Low recognition and reward

Low recognition and reward

Low recognition and reward can have serious psychological health impacts at work and can present a hazard. It means there is an imbalance between the effort workers put in and the recognition or reward they get. Or in other words, a low level of acknowledgement, reward or recognition for an employee's contributions. If you believe that your lack of recognition or reward is based on your role as an HSR see our page on discrimination for OHS reasons. 

Remember, if there are psychosocial hazards present in your workplace your employer must consult HSRs when addressing these issues.

Your employer has a duty to provide a safe workplace under section 21 of the OHS Act 2004 as well as the duty to provide adequate training and information for you to be able to perform your role safely. They also have the duty to monitor the conditions of the workplace to make sure they are safe under section 22 and the duty to consult on matters relating to health and safety under Section 35. The OHS Act empowers HSRs to take action on low recognition and rewards.

The new Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 also require your employer to eliminate or mitigate psychosocial hazards using a modified Hierarchy of Controls.

Examples of low recognition and reward include: 

  • Lack of or inadequate feedback about performance
  • A mismatch between a worker's efforts and the formal and informal recognition and rewards received for that effort 
  • A lack of skill development opportunity 
  • Skills and experience are not utilised effectively
  • There are unfair award processes that do not reflect worker contributions to an organisation or team
  • Workers are discriminated against or their contributions not recognised because of their union activity or activity as health and safety representatives

This list is not exhaustive. 

Some risk management steps - and steps you can take to identify low recognition and reward as an HSR - are: 

  • Make sure your employer's Health and Safety Committees have at least 50% representation from workers. Encourage feedback, especially on any changes
  • Consult workers and HSRs.
  • Utilise surveys and tools to assess psychosocial risks in the workplace.
  • Establish a system for workers to report their concerns, while ensuring anonymity and treating their concerns with respect and seriousness to encourage reporting.
  • Observe work and behaviours.
  • Use your powers under section 69 of the OHS Act to request and review available information related to health and safety. This could include employee retention, incident reports, complaints, time-off records, injuries, incidents, and workers' compensation.
  • Ensure HSR's and workers are consulted.

Some measures employers can take to control low recognition and reward include: 

  • A workplace culture that values and encourages union and HSR consultation and participation. 
  • A recognition or rewards system that recognises and facilities the appreciation and celebration of individual and group contributions to a job. 
  • Systems to make sure that recognition and rewards are fair and equitable and are not unrealistic. 
  • Redesigning work to maximise worker's involvement, enrichment and engagement. 
  • Meaningful acknowledgment of employee's work.
  • Listening to workers’ needs, concerns and ideas and consulting them as a meaningful form of recognition. 
  • Providing opportunities for career development that are fairly and evenly distributed on the basis of merit and not favouritism. 
  • Ensure feedback and performance management focuses on things workers can control and that it is specific, practical and fair. 

 

OHS Reps resources

 

WorkSafe Victoria resources

 

Safe Work Australia resources

 

Other resources

The ACTU’s Mind Your Head campaign has an excellent database on psychosocial hazards. It breaks down hazards into their impacts and the risk assessment and control measures that can be used - Find it here.

 



Updated April 2026