How Psychologically Safe Is Your Workplace? 15 Questions

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) recommends considering organizational practices, working conditions and employee experiences when assessing psychosocial hazards.

This short questionnaire is a starting point, not a complete organizational risk assessment.

Take the 15-Question Workplace Psychological Safety Assessment

Think about your actual workplace experiences over the past three months, rather than what your organization's policies say should happen.

For each statement, select the response that best reflects your experience.

Select Not Applicable / Cannot Assess if you do not have enough experience to answer a question. Do not assign a score to that response.

Answer as openly as possible. This is a self-reflection exercise, and you do not need to share your answers with your employer.

1. Speaking Up and Trust

Psychologically safe workplaces encourage employees to share ideas, ask questions and acknowledge mistakes without unnecessary fear.

Question 1: I can raise concerns about my work without fearing unfair consequences.

Question 2: I feel comfortable asking questions or admitting when I do not know something.

Question 3: When someone makes an honest mistake, the response focuses on learning rather than blame.

Consider whether employees can challenge decisions respectfully or ask for clarification without being embarrassed or punished.

2. Respect and Inclusion

Respectful interactions help employees participate confidently and feel valued within their teams.

Question 4: People in my workplace treat one another respectfully, even during disagreements.

Question 5: I feel that my ideas and perspectives receive fair consideration.

Question 6: I can participate in workplace discussions without feeling excluded or belittled.

Think about everyday interactions, including meetings, feedback conversations and disagreements. Being invited to contribute is different from feeling genuinely heard.

3. Leadership and Support

Managers influence workplace psychological safety through how they communicate, handle concerns and respond when employees need assistance.

Question 7: My manager listens when employees raise concerns.

Question 8: I can ask for help when work becomes difficult without being judged negatively.

Question 9: Managers address disrespectful behaviour fairly and appropriately.

Consider how managers respond when employees are struggling, disagree with decisions or report inappropriate conduct.

Supportive leadership involves more than being approachable. It also requires appropriate follow-through.

4. Workload and Expectations

Psychological safety can be affected when employees face excessive demands but do not feel comfortable raising concerns.

Question 10: My workload is generally manageable within reasonable working hours.

Question 11: I receive clear information about my responsibilities and priorities.

Question 12: I can raise concerns about unrealistic deadlines or excessive demands.

Think about whether changing priorities are explained, sufficient support is available and workloads can be discussed constructively.

A workplace may encourage open communication while still exposing employees to problematic workloads.

5. Reporting and Improvement

Employees need to know where to raise serious concerns and feel confident that those concerns will be handled appropriately.

Question 13: I know how to report harassment, bullying or other serious workplace concerns.

Question 14: I believe concerns are taken seriously and handled without retaliation.

Question 15: I have seen meaningful efforts to improve workplace conditions when problems are identified.

Consider whether reporting procedures are accessible, concerns receive appropriate attention and employees are informed about relevant improvements.

An organization may have written procedures without employees feeling confident using them.

What Do Your Psychological Safety Assessment Results Mean?

Your answers provide a picture of your workplace experiences. They can highlight positive practices and identify concerns requiring further attention.

Calculate and Review Your Results

If you answered all 15 questions using the numerical scale, add your points.

Your total will fall between 15 and 75.

You can also calculate a separate subtotal for each of the five assessment categories. Each category contains three questions and has a possible score of 3–15.

These descriptions are not scientifically validated score bands. The questionnaire is an original reflection tool, not a clinical instrument or formal organizational safety rating.

If you selected Not Applicable for any question, review your answered items individually rather than comparing a partial total with the complete 15–75 range.

Look Beyond Your Total Score

A high overall score does not mean every workplace concern has been resolved.

For example, you might feel respected by colleagues and supported by your manager but still worry about retaliation when reporting harassment.

That concern deserves attention regardless of your other responses.

Similarly, consistently low answers about workload may indicate working conditions that need review, even when relationships within the team are positive.

Focus on the specific questions that reveal concerns, particularly those involving reporting procedures, disrespectful behaviour and fear of negative consequences.

One employee's responses cannot establish whether an entire organization is psychologically safe.

What Should You Do After Completing the Assessment?

Completing a workplace psychological safety checklist is useful only when the findings help identify meaningful improvements.

Employees, managers and employers may need to take different actions depending on the concerns identified.

1. Identify Areas That Need Attention

Begin with questions that received low ratings.

Are employees reluctant to speak up? Are workloads difficult to manage? Do workers lack confidence in reporting procedures?

Rather than trying to address everything simultaneously, identify concerns that are serious, recurring or likely to affect several employees.

Managers should seek additional information before assuming that individual responses represent the experience of an entire team.

