Following these features on Psychosocial Risk Assessments (one, and two), here is a practical checklist from Hayley Farrell, Global Health, Safety, Wellbeing Director at Arcadis, for those at the beginning of their journey…
Where should you start?
Employers need to begin by understanding the psychosocial risk landscape.
Start by identifying what the legislation requires and assessing the current status of psychosocial risk management within your organisation.
Review existing data sources—such as employee surveys, incident reports, and feedback forums—to uncover potential wellbeing hazards. This will provide a solid foundation for establishing priorities and addressing risks effectively.
Top tips here:
- Start small: Focus on manageable areas first before scaling efforts.
- Consultation is key: Actively involve employees in identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing appropriate control measures.
- Use clear frameworks: Adopt tools like ISO 45003 to guide your approach to psychosocial risk management.
Focus on leadership buy-in
How?
- Present psychosocial risk assessment as a business-critical issue by highlighting its impact on creating an environment where your people thrive which enhances performance, improves employee retention and also ensures legal compliance in countries where this applies.
- Use data and compelling narratives to emphasise correlations between health and wellbeing and other engagement drivers, for example change management, workload, and line manager support.
- Frame it within the broader context of health and safety—emphasizing the importance of taking a human-centered approach to keeping your people safe both physically and psychologically. Demonstrate how assessing and mitigating risks ensures a sustainable, productive workforce.
Focus on good, clear communication
- Use relatable and empathetic language that resonates with employee.
- Avoid technical jargon and prioritize terms that align with employees’ lived experiences and concerns
At Arcadis we highlight three key areas:
- Protection: HSW stewardship through effective wellbeing risk management
- Promotion: Cultivating a culture of care within the organisation
- Support: Providing mental health and wellbeing resources when employees face challenges or become unwell
Create an approach to elicit honest employee feedback on risks
- Establish a clear and transparent process or procedure for employees to raise concerns
- Communicate this process effectively and work to build psychological safety—creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their experiences without fear of retaliation
- Ensure that feedback is acted upon in meaningful ways, reinforcing trust and demonstrating a commitment to address risks in the workplace that have the potential to cause work-related stress
Work effectively with other functions
Collaboration across departments is essential for effective psychosocial risk management.
Tips:
- Work closely with operational teams to identify risks and implement control measures, ensuring consultation with employees throughout the process
- Involve leaders, line managers, and cross-functional teams to co-create solutions
- Consider how internal and external changes—such as organizational restructuring or new initiatives impact wellbeing
- Leverage existing processes, like change management frameworks, to identify and address risks proactively
Support line managers in assessing risk better
- Provide line managers with targeted training and simple, practical tools to help them identify and address wellbeing risks effectively
- Focus on solutions that simplify their responsibilities—for example, removing unnecessary tasks rather than adding more
- Encourage collaboration across teams to co-create solutions that serve a greater purpose and alleviate the pressure on individual managers
- Shift the mindset from compliance-driven actions to embedding wellbeing into everyday practices—because “we do this because we care”
- Empower managers through training to build their capability and confidence while fostering a supportive, team-oriented approach.
About the author
Hayley Farrell is the Global Health, Safety, Wellbeing Director at Arcadis, co-leading the Global Health, Safety, and Wellbeing (HSW) function to protect the physical and psychological safety of employees by fostering a culture of care. An award-winning wellbeing practitioner, Hayley develops and delivers Arcadis’ global health, safety and wellbeing strategy.
She was the first practitioner globally to achieve certification for the adoption and implementation of ISO 45003: Occupational Health and Safety Management – Psychological Health and Safety at Work.
