Victoria’s New OHS Psychological Health Regulations

Set for December 2025

The Victorian Government has confirmed that dedicated Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations are expected to be made by October 2025 and will commence on 1 December 2025​. 

In an interesting turn, Victoria, which was an early mover in planning these reforms will now be the last state to implement specific psychological health regulations, finally bringing it into line with other Australian states and territories that have already introduced similar rules​. 

These obligations reflect a reinforcement of the general duty that already exists under Victoria’s OHS laws to provide a safe working environment (which includes psychological health). In other words, employers have long been expected to protect workers from psychological harm; the new regulations simply spell out more explicitly how to do this, requiring psychosocial risks to be managed in the same systematic way as physical hazards.

No Mandatory Prevention Plans or Reporting Requirements

Important: Under the final approach, employers will not be required to prepare a written psychosocial hazard prevention plan, nor will there be any requirement for six-monthly de-identified reporting of psychosocial incidents. These administrative measures were proposed in earlier drafts of the regulations — for example, six-monthly de-identified reporting and formal prevention plans — but they will not be mandated in the upcoming regulations. 

Businesses may still choose to use tools like prevention plans to help manage risks. While optional, these will be encouraged through non-statutory guidance and templates provided by WorkSafe.

Guidance for compliance

To help businesses understand and meet their new duties, a Compliance Code will be published alongside the regulations.

This Compliance Code will provide practical guidance (in plain language and examples) on how to identify psychosocial hazards, implement controls, and consult with workers, so that employers know what compliance looks like in practice. WorkSafe Victoria is also preparing additional guidance materials and templates – for example, to show how a “prevention plan” can be used as a helpful tool – to support employers in controlling psychosocial risks​.

It would be sensible for businesses to review their approach to psychosocial risks and consult with their workforce to identify potential hazards and determine practical steps to manage them. 

If you're not sure where to start or want support to take a practical approach, Risk Collective can help. We work with businesses to review current practices, engage teams, and put in place proportionate measures that align with regulatory expectations. Get in touch to discuss how we can support you.