Mental health risk at work isn’t an abstract HR topic anymore—it’s a daily operational reality. We sit down with Keith Govias, Workplace Safety and Risk Principal at EML Group, to demystify psychosocial hazards, decode the latest regulations, and share practical steps any employer can use to protect people and performance. From role clarity and hybrid complexity to customer aggression in frontline settings, we chart what’s changing and what to do next.

Keith breaks down the big stats without the jargon: a decade-long surge in time lost to mental health injury, millions living with anxiety or depression, and why accepted claims only show a fraction of the real burden. We talk about who is most exposed—young workers, women, older workers, and culturally and linguistically diverse teams—and why certain sectors like healthcare, education, public administration, retail, and hospitality face the highest risk. The message is clear: treat mental health as a continuum and design work to reduce predictable stressors before they become claims.

You’ll hear concrete tactics you can deploy this week: tighten role expectations through regular check‑ins, make feedback frequent and low‑friction, encourage early reporting, and connect people to support like EAP. For small businesses with thin staffing, we discuss transparent co‑design—inviting employees to shape workable adjustments within real constraints. We also explore environment and customer‑journey design: volume, lighting, signage, queue systems, and even air conditioning can flip interactions from calm to confrontational. Finally, we map the compliance essentials: identify hazards, assess risks, implement controls, and consult workers, backed by simple documentation and visible follow‑through.

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