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RTWMatters team

Articles by ‘RTWMatters team’
It pays to share (evidence-based messages)

Ten reasons to share the key messages from It Pays To Care with everyone who works with workers’ compensation claimants.

How do Work Health and Safety psychosocial regulations line up with RTW laws? And how do employers comply with both?

What should employers do to make sure they're complying with both Work Health and Safety psychosocial regulations and laws about return to work?

The AI cat is out of the bag — transparency, and reflections from the RTWMatters team

ChatGPT. We’re betting you’ve heard about it lately. It’s been hard to miss, and seems here to stay. The RTWMatters team wanted to find out for ourselves what it was all about. We’re on board with...

Q&A with mental health workplace consultant

"Since the pandemic started, there is a general desire by workplaces to do more about workplace mental health – and to move beyond the awareness raising stage to taking effective workplace...

A call to pillows!

Organisations have a lot to gain from battling insomnia, with benefits ranging from increased productivity, less burnout, better worker mental health and fewer workplace accidents. And research...

Guidelines for diagnosing, managing and trouble-shooting mental health claims

GP guidelines on the assessment and management of work-related mental health conditions aim to reduce unnecessary “unfit for work” certificates and improve recovery outcomes.

Workplace mental health resources by jurisdiction

Not knowing where to begin is a barrier that prevents some organisations from taking action on workplace mental health. We've assembled a list of high quality resources from workers' compensation...

Healthy Minds, Healthy Workplaces

Comcare and Beyond Blue demonstrate benefits of low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy at work.

Unreliable, dangerous, incompetent?

Awareness of workplace injury stigma is low amongst Australian employers but the costs may be high, according to a report commissioned by Safe Work Australia.

How workers feel about getting hurt impacts how and when they get better

Psychological responses to work injury impact recovery. Australian researchers have interviewed stakeholders and summarised the evidence, developing practical advice to improve the RTW journey.

Top ten tips for better living with less pain

Practical advice for people who experience persistent pain, based on the work of musculoskeletal therapist Ben Cormack.

Migraines and work

A quick guide to understanding, accommodating and preventing migraines at work.

Need to persuade higher-ups to take action on mental health at work?

Progressive think-tank The Australia Institute has released a report that quantifies the costs of poor workplace mental health.

Accommodating long-haul Covid-19 at work

Practical advice for accommodating non-infectious workers with persistent Covid symptoms during RTW. Plus information about Covid-19 transmission and indoor ventilation.

SIRA answers questions about value-based healthcare

Petrina Casey of SIRA discusses the benefits and challenges of value-based healthcare (VBH) in workers' compensation.

Measuring RTW in 5,4,3,2,1

How should employers measure RTW performance? We dig into Safe Work Australia’s national approach to highlight five measurement principles that apply within organisations, as well as across the...

Introducing cognitive functional therapy

By creating a therapeutic "pain story," proponents of cognitive functional therapy claim the approach will break the cycle of pain-related distress and disability for individuals with persistent,...

Thriving at work in risky times

We hit some potential pandemic pain points, share resources to help organisations tackle them and tune in to the advice from a paediatric oncologist who wants us all to adapt and thrive at work...

Do you know anyone who has lost work courtesy of COVID-19?

The COVID-19 Work and Health Study is tracking the impact of the pandemic on those who lose work (i.e. lose their job or have reduced hours) as a result.

Working through COVID-19

Practical and authoritative material to help you navigate these unprecedented times.

How is Australia tracking in RTW?

A quick look at return to work data released by Safe Work Australia in 2019

Said or unsaid, words matter

Six powerful phrases that are heard too often, or not often enough, in the field of RTW and workers’ comp.

Hungry to improve RTW?

The researchers at the Insurance Work and Health Group at Monash University are offering a fantastic professional development opportunity: a two-day course on Return to Work: Evidence and Innovation

Supervisor training package launch: Early bird opportunity

Managing return to work and injury - A Supervisor Training Package

Identifying psychosocial risks and worker vulnerability

Guidance from Safe Work Australia can help you clock the psychosocial risks in your workplace, and understand which workers might be most vulnerable.

What matters about RTWMatters?

RTWMatters is Australia’s leading independent resource for return to work professionals: informative, practical, motivating. Learn what we do, why it matters and who’s responsible for the wisdom...

Intro to the Clinical Framework

RTW Coordinators, meet the Clinical Framework, a set of principles that ensure allied health professionals provide workers comp claimants with the best possible treatment.

Supercharging motivation for the chronically ill

Motivating messages for RTW coordinators, supervisors and HR, based on research that describes what people with chronic diseases value about work.

3 x 3 for mental health

Nine priorities for Australian businesses seeking to prevent harm, promote the positive, and manage mental illness at work

In conversation with Angela Martin

A highly experienced “pracademic” outlines the research evidence best suited to helping employers improve mental health at work

Grand champions of persuasion...or manipulation?

Even when it succeeds, manipulation destroys trust and breeds resentment. How can we persuade without manipulating?

PEMAs aren't perfect

Pre-employment medical assessments bring risks for employers as well as benefits. Potential downsides include inaccuracies, legal challenges and unrealistic expectations

Using and abusing PEMA results

A doctor’s assessment that a prospective employee is “fit” for a particular role does not guarantee a clean bill of health. How should employers understand and use the results of pre-employment...

PEMA results at work

Workplace examples illustrate how employers use (and misuse) the results of pre-employment medical assessments

Intro to PEMAs - pre-employment medical assessments

What is a PEMA? What can - and can't - be achieved with this earliest of early interventions?

PEMAs ain't PEMAs

There's no "one size fits all" pre-employment medical assessment: individual role demands and safety requirements determine the appropriate type of PEMA for the job.

Trying different PEMAs on for size

Case study: How to ensure your pre-employment medical assessment program is fit for the job.

The best Vs the rest: mental health at work

Fifteen things that the best performing organisations do to promote good mental health at work

Australia's most wanted: a mentally healthy workplace

Want to secure a mentally healthy workplace but not exactly sure what one looks like? Mental health foundation Superfriend have drawn a picture of the target.

Good news: RTWMatters is free for RTW Coordinators in South Australia

RTW Coordinators, are you missing out on help from a RTW ally? Or keeping a good thing to yourself? Take advantage of your free access to RTWMatters

2015 RTW Matters Reader Survey: Feedback

This survey article looks at how you use the RTW Matters website. What's useful? How do you use the information? How can we improve the service?

2015 RTW Matters Reader Survey: what barriers are you facing?

A huge thank you to everyone who responded to our reader survey. It helps us to understand some of the issues around RTW, as well as helping us to provide the information you want and need.

Most Victorian GPs not recommending RTW: study

A study shows that Victorian GPs are unlikely to recommend alternate duties for injured workers.

Guide to injury reporting systems

Improvements to injury reporting systems are one of the most cost effective ways to improve return to work outcomes.

Whiplash / neck pain

Our featured topic this month.

Employee engagement

This month we focus on employee/ claimant engagement.

Sunny side up

What is optimism? How is it good for health? When is it wise, in professional life, to get your grin on?

How trustworthy is trust?

Trust is a key predictor of organisational success, says the Great Places to Work Institute. What matters is not only how much others trust you, but how trusting YOU are.

RTW conflict Q & A

Unresolved workplace conflict can prevent RTW, so RTW professionals need to know how to recognise the signs and tame the beast!

Think scary RTW cases come out of the blue? Think again.

Identify high risk cases BEFORE they bite.

Workers' comp and recession: Expect a decline in rate of claims

Unless plant closures and mass lay-offs are planned, workers' comp claim rates tend to decline during recessions, while claim duration increases.