What Are Psychosocial Risks?

Psychosocial risks, often referred to as PSRs, are workplace risks related to factors such as the nature and organization of work that can affect employees’ physical or psychological health.

They can be present in any workplace and should be considered alongside other occupational health and safety risks.

Psychosocial risks can include workplace harassment, different forms of violence and exposure to potentially traumatic events. Certain aspects of how work is organized, such as a high workload, limited autonomy, lack of recognition or insufficient support, can also influence employee health and well-being.

For organizations, preventing psychosocial risks therefore means looking not only at individuals, but also at the conditions in which work is performed.

What Are the Main Psychosocial Risks?

Psychosocial risks in the workplace can include:

• Psychological or sexual harassment
• Workplace violence
• Domestic or family violence that may occur or have an impact in the workplace
• Sexual violence
• Exposure to potentially traumatic events

These risks can exist across industries and occupations and are not limited to specific types of workplaces.

What Are Psychosocial Risk Factors?

It is useful to distinguish between psychosocial risks and psychosocial risk factors.

Risk factors relate to how work is organized and experienced on a day-to-day basis. In Québec, the CNESST highlights five factors in particular: decision-making autonomy, workload, organizational justice, recognition at work and workplace support.

These factors do not necessarily exist in isolation. They can interact with one another, and their combination can contribute to more challenging situations for employees.

For example, a period of high workload may be experienced differently depending on the resources available, support from managers, clarity of priorities and the employee’s level of autonomy.

How Can Organizations Identify Psychosocial Risks?

Psychosocial risks are not always as visible as physical workplace hazards. Identifying them therefore requires organizations to pay attention to several dimensions of work.

This can include examining workload distribution, roles and responsibilities, management practices, workplace relationships, recognition practices, employee autonomy and the support available to employees.

Organizational indicators can also signal a need for further analysis. These may include a deteriorating workplace climate, recurring conflicts, high turnover or increased absenteeism.

These indicators do not necessarily demonstrate the presence of a specific psychosocial risk on their own, but they can provide a reason to better understand what is happening within the workplace.

Why Is Workload an Important Factor?

Workload is not simply the number of tasks an employee is expected to complete. It can also be influenced by the complexity of those tasks, deadlines, interruptions, conflicting demands, urgent requests and the resources available.

A high workload may involve unrealistic objectives, excessive amounts of work, complex responsibilities, insufficient staffing or inadequate time to complete tasks.

Preventing risks related to workload therefore involves more than asking employees to manage their priorities more effectively. Organizations also need to consider how work is distributed, organized and supported.

What Role Do Managers Play?

Managers have an important role in preventing psychosocial risks because they directly influence many aspects of their teams’ day-to-day work.

They can help clarify expectations, support employees when difficulties arise, ensure appropriate resources are available, recognize employees’ contributions and maintain regular communication.

Workplace support can include operational assistance as well as informational and emotional support from colleagues and managers.

However, prevention is not solely the responsibility of managers. Organizational practices, policies, available resources and broader organizational decisions also play an important role.

How Can Psychosocial Risks Be Prevented?

Prevention begins by identifying existing or potential risks and risk factors and implementing measures to address and control them.

Depending on the organization, this may involve reviewing workloads, clarifying responsibilities, improving communication, providing greater support to managers, strengthening recognition practices or establishing mechanisms for employees to report and address workplace concerns.

The objective is not to eliminate every source of pressure or difficulty from the workplace. Rather, it is to address working conditions that could compromise employees’ health, safety and well-being.

Psychosocial Risks and Psychological Health: What Is the Difference?

The two concepts are closely related, but they are not the same.

Psychosocial risks refer to workplace situations and factors that may negatively affect employees. Psychological health refers more broadly to a person’s psychological health and well-being.

This distinction is important from a prevention perspective. Supporting an employee who is experiencing difficulties is one part of the response, but organizations should also examine workplace conditions that may contribute to or aggravate those difficulties.

In Summary

Psychosocial risks are workplace risks that can affect employees’ physical and psychological health. They can include harassment, violence and exposure to potentially traumatic events, while factors such as workload, autonomy, recognition, support and organizational justice can also influence workplace health.

For organizations, prevention involves understanding how work is actually experienced and taking action on organizational practices, working conditions and the way work is structured.

HR consulting can help organizations review their practices, identify potential areas of risk and develop measures adapted to their workplace reality.