New report on psychological well-being of employees in Australian workplaces released

New Report on Psychological Well-Being of Employees in Australian Workplaces Released

Safe Work Australia has released a new report highlighting emerging patterns in psychological well-being within work environments across the country.

The workplace report on psychological health and safety emphasises the "changing impact" of workplace mental stress injuries in Australia, offering valuable insight for organisations across every industry.

Key Findings From the Report

According to the report, mental health conditions accounted for 9% of serious workers' compensation claims in 2021-22, reflecting a 36.9% rise from 2017-18. This trend shows psychological injuries in Australian workplaces are rising faster than many other claim categories.

Australian workers have been reporting increased symptoms of psychological distress linked to psychosocial hazards, and employers across construction, manufacturing and healthcare industries should take note of these outcomes when reviewing their own safety systems.

What Safe Work Australia Says

Safe Work Australia CEO Marie Boland said, "This new report by Safe Work Australia aims to increase understanding of the impact of psychosocial hazards at work by highlighting trends in psychological health in Australian workplaces."

Her comments reinforce why safe work practices must extend beyond physical hazards to include psychosocial risks that affect employee wellbeing at every level of an organisation.

Why This Matters for Employers

Businesses operating within high-risk industry sectors, including construction and manufacturing, often face compounding psychosocial hazards such as job insecurity, fatigue and workplace violence.

Addressing these risks requires more than good intentions — it calls for structured safety support systems, clear reporting channels and genuine commitment from leadership at every tier.

For organisations seeking practical guidance, SafetyDocs offers related insights in our comparison of workers compensation programs across Australia and New Zealand, which explores how compensation frameworks are adapting to psychosocial claims nationwide.

Victoria has already signalled its intent to strengthen psychosocial protections, as covered in our article on new regulations for safeguarding workers' mental wellbeing. These reforms reflect a broader push toward proactive psychosocial risk management within safe work frameworks.

Workplace violence and aggression remain another pressing concern for safety teams. Our coverage of the report on violence and aggression in Australian workplace settings provides further context on how these hazards intersect with psychological injury claims.

Building a Safer, Healthier Workplace

Employers looking to strengthen their safety documentation should consider services designed to support psychosocial risk management alongside traditional safety obligations.

SafetyDocs provides a range of services and templates, including our safe work method statements, which help businesses embed safety considerations into daily operations across every industry.

For organisations operating in New Zealand, our New Zealand safety management resources offer additional support, alongside tools such as the Hazard Report Form for New Zealand and the Conformance Report for New Zealand, both useful for tracking hazards and compliance outcomes.

Readers wanting more detail on cross-border requirements can also visit our frequently asked questions for New Zealand page.

Ultimately, this report reminds every industry that psychological health deserves the same rigour as physical safety. Employers who invest in psychosocial hazard identification, employee support and robust safe work documentation will be better positioned to protect their workforce and reduce compensation claims over time.

The full psychological health in the workplace report is available on the Safe Work Australia website.