Speaking up, slowing down - Addressing psychosocial issues at work

Date: Nov 5, 2025
Time: 1pm AEDT
Duration: 60 mins
Cost: Free (Limited places)
Employee mental health can be part of company risk management.
To be effective it is critical to understand the differences between wellbeing initiatives and psychosocial risk management. It is also useful to understand the role of data and your 'speak up' system in this mix.
In this conversation, Shirli Kirschner, Resolve Advisors / Elker, and Keith Govias, EML Workplace Safety and Risk Principal, will explore the real-world challenges of meeting new legislative duties while supporting human needs. They will also provide practical tools and tips.
Together, we'll examine:
- The liability landscape: What organisations are accountable for under new psychosocial legislation
- The difference between wellbeing and psychosocial management - and why it matters under the law
- Where burnout fits in: Is it a risk, a symptom, or a failure of a system?
- How speak up systems help - early detection of psychosocial issues
- What questions and data can alert leaders to risks before harm occurs
- Whether Australian workers have become less resilient - and what that means for leaders
- How to encourage over workers to slow down, and why that might be the key to sustainable performance
Presenters
Shirli Kirschner
Co-founder & COA, Elker
30+ years of legal and dispute system design. Leader in speak-up technology transforming workplace culture.
Keith Govias
Workplace Safety and Risk Principal, EML
Keith is a safety and risk expert with 15+ years’ experience across iconic Australian brands. As a Vincent Fairfax Fellow, he advises on policy reform, mental health, and ethical leadership. He champions recovery at work and transparent, evidence-based approaches to protect mental health whilst helping employers build trust through proactive support for vulnerable workers and psychological wellbeing.