Why psychosocial safety is a top HR priority

As organisations recognise the growing importance of psychosocial safety, the evolution of AI, and the challenges of supporting employees in high-emotion environments, HR leaders are being required to navigate an ever-changing workforce filled with complexities.

In a recent episode of the HR Leader podcast, Jerome Doraisamy spoke with Resolve Divorce human resources manager Rebecca Kennedy about what it’s like to manage the HR function of a family law firm, unpacking how to manage pressures that arise and better support the workforce.

Kennedy said her career in HR began with a background in psychology and a decade in community services, where she developed an interest in how people think, work and are supported within organisations.

In terms of the 2026 outlook, Kennedy said it would be shaped by psychosocial safety and AI, requiring organisations to balance compliance, efficiency, and human connection while adapting to increasingly complex workplace expectations and risks.

Kennedy said a key challenge facing HR in 2026 had been the growing focus on psychosocial safety in the workplace, particularly as organisations adjusted to new legislative requirements.

“A big one that’s definitely front of mind for me was just the ongoing space around psychosocial safety in the workplace,” she said.

Further, Kennedy also highlighted the increasing influence of AI and the need for governance frameworks to ensure efficiency did not come at the expense of human connection.

“I think there was a really strong requirement to think about governance frameworks that sat around that, so organisations didn’t lose their way around judgement and human connection,” she said.

Looking ahead, Kennedy said HR is expected to move away from its heavily administrative roots towards a more people-focused function, supported by AI and clearer legal frameworks.

“I hope to think that HR will be leveraging off the benefits of AI,” she said.

“I think there’s a role for AI to reduce some of that workflow for HR, which allows HR practitioners to put their energy into human-facing initiatives.”

She also pointed to the likely development of clearer case law around psychosocial safety, which would help organisations refine their practices.

“We will have much more case law available to us with regard to psychosocial safety, and that will present different opportunities and insights around how organisations can develop systems and practices that support their staff to have safe environments to work in,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy defined high-emotion workplaces as environments characterised by sustained exposure to intense client or stakeholder emotions.

She said the emotional nature of this work required organisations to be realistic about its impact, rather than treating it as incidental or occasional.

“Organisations need to lean into and acknowledge the realities of the emotional toll the work can have on their staff and just the nature of what that looks like for the context of what they’re providing,” she said.

Kennedy said organisations could not afford to treat emotional strain as an occasional issue, particularly in workplaces where employees were regularly exposed to client distress, conflict, and high-stakes outcomes.

Instead, she emphasised the fact that HR teams needed to take a proactive approach to supporting staff wellbeing and managing psychosocial risks.

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