NSW Unveils Psychosocial Advisory Service to Tackle Rising Work Risks

The Minns Labor Government has introduced a new Psychosocial Advisory Service (PAS) to respond to the growing number of psychosocial incidents and requests for support in NSW workplaces. The service is designed to help organisations meet their duties under work health and safety (WHS) laws, particularly in relation to mental health and psychosocial risk management.

Developed in partnership with the Black Dog Institute, the PAS connects workers and employers directly with trained advisers. These advisers provide trauma‑informed guidance on preventing, identifying and managing issues such as bullying, harassment, work‑related stress and psychological injury. The service supports businesses to embed these controls within their WHS management systems, policies and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS).

The initiative is funded through the NSW Government’s $127.7 million investment to strengthen SafeWork NSW’s capability and capacity, including the recruitment of 20 additional specialist psychosocial inspectors. The PAS is a key element of the broader $344 million Workplace Mental Health package, which focuses on improving mental health support and injury prevention strategies across NSW workplaces.

Between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, SafeWork NSW received 3,145 psychosocial‑related requests for service, representing 20.5% of all requests. This is a significant increase from 2021–22, when psychosocial matters accounted for 10% of all requests. The new advisory service is intended as an early intervention mechanism, helping workers and businesses resolve issues before they escalate into serious harm or formal regulatory action.

The launch follows SafeWork NSW’s largest psychosocial compliance campaign to date. Inspectors targeted medium to large businesses across higher‑risk industries, visiting more than 200 workplaces. These visits resulted in over 80 improvement notices related to psychosocial hazards and risk management, highlighting the need for more robust WHS management systems, documented policies and effective consultation processes.

During the compliance blitz, inspectors used a structured psychosocial checklist to guide discussions with PCBUs, managers and workers. They assessed how psychosocial risks were being identified, controlled and monitored in practice, and whether these control measures were reflected in formal WHS documentation such as procedures, SWMS and risk registers. SafeWork NSW also partnered with Lifeline Northern Beaches to provide staff with specialised training in mental health, crisis response and psychosocial risk management.

The PAS launch aligns with significant reforms to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 that came into effect on 1 July 2026. These reforms make WHS codes of practice legally binding in NSW, giving the state the strongest position in the country on the enforceability of codes. Businesses are now required to comply with relevant codes of practice, including the Managing psychosocial hazards at work code of practice, or risk breaching the Act.

These changes mean PCBUs must ensure psychosocial risk controls are clearly integrated into their WHS management systems and supporting documentation. This includes having appropriate policies and procedures in place to manage bullying, harassment, workload, remote and isolated work, and exposure to traumatic events. Organisations seeking to formalise or upgrade their WHS frameworks may benefit from structured WHS management system templates and policy suites, such as those available from providers like Bluesafe Online.

The NSW Government has emphasised that modern workplaces present modern risks, and that psychological harm must be treated as seriously as physical harm. The PAS is intended to provide in‑depth, practical advice rather than functioning as a simple hotline. Workers will have access to confidential, structured conversations, while employers can receive guidance on how to implement sustainable controls and demonstrate due diligence in line with WHS obligations.

Officials have noted that the increase in psychosocial reports and requests for service reflects both a rise in risk and greater awareness of these issues among workers and management. The new cohort of psychosocial inspectors is expected to enhance early detection of psychological hazards and enable prompt interventions before incidents result in significant harm.

Workers who have concerns about psychosocial or other WHS issues can lodge a psychosocial request for service via the SafeWork NSW website, call SafeWork on 13 10 50, or report anonymously through the Speak Up Save Lives app. Further information on the updated codes of practice and regulatory expectations is available on the SafeWork NSW website.

The PAS also builds on the state’s broader suicide prevention agenda, including the landmark Suicide Prevention Act 2025, which adopts a whole‑of‑government approach to mental health and suicide prevention. By integrating psychosocial risk management into everyday WHS practice, the NSW Government aims to ensure workers return home safe, both physically and psychologically, and that businesses have clear, practical guidance to meet their legal obligations.