The recent changes to psychosocial risk obligations have prompted many organisations to look again at their approach. From our perspective at The Zalt Group, the challenge is not organisational awareness of the rules, it is knowing where risk actually sits before people become stuck, positions harden, or the temperature rises.
We work with organisations across sectors, often when work has become strained. That gives us a particular vantage point. We see the patterns that develop over time, the issues that have not yet tipped into formal action, and the moments where earlier intervention would have changed the trajectory.
Two psychosocial hazards consistently show up in our work.
- Poor behaviour that has quietly become part of the system
By the time we are involved, organisations are rarely dealing with a single incident. More often, it is behaviour that has been tolerated, normalised, worked around, or ignored. Often this happens with good intentions, people are trying to keep things moving or avoid making matters worse.
In our work, we commonly see:
- Leaders whose tone or volatility is managed by others rather than addressed
- Teams who adapt to being spoken to poorly or dismissed
- HR and leaders who sense risk but feel unsure when or how to intervene
This is where people start to become stuck at work. Energy shifts into self-protection and avoidance. Trust begins to fray, even if no one names it. We hear comments like:
- “Nothing ever changes here.”
- “They always get away with it.”
Psychosocial risk here is not about intent. It is about impact, repetition, and the absence of timely intervention.
What good looks like
Risk reduces when organisations treat behaviour as a foreseeable workplace hazard. Leaders and HR act earlier, create space for people to be heard, and support deliberate choices about what needs to change. There is always a plan, and it focuses on restoring effective working relationships, not just stopping a behaviour.
- Leadership hesitation when relationships start to strain
Conflict is one of the strongest contributors to psychosocial risk that we encounter. Not because conflict exists, it should, but because it is often avoided or delayed.
A familiar pattern looks like this:
- Leaders sense tension and hope it will settle
- Concerns are minimised to avoid escalation
- HR is engaged once trust has already been damaged
By this point, the rising temperature affects everyone. People are no longer just dealing with the issue at hand, but with fear, frustration, and the number of people impacted grows ever wider. Organisations often feel stuck and unsure how to move forward without causing further harm.
What good looks like
Better outcomes occur when leaders act early and are actively supported through to resolution. Space is created for people to think, feel heard, and understand the organisational drivers at play. The focus is on bringing the temperature down first, then working through process. When emotions are high, people do not engage with process alone. This allows the individuals and the team to get on with their core work.
It’s about clear, observable steps
From our perspective, psychosocial risk does not sit neatly in policies or registers. It lives in relationships and leadership decisions made under pressure. The organisations that manage this well notice when people become stuck and intervene earlier. They are prepared to work on a plan, even when situations feel complex. This is where we consistently see risk reduce, energy return, and people get back to doing their work well.
When external support makes a difference
External support is most effective when issues become circular, emotionally charged, or hard to shift internally. This often shows up as repeated conversations that go nowhere, leaders unsure how to intervene, or HR carrying risk that feels personal. An external perspective creates space, brings the temperature down, and helps people see choices they cannot see from inside the system.
A practical next step
If any of this feels familiar, early support will usually reduce risk, not increase it. You are welcome to give us a call or book a meeting with us to talk through what you are seeing. We will help you understand the drivers at play and build a clear, workable plan to support your people through to resolution
Zandy
https://calendly.com/zandy-fell/meeting-with-zandy-from-the-zalt-group-30-mins
0417 336 806
Tony
https://calendly.com/thezaltgroup-tony-fell/meeting-with-tony-from-the-zalt-group-30min
0412 368 823
