EverperformEverperform
    Back to Assessment Tools
    Active
    Scotland / Ireland

    Work Positive Audit & Improvement

    Work Positive is a psychosocial risk management approach developed jointly by the Health and Safety Authority (Ireland) and NHS Education for Scotland. It combines an audit framework with an employee survey to help organisations identify and manage work-related stress risks.

    Overview

    Developers

    Health and Safety Authority (Ireland) and NHS Education for Scotland

    Format

    Combined organisational audit and employee survey based on the UK HSE Management Standards model

    Approach

    Combines top-down organisational audit with bottom-up employee survey for a dual perspective

    Domains Covered

    Demands (workload, work patterns, work environment)
    Control (autonomy, skill use, decision-making)
    Support (management and peer support, resources)
    Relationships (interpersonal behaviour, conflict, bullying)
    Role (clarity, conflict, expectations)
    Change (how change is managed and communicated)
    Job security (partial — through organisational context)
    Work-life balance (partial — through demands domain)

    Strengths

    Dual approach — combines organisational audit with employee survey
    Free to use for employers in Ireland and Scotland
    Practical improvement focus — designed to drive action, not just measurement
    Based on well-established HSE Management Standards model
    Includes guidance on developing action plans from results

    Limitations

    Based on the HSE model — shares its narrow 6-domain scope
    Anonymous only — no individual-level action possible
    Episodic — periodic administration, not continuous monitoring
    Limited geographic scope — designed for Ireland and Scotland contexts
    Does not cover fatigue, job insecurity, intrusive surveillance, or traumatic events
    No continuous compliance evidence generation
    Covers only 9 of the 17 Comcare psychosocial hazards

    Australian Relevance

    Work Positive is a practical tool within its intended geography, but its narrow domain coverage and lack of alignment to Australian regulatory requirements make it unsuitable as a primary assessment instrument for Australian organisations. It would need significant supplementation to address the full 17 Comcare hazards.