Psychosocial Safety in Action What Leaders and Boards Need to Know.
- kristen12464
- Nov 2
- 2 min read
Why Psychosocial Safety Matters
The landscape of workplace safety is changing - FAST.
Mental health, trust and culture are now central to business risk and performance. Psychosocial safety is no longer a cultural ideal. It is a legal and strategic requirement that demands attention from every leader and board member.
At Humn we believe the most successful organisations are those that design environments where people feel safe, respected and supported. This is not only good for culture it is critical to governance compliance and reputation.
Case Study: What the Toy Networx Legal Ruling Taught Us
A recent legal case in Victoria offered a stark warning for Australian businesses. Toy Networx was fined $100,000 for failing to address inappropriate workplace behaviour and psychological harm or risks.
“Every worker has a right to feel safe and supported at work – including knowing there is a formal process in place for raising any concerns about their experiences in the workplace,” said WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin.
The company had no behaviour policy, no training, no reporting process and no formal systems in place.
The court ruled this was a clear breach of their duty of care under WHS laws. It highlighted that informal chats and good intentions are not enough.
Leaders and boards must implement structured processes, systems and controls to protect people from harm.
This case reminds us that psychosocial safety is both a governance responsibility and a legal obligation.
Leadership Priorities Your Top 7 Non-Negotiables
Leaders must move beyond awareness into action.
These are seven clear priorities:
Treat policies as live risk controls
Embed training throughout the employee lifecycle
Capture data and act on it
Review psychosocial risks at board and executive level
Build reporting processes that people trust
Train leaders to model safe behaviour
Resource teams to manage risks effectively
What leaders permit they ultimately promote.
Action builds trust. Inaction builds risk.
How Boards Can Measure Psychosocial Risk
Boards cannot govern what they cannot see. A Psychosocial Safety Dashboard ensures directors are tracking the right things.
Key indicators include:
Trust in leadership
Role clarity and workload balance
Hazard and incident reporting rates
Turnover and exit themes
Timeframes for resolving issues and conflicts
Are Dashboards all Green - dig deeper!! (Watermelon effect)
These measures give boards visibility of early warning signs, long before claims compensation or resignations occur.
Micro-Moments Build Culture One Action at a Time
True leadership is proven in the small consistent moments.
A quick check-in at the start of a meeting.
Thanking someone for raising a concern.
Courageously and respectfully calling out disrespect or harm in the moment
These are the moments that build trust and safety.
Psychosocial safety is everyone’s job and leadership sets the standard.
Ready to Lead the Future of Workplace Psychosocial Safety
Join the humn movement.
Access our tools insights and leadership programs to help you meet your responsibilities, duty of care and create workplaces where people can thrive.
Connect with us
Email: hello@humn.global
Phone: +61 8 7008 9826 7008 9826+61 8 7008 9826+61 8 7008 9826
Comments