What is a psychosocial risk?
A psychosocial risk is a factor related to work organization, relationships or the work context that can harm people’s psychological or physical health.
- Psychological or sexual harassment
- Violence, including domestic or family violence that shows up at work
- Work overload and unrealistic deadlines
- Lack of recognition or support
- Lack of autonomy or role clarity
What has changed for employers
Since Québec modernized its occupational health and safety regime, psychosocial risks must be identified, analyzed and controlled just like physical risks. They must be included in the establishment’s prevention program or action plan, depending on its size.
In practice, a harassment policy is no longer enough: employers must show that they have identified the sources of risk in their workplace and taken action.
Four steps to take action
- Take inventory: where do workload, conflict or isolation show up in your teams? A short survey and a few interviews are often enough to start.
- Prioritize: assess how often and how seriously each risk occurs, then choose two or three realistic priorities.
- Act: name an owner, set concrete measures (clearer roles, manager training, a review of complaint processes) and a timeline.
- Follow up: document the measures in your prevention program or action plan and review progress regularly.
The key role of managers
Most psychosocial risks play out in teams’ day-to-day work. Managers trained to recognize warning signs, hold a difficult conversation and intervene early are often the most effective prevention measure.