Victoria's Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 commenced on 1 December 2025. With that, every Australian jurisdiction now requires employers to explicitly identify, assess, and control psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

This is the completion of a national shift that began three years ago. The debate is no longer whether organisations must manage psychosocial risk. It is whether they can demonstrate they are doing so systematically.

The adoption timeline

The rollout of psychosocial hazard regulations across Australia followed the model WHS framework, with each jurisdiction adopting the amendments at its own pace. Victoria, which operates under separate occupational health and safety legislation, was the last to act.

NSW adopted the model WHS amendments with psychosocial provisions commencing 1 October 2022.

Western Australia commenced its WHS (General) Regulations 2022 including psychosocial risk provisions on 24 December 2022.

Tasmania commenced its WHS Regulations 2022 in December 2022, with the accompanying Code of Practice taking effect on 4 January 2023.

Queensland commenced its psychosocial risks amendment regulation on 1 April 2023.

The Commonwealth commenced Regulations 55A to 55D under the Comcare jurisdiction on 1 April 2023.

Northern Territory commenced its amended WHS Regulations on 1 July 2023.

ACT commenced its Code of Practice and amended Regulations on 27 November 2023.

South Australia commenced its psychosocial risks amendment regulations on 25 December 2023.

Victoria commenced its Psychological Health Regulations 2025 on 1 December 2025.

Key jurisdictional differences

While the national direction is consistent, the detail varies.

Victoria takes a distinct approach to control measures. Under the Victorian Regulations, information, instruction, or training can only be used as the sole control measure if altering the management of work, systems of work, work design, or the workplace environment is not reasonably practicable. Training cannot be the predominant measure. This is a more explicit restriction than the model WHS framework and signals a regulatory expectation that organisations address the design and structure of work, not just the capability of individuals within it.

NSW strengthened its framework through the WHS Regulation 2025, which now explicitly requires the use of the hierarchy of controls for psychosocial risks. Codes of practice function as enforceable benchmarks: an employer who follows the Code is taken to have complied, and an employer who does not must demonstrate an equivalent or higher standard.

Penalty frameworks also differ across jurisdictions. The Commonwealth WHS Act now includes annual CPI-linked penalty indexation, with Category 1 penalties for a body corporate reaching $16.63 million as of 1 July 2024. Victorian penalties operate under separate legislation with different maximum amounts. Each jurisdiction sets its own enforcement priorities, inspection programmes, and prosecution thresholds.

What this means

The regulatory picture as of December 2025 is unambiguous. Every Australian employer, regardless of jurisdiction, state, or industry, has a legal obligation to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risks they create, implement controls, and review those controls over time. The regulatory infrastructure now exists everywhere. What remains is whether individual organisations have built the operational capability to meet it.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information on psychosocial compliance in Australian workplaces. It does not constitute legal advice. Organisations should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to their circumstances. Regulatory dates and references are sourced from jurisdictional regulators and Safe Work Australia as of the date of publication.