Understanding Psychosocial Safety – What It Means for Your Business

Psychosocial safety is a growing focus in Australian workplaces - and for good reason. At its core, it’s about protecting mental health and emotional wellbeing at work. The updated WHS laws across most states now require business owners to identify and manage psychosocial hazards - things like high stress, bullying, poor communication, lack of role clarity, and unrealistic workloads. These risks can affect how your people feel, perform, and stay engaged.

If you’re a small business owner, this doesn’t mean you need to become an expert overnight. It’s about creating a workplace where people feel safe, heard, and respected. Even simple steps like better conversations, clearer expectations, and inclusive practices can go a long way. At the recent Psychosocial Safety Summit, I was fortunate to hear from a range of experts and lived experience advocates who shared powerful, practical strategies. Here are my key takeaways - insights you can start thinking about and gently applying in your business today.

1. Unconscious Bias Is Everyone’s Business – Clare Edwards

Clare Edwards introduced the SPEAR model to help us reflect on the mental shortcuts we all take. These biases can unintentionally shape hiring decisions, team dynamics, and leadership choices. To reduce them:

• Similarity – We naturally favour those like us. Challenge yourself to seek out different perspectives.
  
• Perception – We often reinforce assumptions. Get curious and ask yourself, “What else could be true?”
  
• Experience – Our reality isn’t the only reality. Stay open, curious, and humble.
  
• Availability – Don’t rush important decisions based on what’s top-of-mind.
  
• Risk – Let go of sunk costs. Ask yourself what you’d advise a friend in the same situation.
  
  

As Clare said, “To know and not to do is not to know.”

2. Toxic Teams Can Be Turned Around – Blyde Neser

Toxicity often starts at the heart of the team - trust, connection, and culture. Blyde Neser reminded us that teams are like living organisms, and imbalance in one part can affect the whole. She challenged us to look at what’s growing in our culture: is it respect and empathy, or gossip and fear?

She shared the Five Dysfunctions of a Team (Lencioni): lack of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. If someone is disengaged or underperforming, ask: Have they lost connection to the team’s purpose?

3. Burnout Isn’t Just About Workload – Alexandra Joy

After her own experience with burnout, Alexandra Joy created the SHIFT method:

• Stop – Interrupt the pattern.
  
• Shift – Take regular 90-second micro-breaks.
  
• Hold – Regulate your nervous system.
  
• Intuit – Listen to your body’s “second brain.”
  
• Heart – Feel emotions fully.
  
• Think – Reframe your internal dialogue from “I have to” to “I choose to.”
  
  

She reminded us that self-trust is built in moments of pause, not push.

4. Safety Is a Human Right – Patrizia Cassaniti

Patrizia Cassaniti shared the heartbreaking loss of her son in a preventable workplace accident. Her message was clear: “She’ll be right” will never be right. Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we all have the right - and the duty - to say no to unsafe practices. Leaders must create space where employees feel safe to speak up.

5. Gut Health, Mental Clarity, and Self-Awareness – John Toomey

John Toomey connected the dots between physical and mental wellbeing. Poor gut health is linked to conditions like depression and burnout. His advice? Move your body in nature, eat well, and learn to name what you’re feeling. The goal isn’t perfection - it’s clarity.

6. Neuro-Inclusion Is Essential – Marianne Power

Marianne Power's story was deeply personal and powerful. She challenged us to create workplaces where neurodivergent professionals don’t just survive - they thrive. Start with curiosity, not assumptions. Focus on strengths, not deficits. Ask reflective questions like:

• What helps you perform at your best?
  
• What’s gotten in the way before?
  
• What supports do you need?
  
• What growth opportunities excite you?

Inclusion starts with intention.

7. Cultural Safety Is Real Safety – Leroy Maher

Leroy Maher reminded us that equity isn’t about treating everyone the same - it’s about acknowledging and removing barriers. He spoke of cultural trauma, the persistence of racism, and the need for Aboriginal-led co-design. Cultural safety means creating an environment that is emotionally, socially, and spiritually safe - free from denial of identity or need. It’s about respect, representation, and responsibility.

8. The System Is Broken—But We Can Do Better – Nicole Turnbull

Nicole Turnbull outlined the journey of a psychosocial safety issue as it moves from the individual to systems: culture, bystanders, managers, HR, unions, agencies, and legal processes. The further from the individual, the higher the risk of harm. Her advice? Prevention starts with safe spaces where people can self-manage and speak up early. If we don’t make space for safety, we’ll always be reacting instead of preventing.

9. Aggression Has a Pattern – Dr Carolyn Howe & Dr Samantha Ferguson

Dr Carolyn Howe & Dr Samantha Ferguson discussed with us aggression in the workplace - whether from employees or customers - usually follows a pattern: a triggering event, emotional discomfort, and escalating behaviour. To reduce risk:

• Train staff to spot early signs.
  
• Review environmental factors like noise and lighting.
  
• Build policies that prioritise de-escalation.
  
• Encourage peer support, micro-breaks, and stress resets.
  
  

Self-compassion isn’t soft - it’s what helps people stay calm, connected, and effective.

Final Thoughts

This summit was more than just professional development - it was a heartfelt reminder that workplaces are human places. A huge thank you to Nicole Turnbull for creating such a genuine, compassionate space for professionals to come together, learn, and connect on such an important topic. The honesty, vulnerability, and practical insights shared were a gift.

If you’re a business owner, you don’t need to overhaul everything overnight—but doing something to support psychosocial safety is a powerful step forward. Start small: have a conversation, check in with your team, review your expectations, or just ask, “How safe do people feel here?”

Because when people feel safe, they show up fully - and that’s where the magic happens.

Let’s build better workplaces, together.