OHS: Psychosocial injuries in schools on the rise
Psychosocial injuries are on the rise in schools, with 19% of recent injuries among education staff being psychological, according to WorkSafe.
Psychosocial hazards are work-related factors that negatively impact mental health and wellbeing, potentially leading to stress, anxiety, burnout, or other psychological injuries. These hazards can also contribute to physical health issues.
Employers are responsible for identifying and managing these risks, the same as with physical hazards, to create a safe and healthy workplace.
The following list of common psychosocial hazards will be familiar to most education workers.
Common Psychosocial Hazards:
Bullying and Harassment – Persistent mistreatment, intimidation, or discrimination.
Excessive Workloads – Unrealistic deadlines, high pressure, or insufficient resources.
Poor Workplace Relationships – Conflict, lack of support, or toxic work environments.
Job Insecurity – Uncertainty about employment stability or unfair treatment.
Lack of Control – Little say in work tasks, decisions, or how work is done.
Exposure to Trauma – Dealing with distressing situations, such as violence or abuse.
Bullying, harassment, and excessive workloads are widely recognised as serious risks.
Victorian psychosocial regulations
Victoria was the first state to commit to stronger regulations for managing these hazards, and the IEU supported the initial drafts of those laws, which promised significant improvements. However, long years of delays while other states moved ahead with similar laws have left us as the final jurisdiction to actually implement them. While the Victorian Government has recommitted to enacting the regulations by year-end, there are concerns that the final version may be significantly weakened.
These regulations should treat psychosocial risks as seriously as physical ones, requiring employers to identify and manage hazards such as bullying, sexual harassment, aggression, violence, and exposure to trauma.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety, Sam Jenkin, emphasized that the reforms will “send a clear message that employers must treat psychosocial hazards just as seriously as physical ones.”
That message should already be a priority in every school - but we need laws that reflect it.
The IEU remains hopeful that the final legislation delivers on its original promise and provides strong protections for Victorian workers.
Current WorkSafe guidelines for work-related stress bullying and harassment in educational settings:
Develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures for workplace bullying and harassment.
Encourage a positive workplace culture, including reporting of bullying and harassment.
Hold regular team meetings and debriefing sessions for staff to raise OHS matters.
Ensure all employees (including emergency and student teachers, temporary staff) understand what bullying and harassment is, and the procedures for reporting incidents (e.g. policies and procedures should be promoted during employee induction and workplace bullying prevention or training).
Provide access and encourage employees to use employee counselling / support services, where possible.
Train employees on how to identify and defuse potentially volatile situations.
Encourage employees to report any workplace stress factors (e.g. work demand, low control, poor support, lack of role clarity, organisational culture) and control appropriately.