2. Raise Concerns Through Appropriate Channels

Employees can use relevant workplace reporting procedures, supervisors, human resources representatives or other designated channels, depending on the issue.

Where a supervisor is involved in the concern, an alternative reporting process may be necessary.

Managers should respond respectfully, avoid dismissing feedback and follow applicable workplace procedures. They should also know how to respond when an employee shows signs of mental distress at work, particularly when a concern requires sensitive communication and appropriate support. 

Allegations of harassment, violence or retaliation should be handled through appropriate processes, not simply treated as low survey scores.

3. Make Practical Workplace Improvements

Assessment findings should lead to changes in workplace practices where needed.

For example, an employer might review unrealistic deadlines, clarify responsibilities, improve communication around organizational changes or strengthen complaint-handling procedures.

If employees report concerns about disrespectful behaviour, managers should examine how expectations are communicated and how inappropriate conduct is addressed.

Effective action should focus on workplace conditions rather than expecting employees to become more resilient to preventable problems.

4. Build Awareness and Review Progress

Workplace improvements may also require employees and managers to develop a better understanding of mental health, respectful communication and appropriate support.

Our Mental Health Awareness Training provides an option for organizations seeking to strengthen workplace mental health awareness.

Training can support broader improvement efforts, but it does not replace appropriate workload management, hazard controls, reporting procedures or other required workplace measures.

After changes are introduced, gather feedback to determine whether employees' experiences have improved.

Does a Psychological Safety Assessment Meet Canadian Workplace Requirements?

A workplace psychological safety assessment can support organizational improvement, but completing this questionnaire does not establish legal compliance in Canada.

Employer obligations depend on the applicable federal, provincial or territorial legislation.

Under the Canada Labour Code and the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations, covered federally regulated employers have specific workplace harassment and violence assessment, prevention and training obligations.

The Government of Canada's workplace harassment and violence prevention guidance explains these requirements.

Provincial and territorial rules differ. For example, Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act includes requirements concerning workplace violence risk assessments and workplace harassment policies and programs.

The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, CSA Z1003, provides a voluntary framework for improving psychological health and safety. It is not universally mandatory legislation.

Employers must determine which requirements apply to their organization. This informal assessment cannot replace legally required assessments or prevention measures.

When Is a More Comprehensive Workplace Assessment Needed?

A short questionnaire can identify possible concerns, but some workplace situations require a more systematic approach.

Further assessment may be appropriate when employees repeatedly report harassment, excessive workloads, unresolved conflicts or fear of retaliation.

Significant organizational changes, such as restructuring or major changes in work demands, can also warrant reviewing psychosocial hazards.

A comprehensive assessment may involve employee consultation, appropriately designed surveys, workplace policies, incident records and an examination of working conditions.

The CCOHS guidance on psychosocial risk factors describes organizational conditions that can affect workplace mental health.

Canada's 13 psychosocial factors affecting workplace mental health provide a useful framework for examining organizational conditions beyond the five dimensions covered in this assessment. 

For employers, the objective is not simply to collect more responses. It is to identify hazards, determine suitable controls and review whether improvements are effective.

Building a Psychologically Safer Workplace Starts With Action

A psychologically safer workplace is reflected in everyday interactions, supportive leadership and employees' confidence in raising concerns.

These 15 questions offer a starting point for understanding workplace experiences. The real value comes from listening to the findings, addressing identified concerns and reviewing whether working conditions improve.

Psychological safety is strengthened through consistent action, not assessment scores alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Assess Psychological Safety in the Workplace?

Use employee questionnaires, confidential feedback, workplace observations and discussions to evaluate trust, respect, leadership and reporting practices. A workplace psychological safety assessment can help identify concerns and guide improvements.

What Are the 5 C's of Psychological Safety?

There is no universally recognized five-C model of psychological safety. Five useful workplace principles are communication, confidence, collaboration, compassion and constructive feedback. These are practical principles rather than an official Canadian framework.

What Are 5 Examples of Psychological Hazards at Work?

Five common examples are excessive workloads, workplace bullying, harassment, unclear job expectations and lack of managerial support. These conditions can contribute to workplace stress and psychological harm.

What Are the 13 Psychological Safety Factors in the Workplace?

Canada's 13 psychosocial factors include organizational culture, psychological support, clear leadership, civility and respect, psychological demands, growth, recognition, involvement, workload management, engagement, balance, psychological protection and physical safety protection.

What Are 17 Common Psychosocial Hazards at Work?

There is no single universally applicable list of exactly 17 psychosocial hazards. Common examples include bullying, harassment, excessive demands, poor support, limited job control and organizational conflict. Canada's national psychological health and safety framework identifies 13 psychosocial factors.