Hi Renata – In assessing the impact of high workloads, what should we be reviewing in a risk assessment?
High workload or high job demands are recognised psychosocial hazards, and employers have a duty to manage it just as they do any other workplace hazard. This general duty is stated at s.21 of the OHS Act – an employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for employees of the employer a working environment that is safe and without risks to health.
High job demands means more than just being busy now and then. Workload becomes a hazard when it is severe, prolonged or frequent. Contributors to high workload include:
· Long hours, or not enough time between shifts to recover
· Too much work, a fast pace or constant time pressure
· Long periods of intense attention and high cognitive demand
· Unrealistic workloads tied to promotion or pay rises
· Being given complex tasks without the receiving the right skills, training or resources
The Psychological Health Regulations 2025 require your employer to eliminate or reduce psychosocial hazards in their workplace using a modified hierarchy of controls.
When conducting a workload risk assessment WorkSafe's Compliance Code: Psychological Health says that employers should consider the following:
· Likelihood: How likely is exposure? Is it a one-off, or does it build up over time?
· Duration and frequency: How often and for how long are workers exposed, such as daily, at peak times or during set tasks?
· Severity: How bad could the harm be, from short-term fatigue to lasting injury?
· Who is most at risk: For example, new or young workers, casual and fixed-term staff, or people already facing several hazards.
· How hazards interact: High job demands combined with low job control and poor support make harm more likely and more severe.
· Scope: Does the risk apply across the whole organisation, or to specific teams, tasks, locations or designated work groups?
The Code also says employers should do a formal assessment when it is unclear whether the hazard could cause harm, when existing controls aren't working, and when changes are planned that could affect current controls.
Assessments should use real data, such as focus groups, interviews and de-identified validated surveys, and should cite the evidence used. The people performing the assessment need access to the right knowledge, and if they don't have it, the employer should obtain suitably qualified help s.22(2)(b) to assist them in understanding and managing the hazard.
It must be remembered that a risk assessment is ongoing process, and not a one-off, once-and-done task.
When managing psychosocial hazards, it is important to remember that the controls should fix the work, not the worker. Controls should focus on how work is designed and organised, such as:
· staffing levels
· rostering and working hours
· shift arrangements and task rotation
· breaks during and between shifts
Stress management or resilience training alone doesn't deal with the source of the problem. If a long-term fix such as recruitment will take time, the Code suggests employing interim control measures – for example temporary staff, secondments, reprioritising work or renegotiating deadlines.
Workload problems usually affect more than one person. It is important to talk with co-workers, your HSR and your union organiser to help build the evidence and push for changes that last. If you're an HSR, you can ask to be consulted on the assessment and to see the data and other evidence behind it.
Your employer has a duty at s.35 of the OHS Act to consult with employees and HSRs when identifying and assessing risks and when deciding on controls. They must also take employees' and HSRs’ views into account when choosing controls - s.35(3)(c).
We recommend that your employer develop a prevention plan to manage the psychosocial hazards associated with high job demands. OHS Reps’ Prevention Plan for Psychosocial Hazards provides a template for a written record that documents the risk management process, with consultation prompted at each step.
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