Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations

Status

The Victorian Government has confirmed new psychological health regulations will be introduced by the end of the year.

The new Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations will put psychosocial hazards on the same footing as physical ones and are expected to make a meaningful difference to safety and wellbeing outcomes across thousands of Victorian workplaces. Psychosocial hazards are work-related factors with potential to cause harm, such as bullying, sexual harassment, aggression or violence and exposure to traumatic events.

The new regulations will create specific obligations for Victorian employers to identify and control psychosocial hazards in their workplaces. They will also provide flexibility for employers, in consultation with employees, to determine what control measures will be most effective in their workplace and adjust them when circumstances change.

A supporting compliance code will also be available to provide employers with practical guidance on how to meet their duties under the new regulations. Additional guidance and templates will be provided, including to promote the use of prevention plans to help identify and manage psychosocial hazards to prevent risks to workers’ health and wellbeing.

These new regulations are being made in response to recommendations to strengthen workplace health and safety laws that better address mental health made by the Boland Review (2018), the Royal Commission into Victoria’s mental health system (2019) and the Productivity Commission inquiry into mental health (2020).

Work-related mental injuries have increased in Victoria in recent years, representing 18 per cent of all new WorkCover claims in 2023-24, up from 16 per cent the previous year and 9 per cent before 2009. These new regulations will help employers to prevent mental injuries from occurring in the first place and create mentally healthy workplace environments.

It’s anticipated the regulations will be made in October and take effect on 1 December this year. They will align with similar regulations introduced in other Australian states and territories.

Register for updates

To receive updates to your inbox about the progress of the regulations and compliance code, email [email protected].

Note: WorkSafe will continue to update this page as work progresses.

Online resources

WorkSafe's website has online resources to support employers to manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

WorkWell is also available to support employers to prevent mental injury and to promote healthy workplaces.