Why Job Design, Control and Reward Matter More Than Wellness Programs

Many organisations respond to psychosocial risk with wellbeing initiatives. While support services have a role, research shows that the strongest controls sit much higher up the hierarchy.

Three well established models explain why.

Model 1: High Demand and Low Control

The demands-control model shows that stress and harm are most likely where:

• job demands are high, and

• workers have little control over how work is done.

These are known as high-strain roles and they are strongly associated with psychological and physical harm.

By contrast, roles with high demands and high control are often protective. Workers are challenged, engaged and able to influence outcomes.

This places job design firmly within WHS obligations. Excessive workload without autonomy is a risk factor, not a personality issue.

Model 2: Effort Without Reward

The effort-reward imbalance model focuses on fairness and reciprocity.

Harm occurs where workers perceive that:

• effort outweighs reward, and

• rewards are not limited to pay, but include recognition, security, purpose and growth.

When people feel they give more than they receive, stress accumulates. Over time, this can lead to injury.

This model explains why technically compliant workplaces can still experience high levels of burnout and disengagement.

Model 3: The Role of Organisational Behaviour

A critical point often overlooked is that psychosocial harm is not just driven by poor interpersonal behaviour. It is driven by poor organisational behaviour.

This includes:

• unclear roles,

• inconsistent leadership,

• lack of consultation,

• poor change management, and

• systems that prioritise output over sustainability.

These are structural issues. They require structural solutions.

What Effective Controls Look Like

Research consistently shows that strong control measures include:

• meaningful consultation,

• supportive leadership,

• role clarity,

• realistic workloads, and

• systems that allow flexibility and autonomy.

Wellbeing programs do not replace these controls. They sit beneath them.

Key takeaway - Psychosocial risk is shaped by how work is organised. Sustainable safety outcomes come from fixing systems, not just supporting individuals.