As we celebrate World Day for Safety and Health at Work, many organisations have made significant progress in managing physical safety at work. However, a critical gap remains.

Increasingly, the most significant risks to both people and organisational performance are not physical; they are psychosocial, arising from how work is designed, managed, and experienced.

Recent global analysis by the ILO highlights the scale of the issue. Psychosocial risk factors are linked to over 840,000 deaths annually, alongside substantial economic impact and productivity loss.

Despite this, many organisations are not yet managing these risks in a structured or systematic way.

Keep reading as we outline what psychosocial risks are and how organisations can benefit from adopting a more structured and preventative approach.

What is meant by psychosocial risk?

Psychosocial risks are often misunderstood as issues relating to individual resilience or wellbeing. In practice, they are rooted in the design of work itself. They typically arise from three areas:

• The job – workload, task design, level of responsibility
• How work is managed – leadership, clarity, autonomy and support
• Organisational systems – working time, job security, policies and culture

When these elements are poorly designed or inconsistently managed, they can lead to sustained pressure, stress, and reduced performance.

Why this matters for organisations

Psychosocial risk is not solely a wellbeing concern, it is a core business issue. Evidence consistently links poorly managed work environments to:

• Increased absence and presenteeism
• Higher turnover and retention challenges
• Reduced productivity and performance
• Greater exposure to grievances and legal risk

Long working hours alone remain widespread, with around 35% of workers globally working more than 48 hours per week, highlighting the scale of exposure in many organisations.

The implication is clear: how work is designed directly affects organisational outcomes.

Common risk patterns in organisations

Across sectors, similar themes tend to emerge:

• Workload and pace – Sustained high workloads, unrealistic deadlines, or long working hours.
• Lack of role clarity – Unclear expectations, competing priorities, or confusion around decision-making.
• Low autonomy – Limited control over how work is carried out, often within highly prescribed environments.
• Management capability gaps – Managers expected to lead people without the necessary skills or support.
• Change without adequate support – Frequent organisational change with limited communication, involvement, or clarity.

Individually, these issues may appear manageable. In combination, they can create significant and sustained risk.

What effective organisations do differently

Organisations that manage psychosocial risk effectively tend to adopt a more structured and preventative approach.

Three characteristics are typically evident:

1. They treat it as a risk management issue – Psychosocial risks are integrated into health and safety and organisational risk frameworks, rather than addressed only through wellbeing initiatives.

2. They focus on root causes – Attention is given to workload, work design and management practices, rather than relying solely on individual-level support.

3. They involve both managers and employees – Insight is drawn from how work is actually experienced, ensuring that actions are relevant and practical.

A practical starting point

A structured approach does not need to be complex. A simple five-step model can provide a useful starting point:

1. Identify the risks – Use a combination of employee feedback, organisational data, and known pressure points.
2. Prioritise – Focus on areas with the greatest exposure and impact.
3. Take action on work design – Review workload, role clarity, autonomy and management practices.
4. Equip managers – Provide managers with the capability to identify issues early and respond effectively.
5. Review and adapt – Ensure that actions are monitored and adjusted over time.

Final reflection

Psychosocial risks are not a new phenomenon, but expectations around how organisations manage them are evolving. There is a growing recognition that effective risk management is not only about protecting people from harm, but about designing work in a way that enables them to perform well. To support this, we offer two practical resources: our Psychosocial Risk: A 10-Minute Workplace Health Check, designed to help organisations quickly identify potential psychosocial risks in the workplace, and our Psychosocial Risk Assessment Tool, which provides a more detailed evaluation to support informed action.

Organisations that address psychosocial risks proactively are likely to see benefits not only in employee wellbeing, but also in performance, resilience and long-term sustainability.