Episode 356: Helga goes solo: Takeaways from WorkSafe Victoria event and what boards need to know

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I share key takeaways from a WorkSafe Victoria event, “Hearts, minds and improving businesss,” featuring Professor Lea Waters on the neuroscience and business impacts of psychological safety in the workplace.

I explain the difference between psychological health and harm, including how each affects thinking, decision-making, behavior, and workplace outcomes like profitability, turnover, innovation, and incidents. I also outline four pillars boards should oversee: work design, work management, workflow systems, and workplace environment, and the hazards and protections that sit under them.

I highlight why this matters for boards, including that, in Victoria, psychological health is now legislatively on par with physical safety, and I suggest practical board actions such as reviewing risk registers, resourcing, and boardroom psychological safety.