A psychosocial change risk assessment helps businesses identify and manage the people-related risks that can arise when workplace changes are introduced.

Change is a normal part of running a business.

A new roster. A new supervisor. New software. Moving premises. Restructuring a team. Changing someone’s duties. Introducing new equipment. Reducing staffing levels. Changing reporting lines.

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), these decisions are often necessary to improve efficiency, respond to customers or keep operations running smoothly.

But workplace change can also introduce psychosocial hazards.

A change that appears straightforward from an operational perspective may increase workloads, create uncertainty about responsibilities, reduce workers’ control over their jobs or affect the support available to them.

This is why businesses should consider completing a psychosocial change risk assessment before significant workplace changes are introduced.

By identifying potential hazards, consulting affected workers and planning appropriate control measures, businesses can manage the risks associated with change while continuing to improve their operations.

Why a Psychosocial Change Risk Assessment Matters

The NSW Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice recognises organisational and workplace change as an important consideration in managing psychosocial risks.

Affected workers and their Health and Safety Representatives should be consulted as early as possible when changes are proposed to areas such as:

• Organisational restructures and the design or management of work.
• Work locations.
• Tasks and duties.
• Working arrangements.
• New technology.
• Plant and equipment.
• Production processes.
• Workplace redesign.

Guidance also highlights the importance of reviewing control measures before significant organisational or workplace changes occur, including changes to organisational structure, work location, equipment, resources, employment conditions and systems of work.

A psychosocial change risk assessment provides a structured way for businesses to consider how proposed changes could affect workers’ health and safety.

Rather than waiting for problems to emerge after implementation, managers can identify potential hazards, consult affected workers and consider suitable controls before the change takes place.

This is important because a change that appears straightforward from a business or operational perspective may affect workers very differently.

For example, a new roster might improve labour efficiency but make working hours less predictable. A restructure might simplify reporting lines but leave employees uncertain about their responsibilities.

By completing a psychosocial change risk assessment before implementation, businesses have an opportunity to identify these concerns and consider practical solutions.

Assess Psychosocial Risks Before Workplace Change

A psychosocial change risk assessment isn’t intended to determine whether everyone agrees with a business decision.

Its purpose is to ask:

Could the proposed change alter the way people work in a way that creates or increases a psychosocial hazard?

For example, imagine a business introduces a new software system.

The software may eventually make the business more efficient. But during implementation:

• Workers may have to maintain the old and new systems simultaneously.
• Workloads may temporarily increase.
• Workers may be worried about making mistakes.
• Some workers may not have received adequate training.
• Responsibilities may become unclear.
• Experienced workers may suddenly be expected to support everyone else.
• Workers may feel they have little control over how the new system is introduced.

The problem isn’t necessarily the software.

The risk can arise from how the change is designed and implemented.

A psychosocial change risk assessment helps management consider these issues before they become more significant workplace problems.

For example, management might reduce other administrative duties during implementation, provide additional training, clarify responsibilities and allow more time for workers to become familiar with the new system.

SafeWork NSW provides guidance and examples involving uncertainty associated with restructuring, information technology and performance-monitoring systems. These examples highlight the importance of consultation, role clarity, manageable workloads, support and training as potential risk controls.

The key is to assess how the change will affect the people doing the work, not simply whether the proposed change meets its operational objectives.

What Psychosocial Hazards Could Workplace Change Create?

SafeWork NSW identifies common types of psychosocial hazards that businesses should consider when assessing workplace risks.

Depending on the proposed change, relevant hazards may include:

• Role overload: Workers are expected to complete more work than they can reasonably manage.
• Low job control: Workers have less influence over how or when they perform their work.
• Role conflict or lack of role clarity: Responsibilities become unclear or competing expectations arise.
• Poor support: Workers do not receive sufficient assistance, training or supervision.
• Poor organisational change consultation: Workers are not adequately consulted about changes that affect their work and health and safety.
• Poor procedural justice: Workplace decisions or processes are perceived as unfair or inconsistent.

Other hazards may also be relevant, depending on the circumstances.

Importantly, these hazards can interact or combine, potentially increasing the overall risk.

A manager therefore shouldn’t simply ask:

“Have we told everyone about the change?”

They should consider:

“How will this change affect the way our people actually do their jobs?”

That is a very different conversation.

A psychosocial change risk assessment encourages managers to look beyond the announcement itself and consider how the change will affect workloads, working arrangements, workplace relationships and the support available to workers.

It also helps businesses identify whether additional controls are needed before the change proceeds.

How to Conduct a Psychosocial Change Risk Assessment

For most SMEs, a psychosocial change risk assessment doesn’t need to become another complicated, 20-page document.

A short pre-change assessment, completed by the manager responsible for the change, can provide a practical record of the hazards considered, the workers consulted and the controls planned.

The assessment should be proportionate to the nature and complexity of the proposed change. More significant or complex changes may require a more detailed assessment.

