We explain everything you need to know about psychosocial risks in the workplace.
To read more about preventing psychosocial risks through DEI:
Equality vs. Equity: It’s not about discrimination, but about different needs!
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Since October 6, 2025, all employers in Quebec have been required to identify psychosocial risks and implement preventive measures in the workplace.
Does that sound a little too technical, even mysterious? In reality, it’s simple! Psychosocial risks are anything that can make life at work stressful, burdensome, or downright toxic. Today, occupational health is no longer just about wearing a helmet or knowing where the fire extinguisher is; it includes the work environment, relationships with colleagues, and anything else that can affect our emotional balance. In short, it affects our brains as much as our muscles!
And since a healthy workplace also requires a fair and inclusive workplace, understanding psychosocial risks also means learning to recognize the diverse realities of the people who make up our teams.
Psychosocial risks: a brief history to understand the present
For a long time, employers viewed safety as something purely physical: appropriate equipment, well-designed workstations, hazardous products under control… that was the basis. But over time, we realized that stress, tensions between colleagues, feeling excluded, and harassment could cause as much damage as a physical accident… just in a different way. And in this evolution, DEI plays a key role, since not everyone experiences work in the same way. Psychosocial risks do not manifest themselves equally for everyone!
In 2004, Quebec took a big step forward by adding provisions against psychological harassment, including sexual harassment, to the Labor Standards Act. Also, since October 6, 2021 (yes, the same date!), the issue of sexual and domestic violence has also been recognized as an issue that impacts work and has been added to employers’ obligations.
Today, we know and recognize that professional life is not isolated from personal life and that mental suffering at work is no longer a subject that can be swept under the rug. Employers therefore have a very important role to play in protecting not only the physical safety but also the mental health and well-being of their teams.
Who is affected by the obligation to manage psychosocial risks?
Preventing psychosocial risks is everyone’s responsibility.
Starting October 6, 2025, Quebec employers will be required to take psychosocial risks into account in their occupational health and safety prevention plans in order to comply with Bill 27. Employers must therefore also put in place prevention mechanisms and accessible resources. But employees are not left out. Their responsibility is to contribute to a healthy and respectful work environment, report problems, and collaborate in prevention efforts.
In reality, just like with a DEI approach, this can be seen as a collaborative process. The employer creates the framework and provides the tools, while the people who make up the organization use them to build a safer and more humane working environment. When we understand that everyone benefits, preventing psychosocial risks becomes a collective project rather than a simple administrative obligation.
What exactly do psychosocial risks include?
But what exactly do we mean by “psychosocial risks”? The term may sound technical, but it simply refers to factors related to work organization and interpersonal relationships which, if poorly managed, can harm people’s psychological health and well-being.
Still unclear? Don’t worry! Let’s take a look at the main recognized psychosocial risks.
1. Excessive workload
We all know the feeling: “I’m overwhelmed,” “I never have enough time.” Excessive workload is exactly that. It corresponds to the quantity and intensity of the tasks required and becomes a psychosocial risk when it is too heavy, poorly distributed, or unrealistic.
Unrealistic deadlines, overtime without time off in lieu, or vague expectations that force you to redo your work several times are all signs that stress is starting to set in. In the long term, an excessive workload can lead to burnout and a decline in performance.
2. Lack of autonomy
Having the ability to decide how to accomplish your tasks is not a luxury; it is essential to feeling motivated and competent. When every action must be approved, creativity is stifled, or organizational changes are imposed without consultation, the feeling of never being able to act turns into frustration and helplessness.
Imagine: never being able to choose your working method, not being able to use your skills to their full potential, or being excluded from decisions that affect you… Not very motivating, is it?
3. Lack of recognition
Recognition isn’t just a bonus or a promotion. It’s about acknowledging the work that’s been done, saying thank you, and giving constructive feedback. When recognition is lacking, self-confidence erodes and demotivation sets in.
Some telling examples? Excellent work that goes unnoticed, management that only notices mistakes, or the feeling that your efforts are futile due to a lack of encouragement.
4. Lack of organizational justice
Organizational justice is the feeling that things are fair and transparent. When this is not the case, people feel lost, demotivated, and sometimes even betrayed by management.
Examples: tasks that change without explanation, promotions or benefits distributed subjectively, or the impression that certain people are favored for no valid reason. This sense of injustice undermines trust and team cohesion.
5. Lack of support at work
Support at work is the backing you receive from colleagues and superiors. It is not just practical help, but also respect, listening, and team spirit. When it is lacking, stress levels rise and isolation sets in. Typical situations include working alone with no opportunity to ask for help, uncooperative colleagues, or a manager who is unavailable or unresponsive. Lack of support not only undermines performance, but also morale and motivation.
6. Violence, harassment, and exposure to a potentially traumatic event
Violence can take many forms: verbal, psychological, sexual, domestic, or even physical. Harassment, on the other hand, manifests itself in repeated behaviors that undermine a person’s dignity or integrity.
Examples:
- Insults, shouting, or public humiliation.
- Unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate jokes.
- Moral harassment such as deliberate exclusion, threats, or excessive surveillance.
Certain professions or situations may also expose employees to shocking or traumatic events (serious accidents, customer crises, etc.). Even if this type of exposure is occasional, it can have significant consequences on psychological health.
These situations are among the most serious, as they have profound consequences on people’s psychological health and safety.
Psychosocial risks: key points to remember
Since the enactment of Law 27, employers have had a legal obligation to prevent and manage these risks, in particular by implementing an action plan and concrete measures to protect the psychological health of their teams. This is no longer an option, it is a duty.
Identifying and understanding these risks is the first step in preventing stress, burnout, and tension, and in building a healthier, more respectful, and motivating work environment. In future articles, we will delve deeper into each of these risks, exploring how they manifest themselves in everyday work life and how equity, diversity, and inclusion can be powerful levers for preventing them.
Because preventing psychosocial risks is not just a matter of legal compliance: it is also a matter of fairness and justice in the workplace.
If you are wondering how to implement these measures or how to adapt your practices to the requirements of Bill 27, we can help you make your workplace a safer and more humane environment where everyone can thrive.
