety frameworks for physical hazards. Hard hats, guardrails, chemical handling procedures. The idea that psychological hazards deserve the same systematic attention shouldn’t feel radical, but for a lot of workplaces, it still does.

This code won’t fix everything overnight. But it gives us a foundation to build on, and it puts the responsibility where it belongs — on the systems and structures, not just on individuals trying to meditate their way through a toxic workplace.

That’s progress. And I’ll take it.

If you’re navigating workplace mental health challenges, Beyond Blue’s support line is available at 1300 22 4636, and Lifeline is always there at 13 11 14.