A long time employee was placed under investigation, removed from her workplace, given no details of the allegations for three months, and moved to unrelated duties for the duration. Seven months in, she called SafeWork NSW. What followed was two improvement notices, two rounds of challenge, and two years of the Department of Education losing. The investigation process itself was the hazard — and the lesson applies to every employer running one.

A safety regulator recently halted a university restructure — not because of a site incident, but because of the psychosocial risk the change process created for workers. Regulators are enforcing psychological health obligations in ways we haven't seen before. So how do you actually identify and control psychosocial risks? You start by asking the people who live with them every day.

As NSW rolls out mandatory psychological first aid (PFA) training under its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for First Responders, there’s a clear message: psychosocial support must move beyond crisis lines and pamphlets. This blog explores how recruitment and on-hire businesses — and indeed, any employer — can take practical steps to embed mental health support into everyday operations.

NSW’s new psychological first aid (PFA) mandate underscores the need for businesses to proactively manage psychosocial risks under WHS legislation. This includes identifying hazards, implementing controls like workload planning, and providing support systems. Relying solely on Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) isn’t enough. Integrating Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) into daily operations offers accessible, peer-led support and helps businesses shift from a reactive approach to one focused on prevention and care.