Here are 10 questions businesses can use as a starting point.

1. What is changing?

Briefly describe the proposed change and why it is occurring.

For example, the business may be introducing a new roster, implementing software, restructuring a department or relocating its premises.

2. Who will be affected?

Identify the workers, teams, supervisors, contractors or other people whose work may change.

Consider whether different groups may experience different impacts.

3. Could workload or work pressure increase?

Consider additional duties, deadlines, staffing levels, training time and temporary increases in workload.

Ask whether workers will have sufficient time and resources to manage the transition.

4. Will workers have less control over their work?

Consider changes to rosters, work methods, breaks, decision-making, location or flexibility.

Determine whether workers will have reasonable opportunities to raise concerns about how the change affects their work.

5. Will roles or responsibilities change?

Could there be uncertainty about who is responsible for particular tasks or decisions?

Consider whether reporting lines, approval processes or expectations need to be clarified.

6. Could support or supervision decrease?

Consider whether supervisors will have sufficient time and resources to support workers during the transition.

Determine whether additional training, supervision or assistance may be needed.

7. Have affected workers been consulted?

Record who was consulted, when consultation occurred and how workers were given an opportunity to contribute.

Consultation should occur early enough for workers’ input to inform decisions about managing health and safety risks.

8. What concerns or suggestions were raised?

Don’t simply record “consultation completed.”

Capture the issues workers actually identified and consider how those concerns can be addressed.

9. What controls will be implemented before the change?

This might include additional staffing, revised workloads, training, clearer procedures, additional supervision, staged implementation or changes to the proposed design.

Record who is responsible for implementing each control and when it needs to be completed.

10. When will the change be reviewed?

Set a date to speak with workers and check whether the controls are actually working.

Consider whether workload, responsibilities, support or other working conditions have changed following implementation.

A completed psychosocial change risk assessment should provide a clear record of the proposed change, potential hazards, consultation, planned controls and follow-up arrangements.

It should also be updated if circumstances change or new risks are identified.

Consultation is more than communication 

Consultation is more than communication.

Sending an email saying:

“From Monday, we will be implementing a new roster.”

is communication.

Consultation involves giving affected workers a reasonable opportunity to provide information, raise concerns and contribute to decisions about managing the health and safety risks associated with the proposed change.

SafeWork NSW identifies consultation with workers as part of identifying and controlling psychosocial hazards. Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) also have duties to consult workers who may be affected by a health and safety matter, in accordance with applicable WHS legislation.

That doesn’t mean every business decision has to be made by committee.

It means the people who actually perform the work can often identify consequences that aren’t obvious to the person designing the change.

For example, employees may know that a proposed roster will leave the workplace short of experienced staff during busy periods. They may also identify training requirements or practical problems with a new process that management hasn’t considered.

A psychosocial change risk assessment should therefore include meaningful consultation, not simply a record confirming that an announcement was sent.

Workers’ feedback can help management identify hazards, evaluate proposed controls and determine whether changes to the implementation plan are needed.

Consultation should also continue where appropriate after implementation, particularly when the business needs to review whether its control measures are effective.

Workplace Change Risk Assessment Example: Introducing a New Roster

Consider a registered club introducing a new roster to reduce labour costs.

The proposed roster may make financial sense, but completing a psychosocial change risk assessment might identify that:

• Fewer experienced employees will be working during busy periods.
• Supervisors will have responsibility for larger teams.
• Some employees will lose predictability in their working hours.
• Workers may have less opportunity to take breaks.
• Customer aggression may be more difficult to manage with fewer experienced staff available.
• The duty manager may become the escalation point for significantly more incidents.

The answer isn’t necessarily to abandon the new roster.

Instead, the assessment allows management to consider controls before implementation.

For example, the club could:

• Adjust staffing during peak periods.
• Ensure an experienced supervisor is always available.
• Provide rosters further in advance.
• Establish a clear escalation process for difficult customer interactions.
• Review the new roster with workers after four weeks.

SafeWork NSW’s guidance includes examples of psychosocial risk controls involving adequate staffing during peak periods, experienced workers on shifts and releasing rosters ahead of time.

This example demonstrates how a psychosocial change risk assessment can identify risks that might otherwise be overlooked during operational planning.

By considering staffing levels, supervision, working hours and customer interactions before implementation, management has an opportunity to introduce practical controls and reduce the likelihood of problems developing.

The business can still pursue its operational objectives while taking reasonable steps to protect workers’ health and safety.

Managing Psychosocial Risks When Introducing New Software

A 20-person business decides to introduce a new job management system.

Rather than simply purchasing the software, providing one training session and setting a go-live date, management completes a psychosocial change risk assessment.

The assessment identifies that employees will need to use two systems temporarily.

Management recognises this could increase workload and uncertainty.

