What do Victoria's psychosocial regulations (2025) require from employers?

Victoria's Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 started on 1 December 2025. They require employers to identify psychosocial hazards and to eliminate the risks, or reduce them by changing how work is designed and managed. Training alone is only acceptable where changing the work is not reasonably practicable.

What employers must do

• Identify psychosocial hazards, so far as is reasonably practicable, in consultation with employees

• Eliminate the risks so far as is reasonably practicable

• If they cannot be eliminated, reduce them by changing work design, systems of work, the work environment, plant or how work is managed

• Use information, instruction or training as the only control only when no change to the work is reasonably practicable, and never as the main control when combined with others

• Review and, if needed, revise controls at the required trigger points, and record what was decided

When controls must be reviewed

• Before a change that is likely to affect psychosocial risks

• When new information about the risks becomes available

• When an employee reports a psychological injury or a psychosocial hazard

• After an incident involving psychosocial hazards

• When controls are not adequate

• When a health and safety representative requests it

What is not in the final regulations

Earlier drafts proposed mandatory written prevention plans and reporting of complaints by larger employers. Neither is in the final regulations. WorkSafe has a voluntary prevention plan template and a compliance code to help employers comply.

Common psychosocial hazards on construction and high-risk sites

• High job demands and long hours, often driven by program pressure

• Low job control and poor role clarity across multiple contractors

• Bullying, aggression and harassment

• Exposure to traumatic events such as serious incidents

• Poor support from supervisors and poor change management

How CWT helps

Every CWT site WHS audit checks psychosocial hazards against these regulations. A single-site audit is a fixed $2,450 + GST. Ongoing support is available through the Compliance Watch retainer from $1,650 + GST per month.

Talk to Chris

CWT Safety & Advisory is based in Frankston South and works across Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and regional Victoria. Call Chris Warren on 0415 637 981, see every fixed fee on the pricing page, or send a request through the contact page.