An inevitable shift
The Occupational Health and Safety Act dates back to 1979, a time when mental health in the workplace was simply not a concern for officials. It was not discussed, even though the psychological impacts of work already existed. Forty-five years later, the reality can no longer be ignored: more than half of all disabilities in the workplace are now related to psychological disorders. The legislature has therefore decided to update the legal framework to reflect this major transformation.
In practice, this means that prevention must now focus as much on workplace ergonomics as on recognition at work, and as much on warehouse safety as on the workload imposed on teams.
How the law changes things for organizations
Obligations vary depending on the size of the company:
► Companies with fewer than 20 employees must designate a liaison officer and implement a simplified action plan.
► Companies with 20 or more employees are required to have a health and safety committee with a structured program that includes psychosocial risks. Training is mandatory for those handling complaints and recommended for everyone. The CNESST also encourages regular internal audits to ensure compliance and continuous adaptation of practices.
Identifying and understanding risks: a shared responsibility
Bill 27 distinguishes between two types of risks: situations requiring immediate action (harassment, violence, traumatic events) and psychosocial factors such as workload, support, or recognition. When managed well, these factors strengthen commitment and mental health. The Act also emphasizes shared responsibility: each employee must take care of their own psychological health (section 49), and employers must include domestic and family violence in their prevention measures (section 51). Promoting a healthy work environment thus becomes a collective project.
A three-step approach
Rather than getting lost in lists of one-off actions, the prevention of psychosocial risks benefits from a clear, progressive, and integrated approach.
We summarize it in three key steps:
1. Understand and diagnose
This involves mobilizing stakeholders (management, supervisors, employees, union representatives, and health and safety representatives) to develop a comprehensive picture of the situation. This step includes gathering information (questionnaires, interviews, climate analyses), identifying psychosocial risks, and prioritizing them according to their severity and likelihood.
2. Plan and act
Based on the diagnosis, the organization designs an action plan tailored to its context. This plan must specify who is responsible, timelines, and interventions on three levels:
Primary: act at the source (e.g., review workload, clarify roles);
Secondary: strengthen skills and resilience (training, support, awareness);
Tertiary: supporting those already affected in order to reduce the impact and prevent relapses.
3. Deploy and adjust
Actions are implemented, monitored, and adjusted with a view to continuous improvement. Indicators are used to measure the effectiveness of the measures and ensure that prevention is firmly embedded in the organizational culture.
Best practices and common mistakes
A few levers can enhance the effectiveness of the approach:
- Make this approach a priority for the organization, with the active involvement of senior management.
- Train managers from the outset to integrate prevention into their management style.
- Involve employees to ensure consistency and buy-in.
- Recognize efforts and maintain transparent communication.
Conversely, certain mistakes undermine the credibility of initiatives:
- Interrupting the process after the diagnosis without implementing an action plan.
- Limiting prevention to the HR department or a small committee.
- Relying on isolated interventions (e.g., one-off training) without reviewing work organization and existing management practices.
Turning obligation into strategic leverage
Complying with Bill 27 should not be seen as a simple compliance exercise. For organizations, it is a unique opportunity to:
- Strengthen their reputation and attractiveness as an employer.
- Reduce absenteeism and conflicts.
- Retain talent.
- Boost productivity by creating a climate of trust and fairness.
Preventing psychosocial risks then becomes much more than a legal mechanism: it is a tool for governance and sustainable performance.
In conclusion
Law 27 changes the rules of the game: organizational health is no longer limited to avoiding physical injuries, but now includes psychological health and human factors.
Since April 2022, the new requirements for the prevention of psychosocial risks have been in effect in the form of an interim program. But this transitional period is coming to an end: as of October 6, 2024, all organizations will have to be fully compliant with the new legal framework.
By integrating psychosocial risk prevention into their practices now, companies are not only fulfilling an obligation: they are giving themselves a powerful strategic lever.
To go further:
➡️ Harassment in the workplace: prevention and intervention as a manager