Controls might therefore include:

• Reducing other administrative requirements during implementation.
• Providing practical training before go-live.
• Nominating an internal system champion.
• Allowing additional time to complete tasks.
• Providing clear instructions about responsibilities.
• Establishing a process for workers to report problems.
• Reviewing workloads two and six weeks after implementation.

The business still implements the technology.

It simply manages the people risks associated with the change.

A psychosocial change risk assessment is particularly useful when introducing new technology because the transition can affect workloads, training requirements, role clarity and workers’ confidence.

Assessing these factors before implementation allows businesses to plan support and minimise avoidable disruption.

It also gives management a clear process for responding if the original implementation plan creates unexpected difficulties.

Reviewing Your Psychosocial Change Risk Assessment

One of the most useful questions on the assessment may be:

“When will we review this?”

A psychosocial change risk assessment completed before implementation is based partly on what management expects will happen.

Once the change is operating, the business can determine what is actually happening.

SafeWork NSW states that control measures should be maintained and reviewed to ensure they remain effective. Workplace changes that could create new risks should also be reviewed.

The review can be simple.

What is working?

What isn’t working?

Has workload changed?

Are responsibilities clear?

Do workers have enough support?

Have any new hazards appeared?

Do we need to change any controls?

Record the discussion and any actions that result.

For example, a new roster may initially appear manageable but lead to increasing overtime or missed breaks after several weeks. A new software system may reveal additional training needs once employees begin using it in their everyday work.

Reviewing the psychosocial change risk assessment allows management to identify these issues and determine whether additional controls are necessary.

The review date should be appropriate to the nature of the change and the risks involved. More significant changes may require earlier or more frequent reviews.

The assessment shouldn’t end when the change is implemented. It should help the business determine whether the change is working safely in practice.

Implementing Psychosocial Risk Assessments in SMEs

Psychosocial risk management doesn’t always require another large policy.

Sometimes the most effective approach is to incorporate psychosocial considerations into decisions the business is already making.

A psychosocial change risk assessment could become a simple trigger whenever a business proposes a significant change involving people or how work is performed.

For example:

• New roster: Complete the assessment.
• New software: Complete the assessment.
• Restructure: Complete the assessment.
• New supervisor or reporting structure: Complete the assessment.
• Relocation: Complete the assessment.
• Significant change in duties: Complete the assessment.
• New production process or equipment: Complete the assessment.

For a small business, that creates a straightforward rule:

Before we significantly change how people work, we consider how the change could affect their health and safety.

A psychosocial change risk assessment provides a consistent process for identifying potential hazards, consulting affected workers, considering controls and planning a review.

The completed assessment can also provide evidence of the business’s risk management process. However, completing the document alone does not demonstrate that all legal obligations have been met; the business must also implement appropriate controls and meet its applicable WHS duties.

For SMEs, the aim is to make psychosocial risk management practical and proportionate rather than unnecessarily complicated.

A simple, repeatable process can help managers consider the people-related risks associated with change before implementation.

Good Change Management Starts with Risk Assessment

Businesses will always need to change.

The objective of psychosocial risk management isn’t to prevent change or make management afraid to make decisions.

It is to recognise that how change is planned, communicated, consulted on, implemented and reviewed can affect workers’ psychological and physical health and safety.

A five- or ten-minute assessment before implementing a relatively simple change may identify an issue that would otherwise become a much larger problem several weeks later.

For SMEs, that’s exactly what good WHS management should look like:

Identify the risk early, talk to the people doing the work, put sensible controls in place and check that they are working.

A psychosocial change risk assessment helps turn this principle into a practical process that managers can apply when introducing new rosters, technology, organisational structures, equipment or working arrangements.

It encourages businesses to consider the impact on workers before making changes, rather than waiting until problems emerge.

It also creates an opportunity to involve workers in decisions that affect their work and to improve the way changes are introduced and managed.

Ultimately, a psychosocial change risk assessment is not just another form to complete. It is a practical tool for identifying hazards, managing risks and helping businesses introduce workplace changes more safely.

When businesses combine early risk assessment with meaningful worker consultation, appropriate controls and ongoing review, they are better positioned to manage change while protecting workers’ health and safety.

Need Support With Psychosocial Risk Management?

Managing psychosocial risks during workplace change is an important part of an effective work health and safety system.

If your organisation needs support strengthening its WHS processes or integrating psychosocial risk management into existing systems, contact CHD Partners to discuss your requirements.

CHD Partners can help your organisation explore practical approaches to workplace health and safety, risk management and compliance.

References 

SafeWork NSW, Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work.

SafeWork NSW, Psychosocial Hazards.

SafeWork NSW, Designing Work to Manage Psychosocial Risks.

I think this would work particularly well as part of the CIRT Psychosocial Risk Register rather than as a standalone “HR form”. A manager could select New Psychosocial Change Risk Assessment, answer the 10 questions, record consultation and controls, nominate responsible people, and set a review date. That would create a very practical evidence trail from proposed change → consultation → risk assessment → controls → review.