Psychological health at work comes up more and more. But between operations, emergencies and running a team, a growing company does not always know where to start.
A manager who is always swamped, overtime that keeps piling up, the same tensions coming back. These are often signs worth looking into. And since Quebec's occupational health and safety reform, preventing psychosocial risks is no longer optional.
What are psychosocial risks?
Psychosocial risks are work situations that can harm employees' physical and psychological health. The CNESST, Quebec's workplace health and safety board, puts three at the top of the list. They are harassment, physical or psychological violence and exposure to potentially traumatic events.
Other risk factors add to them, such as an excessive workload, lack of recognition, weak support from managers or poorly defined responsibilities.
Is the employee who can no longer keep up really inefficient? Or has the workload become too heavy? Find the cause before you pick a fix.
What the CNESST numbers show
The CNESST's psychosocial risk statistics show a sharp rise in work injury claims tied to psychosocial risks.
Total disbursements for these claims rose from $128.5 million in 2020 to $236.3 million in 2024, up 84%.
In a team of 15, one long absence is enough to disrupt operations. Colleagues cover, responsibilities pile up and the pressure spreads. The absenteeism cost calculator puts a price on an absence, but the damage goes beyond money.
What Bill 59 requires from employers
Bill 59, the Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime, is known in French as Loi 27. Since October 1, 2025, its prevention and participation mechanisms apply to every workplace in Quebec.
Every employer must identify the risks in its workplace, psychosocial risks included, and take measures to prevent them. What you need to put in place depends on the number of workers in the establishment.
An establishment that grows to 20 workers gets one year to comply. The CNESST's guide to the new obligations has the details, in French.
Whatever your size, prevention is part of management. And a written policy is not enough if it does not match what happens on the floor.
Four mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until it becomes an emergency. A long absence or a serious conflict usually follows warning signs nobody acted on.
- Assuming an employee assistance program covers it. An EAP is a valuable resource, but it does not remove the risk at its source.
- Leaving managers on their own. They are asked to engage people, handle conflict and hit targets. Do they have the tools to do it?
- Skipping the follow-up. A training session or a new policy is a start. Check that things actually improve.
Where to start in a growing company
You do not need to change everything at once. The point is to move in order.
Five steps to start
- Look for tension, overload and unclear roles.
- Listen to employees and managers.
- Prioritize the situations that need attention first.
- Act with measures that fit how your company actually works.
- Follow up, keep what works and adjust the rest.
These steps belong inside your action plan or prevention program, not beside it. Our HR self-assessment helps you see where to begin.
Prevention as a management opportunity
Preventing psychosocial risks is more than a legal duty. It is a chance to clarify roles, support managers and improve how teams work together.
The same causes often drive people out. Overload and lack of recognition push people to resign, and each departure has its own cost.
At Inlead RH, we believe you have to understand before you propose solutions. Our role is to help companies step back and put concrete, lasting HR practices in place, starting with an organizational diagnostic.
A company that takes care of how it works also takes care of the people who move it forward.
Sources
- CNESST (2026), Statistiques sur les risques psychosociaux 2020-2024, in French.
- CNESST, Mécanismes de prévention et de participation en établissement, in French.
