Which demographics should I include in my FlourishDx work factors risk assessment?
All of the demographics within the FlourishDx platform are customisable. While the platform comes with some demographic fields included as default, these can be edited or deleted, and completely new fields can be created.
For information on how to create demographic fields, visit Can I create custom employee demographic fields in my FlourishDx account?
When deciding which demographic fields to create, it is useful to keep in mind the purpose of these fields.
Demographic fields are used within the FlourishDx platform to filter group data within the live dashboards, in order to determine whether there are differences in hazard exposure and risk associated with particular demographic fields.
It is helpful to include fields related to the organisational structure, such as department/division, team, etc. Similarly, if your organisation operates across multiple locations, it is a good idea to include fields relating to location, such as region and/or site.
Sometimes hazard exposure varies depending on the role someone is performing within the organisation, so if this is the case in your organisation, then including role types can be helpful if you have groups of people performing similar roles (e.g. nurses, content moderators, customer service representatives, etc.) or at similar job levels (e.g. frontline leaders, middle managers, senior managers, executives). Note that role or job-level fields will only be useful for groups with 8 or more members, so role fields may not be appropriate for every organisation.
In addition to organisational demographics, individual-level demographics can also provide insights into hazard exposure patterns, particularly where certain demographics are known to increase vulnerability to psychosocial hazards. Examples of these include:
- younger and older workers
- migrant workers or those temporary visa holders
- workers in insecure working arrangements
- workers with disabilities
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) workers
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander workers
- culturally and linguistically diverse workers
- workers who are new to the organisation
- workers experiencing barriers to understanding safety information, such as language or literacy challenges
- attributes such as sex, race, religious beliefs, pregnancy, gender identity, sexuality, age, or a combination of these attributes
Organisations should consider whether their workforce includes these groups of workers, and if so, whether there is benefit in exploring how these demographics intersect with psychosocial hazard exposure.
It is recommended that organisations deploying their risk assessment via user accounts consider the use of our private demographics feature to ensure that potentially sensitive profile information about workers is not visible to account administrators. To enable private demographics, see Can I include potentially sensitive demographic fields in my FlourishDx account?.
In Australia, several work health and safety regulators have published Codes of Practice including guidance on identifying vulnerable workers. These Codes are linked below according to jurisdiction.
ACT Code of Practice - Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work
Comcare - Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work - Code of Practice
NSW Code of Practice - Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work
NT Code of Practice - Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work
QLD - Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work - Code of Practice
Tasmania Code of Practice - Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work
Victoria - Compliance Code - Psychological Health
WA - Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace Code of Practice
WA - Workplace Behaviour Code of Practice
WA - Violence and Aggression at Work Code of Practice