At The Policy Place, we support Queensland organisations to create fair, safe, and psychologically healthy workplaces through clear, practical policies. As part of this commitment, we regularly review and update our work health and safety (WHS) and risk management policies to ensure they address psychosocial hazards, including the impacts of poor organisational justice.

Under Queensland’s Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations, psychosocial hazards must be identified, assessed, and managed like any other workplace hazard. Organisational justice -how fair workplace decisions and processes are perceived – is increasingly recognised as a critical psychosocial risk factor (eg see Safe Work Australia, Poor Organisational Justice.)

This article explains what organisational justice is, why it matters under Queensland WHS law, and how organisations can prevent and respond to organisational injustice.

What Is Organisational Justice?

Organisational justice refers to workers’ perceptions of fairness in the workplace. It focuses on whether organisational decisions, behaviours, and systems are:

• applied consistently
• transparent and unbiased
• respectful and reasonable

Research shows that high organisational justice is associated with:

• increased job satisfaction
• stronger engagement and commitment
• healthier workplace cultures
• reduced psychosocial risk.

In contrast, poor organisational justice can create or exacerbate psychosocial hazards such as work‑related stress, anxiety, and conflict, increasing the risk of psychological injuries.

Why Organisational Justice Matters Under Queensland WHS Law

In Queensland, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) have a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the psychological health of workers.
This includes managing psychosocial hazards such as:

• bullying and harassment
• high job demands
• poor organisational support
• low role clarity
• unfair treatment or decision‑making

Where workers consistently perceive decisions as unfair or biased, organisational justice becomes a risk factor that must be addressed through WHS systems, consultation, and risk controls.

Common Signs of Poor Organisational Justice

Poor organisational justice may appear in the following ways:

• Privacy and Confidentiality Breaches
• Performance issues discussed publicly
• Personal information shared without consent
• Inconsistent or Unfair Policies
• Policies applied selectively
• Favouritism in promotions or development opportunities
• Unfair Discipline or Penalties
• Workers blamed for issues outside their control
• Inconsistent consequences for similar conduct
• Discrimination or Exclusion
• Unequal treatment based on personal attributes
• Systems that disadvantage some workers
• Poor Handling of Complaints or Misconduct
• Inadequate investigation of bullying or harassment
• Lack of procedural fairness for all involved
• Unfair Work Allocation
• Preferential access to desirable shifts or projects
• Inequitable workloads
• Weak Decision‑Making Processes
• No clear criteria for decisions
• Poor communication during organisational change

How Queensland Organisations Can Strengthen Organisational Justice

The following are important components of organisational justice:

• ensuring health and safety monitoring includes justice‑related psychosocial risks like risk of bias and unfairness work-related practices
• clear communication to staff of behavioural expectations, codes of conduct, and performance criteria
• strong privacy and confidentiality controls coupled with staff training on confidentiality obligations and respectful communication
• consultation with and involvement of workers in WHS decisions that affect them, as required under the WHS Act
• ensuring staff understand and feel safe to access avenues for raising concerns
• Recruitment, performance management, and disciplinary frameworks are well structured and consistently used to prevent nepotism and perceived favouritism.
• All disciplinary processes are proportionate, consistent, and evidence‑based.
• Leadership training includes training to recognise psychosocial risks linked to unfair treatment.

Risks of Failing to Manage Organisational Justice

If organisational justice risks are not addressed, Queensland workplaces may see:

• increased psychological injury claims (eg for bullying, harassment)
• higher absenteeism and turnover
• reduced trust and engagement
• WHS compliance failures
• reputational damage

Under WHS law, failure to manage known psychosocial risks may expose organisations to regulatory action.

Conclusion: Fairness Is a WHS Responsibility

In Queensland, organisational justice is not just a cultural aspiration, it is a core component of effective psychosocial risk management.

Workplaces that promote fairness benefit from:

• safer systems of work
• improved wellbeing
• stronger performance
• more resilient teams

At The Policy Place, we help Queensland organisations meet their WHS duties through clear, practical policies that embed fairness, accountability, and respect at every level.