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Workplace bullying in NSW: protecting your mental health and keeping a clear record
Clinically reviewed by Matt Semsar, Registered Psychologist · AHPRA: PSY0002620326 · SIRA Provider No. 24705 · Reviewed 16 September 2026
The key point: If workplace behaviour is affecting your mental health, protect your wellbeing first. Seek appropriate support early, use safe workplace reporting channels where appropriate, and keep a simple factual record of what is happening. You do not need to turn your life into an investigation or wait until you have assembled a perfect evidence file before asking for help.
Workplace bullying, harassment and other harmful conduct can be psychologically exhausting. People often find themselves trying to cope with the behaviour, continue working, decide whether to report it, remember what happened and manage worsening symptoms at the same time. A few practical steps can help protect both wellbeing and clarity without making documentation another source of distress.
Notice when work is starting to affect your mental health
Psychological effects can build gradually. Warning signs may include dread before work, persistent rumination about interactions, reduced confidence, sleep disturbance, anxiety, panic symptoms, tearfulness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, physical tension, withdrawal from others or feeling constantly on guard around emails, meetings or particular people.
These symptoms do not by themselves establish that workplace bullying has occurred or determine a workers compensation claim. They are signs that your health may need attention.
Protect your health before trying to build a perfect record
If you are becoming psychologically unwell, consider speaking with your GP, psychologist or another appropriate health professional. If your workplace has an Employee Assistance Program, it may also provide short-term support. Seeking help early can assist with sleep, anxiety, panic, mood, decision-making and maintaining daily functioning.
Do not stay in a harmful situation simply because you think you need more evidence. Your health and immediate safety come first. If you are in immediate danger, call 000. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, Lifeline is available on 13 11 14 and the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.
Why keeping a simple contemporaneous record can help
Distress can affect concentration, memory and the ability to organise events chronologically. A brief record made close to the time can reduce the pressure to reconstruct everything later and can help you explain what happened consistently to a treating practitioner, employer, insurer, union representative or adviser if that becomes necessary.
The goal is not to write a legal submission. It is to keep a clear, factual account while the information is still relatively fresh.
What is useful to record?
A simple chronology can include:
- the date and approximate time, if known
- where the event occurred, including whether it was in person, by phone, email or online
- a brief factual description of what happened
- what was said, where you remember the wording clearly
- the people involved
- anyone who witnessed the event
- whether you reported the issue, to whom and when
- what response or action followed
- any significant effect on your health or functioning, such as panic, inability to sleep, leaving work early or seeking medical care.
If you are not certain about a date, time or exact wording, say that it is approximate rather than guessing. Keeping factual events separate from your interpretation of them can also make the record easier to understand later.
Keep relevant documents, but do it lawfully and safely
Where appropriate, keep relevant emails, messages, meeting invitations, performance correspondence or other material that you are already lawfully entitled to access and retain. These documents can sometimes help establish a timeline and reduce reliance on memory.
Do not access information without authority, remove confidential employer material you are not entitled to possess, or assume that secretly recording workplace conversations is lawful. Recording and privacy laws can be complex. If you are unsure about what you can retain or record, obtain appropriate legal or workplace advice.
Do not let documentation become another source of harm
People who feel mistreated at work can understandably begin reviewing messages repeatedly, documenting every small interaction and spending hours trying to make sense of what happened. Clinically, that can increase rumination and sustained monitoring for threat.
Aim for a record that is brief, factual and proportionate. For example, set aside a limited period to update a chronology, then return to ordinary activities. Treatment should also make room for sleep, exercise, relationships, routine, meaningful activity and recovery outside the workplace dispute.
What if you cannot remember exact dates or details?
Psychological distress can make memory and concentration less reliable. You do not need to pretend certainty that you do not have. Write down what you can remember, identify what is approximate and avoid filling gaps with assumptions.
This is also relevant to the current NSW Workers Compensation process. For psychological injuries said to have been caused by bullying, sexual harassment, racial harassment or excessive work demands, SIRA asks for details of the conduct “as far as reasonably practicable”, including examples, dates, times, locations, people involved and witnesses.
Consider reporting the issue early, where it is safe and appropriate
Many workplaces have policies for reporting bullying, harassment or psychosocial hazards. Depending on the circumstances, options may include speaking with a manager other than the person involved, Human Resources, a health and safety representative or a union representative.
SafeWork NSW recommends raising psychological health and safety concerns with the employer in the first instance where it is safe and appropriate. SafeWork NSW also operates a Psychosocial Advisory Service and can receive reports about psychosocial hazards. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides information about workplace bullying and links to the Fair Work Commission and other external pathways where further help may be needed.
There is no single reporting route that is right for every situation. Serious threats, stalking, violence or other potentially criminal conduct may require police assistance.
If you are considering a Workers Compensation claim
Workers should generally notify their employer of a workplace psychological injury as soon as possible. For primary psychological injuries first notified from 1 July 2026, the claim pathway depends on the event said to have caused the injury.
If the injury is said to have been caused by bullying, sexual harassment, racial harassment or excessive work demands, the claim is treated as a relevant conduct claim. A completed claim form and prescribed minimum information are required before that claim proceeds to its determination period.
For a plain-English explanation of the new process, see NSW psychological injury Workers Compensation changes from 1 July 2026.
Therapy should not become a workplace investigation
A treating psychologist can help assess symptoms, diagnosis, functioning and treatment needs. Therapy can also help with coping, decision-making, boundaries, sleep, anxiety, trauma symptoms and maintaining life outside the workplace problem.
The psychologist's role is not to determine whether a manager, colleague or employer has legally committed bullying, harassment or another form of relevant conduct. Keeping the clinical role separate from the investigative and legal roles can help protect the treatment space from becoming another place where the worker feels required to repeatedly prove what happened.
Frequently asked questions
No. If workplace behaviour is affecting your health, seek appropriate medical or psychological support early. Documentation can be helpful, but your health should not be delayed while you try to assemble a perfect record.
No. Record what you reasonably can and be clear about what is exact and what is approximate. For relevant conduct claims, current SIRA guidance uses the phrase “as far as reasonably practicable” for details such as dates, times, locations, people involved and witnesses.
No. A treating psychologist can assess symptoms, diagnosis, functioning and treatment needs. Whether conduct satisfies a legal or workers compensation definition is a separate decision for the relevant workplace, insurer, regulator, commission or court.
Keep relevant material that you are lawfully entitled to access and retain. Do not access information without authority or remove confidential material you are not entitled to possess. If you are unsure about recording conversations or retaining documents, obtain appropriate advice.
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If you have a NSW Workers Compensation claim and workplace experiences are affecting your mental health, please call or email to discuss psychological treatment.
This is general clinical and NSW workplace information, not legal advice and not a determination that particular conduct is workplace bullying or a compensable psychological injury. If you are considering legal, industrial or workers compensation action, obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances.