A two-year inquiry into WorkCover has recommended that it stop charging fees to companies that leave the scheme to become self-insurers, Adelaide Now reports. This could save self-insurers up to $7 million a year, but members of Parliament's Statuatory Authorities Review committee are divided, with Liberals supporting the cuts and Labor opposing them. Other recommendations by the report include: allowing two or three companies to manage claims (thereby reducing the monopoly had by current companies); forced reporting by Workcover of the level of savings achieved by having only one claims manager; and an independent review of WorkCover's performance (including the board).
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Prime minister Julia Gillard has announced that a Labor government will spend $277 million on suicide crisis intervention, suicide prevention programs, phone counselling and respite care for carers, ABC News reports. Gillard stated that the potential five-to 10-year mental health plan "will be a second term priority for the Government," providing 12,500 Australians at most risk of suicide with access to counselling services and daily assistance. Men with depression would be targeted by a better-funded Beyond Blue organisation, while Lifeline would be able to accept calls from mobile phones. Back when Rudd's top mental health advisor Prof John Mendoza quit, Tony Abbott promised $1.5b to fund psychosis intervention centres, acute care beds and youth centre programs.
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Despite three decades of protective legislation for pregnant and new mothers, Victoria's Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission are taking "many calls from women who are pushed into different roles or have their hours cut against their will," ABC News reports. Victorian Equal Opportunity Commissioner Dr Helen Szoke reinstates the message to employers that, "businesses lose time when they have to respond to discrimination complaints," which often result in a financial settlement. She warned that companies can easily damage their reputation to existing and future employees if they don't treat pregnant women with respect. "It really makes business sense not to discriminate," Dr Szoke said.
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"The NSW Ambulance Service's failure to consider another way of dealing with a psychologically disturbed individual was ''a major shortcoming'', The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Employee Trent Speering was suspended for workplace bullying in 2008 and later shot himself and his mother. According to investigating psychiatrist Michael Diamond, Speering showed signs of paranoid personality disorder as early as 2000. While cheif executive Greg Rochford denied that there was enough evidence to suggest mental illness, Diamond said, "The entire process (of suspension) worsened his already established impaired mental state.''
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A new study has found that obese employees cost an additional US$460 to $2,500 annually, through work absences and extra medical costs, Medical News Today reports. The report, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, tracked over 20,000 full-time workers aged between 18 and 64. They found that obesity costs companies with over 1,000 employees a total of US$285,000 per year. Researchers commented that a more "concentrated effort" would be required to combat the problem, compated to mere "workplace wellness programs (that) aren't going to have much effect on people who are already 100-plus pounds overweight."
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Gimme a break! 39% of employers' prime aim is to foster a highly productive team, while maximum productivity per head count is a priority for 31% of bosses. On the other hand, nearly half of all employees admit to feeling stressed at work. These highlights are from the insurer's annual Health of the Workplace survey. The good news is that many employers recognize the need to focus on employees' well-being and admit they could do more to improve a balance with staff's work/life. Last month, research by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy highlighted that bad habits such as not taking sufficient breaks can be damaging to workers' health.
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Where is that first-aid kit again? A survey on occupational health and safety among public sector, private sector and those employed by public entities, shows that measures to avoid a repeat of a workplace accident were only taken 32 percent of the time. This in spite of three-quarters of the 37 percent of employees having had accidents reporting it to their superiors. The survey by Union Haddiema Maghqudin, showed a slight majority of workers in public entities in the private sector who said they had been trained on health and safety procedures, while only 31 percent of public sector workers had. 69 percent knew where the first-aid kit was but only 43 percent knew who the first-aid assigned personnel were.
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Is happiness related to productivity? After watching a humorous film, 10 study student volunteers who reported higher happiness levels afterward, did substantially better on a 10 minute math quiz. Andrew Oswald, professor of economics at Warwick Business School, who led the research, said the results showed a clear relationship between mood and work efficiency – a discovery which could have profound implications for business leaders. Conversely, workers who reported being in a sour mood were 10 percent less productive than average.
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Workplace boredom can be as stressful and damaging as career uncertainty or demands for overwork. Three primary reasons for boredom in the workplace: feeling disconnected, feeling invisible, and lack of space. There are steps you can take toward your own liberation. Seeing your situation with a clear eye will help you step outside of your own narrow vantage point and direct your energy towards finding a better situation. List jobs or situations from the past where you felt you were at your best. Scope out opportunities for stimulation or greater challenge. Meet with your boss and explain your desire to stretch in a new direction. Open yourself up to a course, seminar or workshop, or a volunteer opportunity to enhance your existing skills or build new ones. Mesh the information and feedback to identify what energizes you and compare that with your current situation. With heightened awareness you are better equipped to deal with boredom but also working toward a successful career with people. organizations and a culture that can stimulate and challenge you.
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“70% of all illness, both physical and mental, is linked to stress.” - U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Enter Stephan Bodian, licensed psychotherapist, meditation teacher and internationally known, bestselling author of Meditation For Dummies®, who has announced the release of "Freedom from Stress". This web-based program offers five effective, proven strategies for eliminating stress and enhancing overall well-being. With workplace stress costing more than $300 billion a year in health care, missed work, and stress-management programs, according to the American Institute of Stress, can anyone underestimate or downplay the importance of stress management?
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Obesity: a gateway condition. Unfortunately the gateway can lead to heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. A staggering two thirds of Americans are obese or overweight today. And as their health goes, so goes that of their employers. Private employers are hit with an estimated $45 billion a year in medical expenditures and work loss, according to a 2008 report by the Conference Board (the latest report available). At Advocate Health Care, one of the largest health care providers in the Midwest, obesity cost nearly $6 million in lost productivity last year alone. That’s six times as much as the costs attributed to smoking. Major corporations are taking action, they can't afford not to. Businesses are reluctant to locate to areas where workplace pools are unhealthy. More companies are offering proactive wellness programs. Use of even more draconian measures such as listing calorie counts on cafeteria menus is being suggested. It worked in NY city when Mayor Bloomberg forced local restaurants to do it. It's all about making healthier choices and creates a win/win for everyone.
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Sickness absence management was the topic of discussion at a recent roundtable debate between occupational health and human resources professionals organised by Axa Icas Wellbeing. Noel O'Reilly reports.
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Employees in UK public sector jobs and their private sector peers should be enabled to work one day a fortnight from home, a government minister has stated.
Calling on the nation's employers to step up their flexible working commitments, transport minister Norman Baker has argued that such a practice would benefit both workers and their bosses.
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BULLYING happens at workplaces across Sydney but WorkCover is stepping up the fight to help stamp it out with a nine-month campaign.
It will target the retail, hospitality, manufacturing, health and education sectors and involve advisory and compliance visits.
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Did you know that 9 out of 10 Australians are stressed?
There are many of us who feel stressed at work and sometimes people take their stress home to their family and friends.
The Comcare Stress Down Month aims to provide Comcare employees with information, tools and activities to help reduce the burden of stress on the community and our lives.
Further information about Stress Down Day is available on the Lifeline Stress Down Day website.
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A MELBOURNE school has been investigated by WorkSafe after a series of violent incidents.
Cases of students attacking teachers have been reported at Werribee Secondary College in recent months, and several teachers have lodged compensation claims over alleged bullying by senior staff.
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WA WorkSafe will investigate the death of an Aboriginal elder in custody to ascertain whether anyone involved had breached the Occupational Health and Safety Act, ABC News reports. Aboriginal elder Mr Ward died in 2008 from heatstroke after being transported in the back of a prison van with faulty airconditioning, which was said to reach 50+C temperatures for several hours. A coronial inquest found a "lack of evidence" to support criminal charges of two prison van drivers, their employer and the Department of Corrective Services. This finding is said to have "prompted" WorkSafe to reconsider civil action over the case, with a maximum fine of $500,000 for a breach of the OHS act.
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People who suffer from heart disease and who also suffer from an anxiety disorder have a significantly increased risk of complications such as heart attack, heart failure, stroke and death, Medical News Today reports. A five year study of over 1,000 patients with heart disease by researchers from Tilburg University in The Netherlands found that patients who also suffer from an anxiety disorder have a 74 per cent higher chance of developing a "cardiovascular event, such as heart attack, stroke or heart failure."
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The Fair Work Ombudsman's push to pursue pregnancy discrimination claims on behalf of women has caused small business owners to argue for exemption, ABC News reports. The Ombudsman can now lodge claims in the Federal Court against illegal discrimination of pregnant women, taking the onus off of discriminated-against women to conduct the claim on their own. Australian council of Small Business Operations chairman Peter Strong says that the new system will adversely affect small business, "Of course, discrimination against pregnant women is something that's not acceptable... What our issue is the fact that when it comes to small business the Government is placing the same demand upon a small business person as they do upon a large business."
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Recently compiled Safe Work Australia data reveals that more than 7000 workers' compensation stress claims are made each year, News Mail reports. Health and community servies workers such as nurses, police and paramedics reported the highest number of claims, followed by education workers. Safe Work Australia chair Tom Phillips said, "It is concerning to find that there are many Australian workers suffering from mental stress, which can have a very siginficant impact on people's ability to function at work and at home." News Mail reported that mental stress claims cost an average of $15,500 per person, compared with an average of $5400 for other claims.
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More than four Victorian ambulance workers a week are taking stress leave of 10 days or more, reports The Herald Sun. Freedom of Information figures reveal that a total of 236 claims for all injuries and illnesses were lodged over the past year by paramedics, MICA specialists, operational staff and clinical transport officers. Steve McGhie, state secretary of Ambulance Employees Australia said that, "That amount of claims works out to nearly 10 per cent of the work force, so it's a really high number... I'm not surprised with the pressures they're under and the increased workload."
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A teacher in Bundaberg is suing the State Government for over $420,000 for personal injury, claiming she permanently damaged her larynx after trying to control pupils at Thabetan State School, The Courier Mail reports. Valissa Julietta Bauer claims the school did not provide her with adequate classroom assistance by failing to provide the correct number of staff for the large composite class. Ms Bauer also accuses the school of failing to provide provide her with adequate training and failing to reduce her contact with the class by rotating her duties.
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Colin Dunstan, paroled in 2008 after a nine-year sentence for sending 28 letter bombs in 1998, has been awarded workers' compensation of a year's pay, The Herald Sun reports. Dunstan, a then Australian Tax Office Employee, had applied for workers' compensation for incapacity caused by sexual harrassment following an affair with a workmate in 1995. His claim was rejected, which was said to have sparked his rampage. Last month the Administrative Appeals Tribunal overturned the decision, finding, "Though the affair was a personal issue...Mr Dunstan's employer... Had handled his grievances poorly, aggravating an existing depressive disorder."
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Changes to the Tasmanian WorkCover scheme are now effective, reports ABC News. While the Government says the changes will result in better support for injured workers returning to work sooner, there will also now be a two-year wait for some compensation payouts. WorkCover Tasmania's Simon Cocker said, "Within the first two years of an injury a worker can't receive a lump sum payout unless all reasonable attempts at redeployment and retraining have been exhausted, so we're going to see more time and effort put into process in those two years and less on payouts."
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Injured workers are less satisfied with WorkCover and private claims manager Employers Mutual, ABC News reports. Industrial Relations Minister Paul Holloway said the WorkCover Stakeholder survey has uncovered dissatisfaction in areas of communication and case management. According to Opposition spokesman Rob Lucas, this dissatisfaction is far from new: "We've now seen this decline over the past three years of these annual surveys being reported... It's not just the unfunded liability but there are massive issues in relation to the management of the whole scheme."
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The Australian Nurses Union is seeking to secure workers' compensation for employees over 65, taking a test anti-discrimination case to the Federal Court, reports The West Australian. West Australian workers' compensation legislation limits payments after a person's 65th birthday, despite the retirement age being lifted to 67 by 2023. Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation Mark Olson called the legislation, "extraordinary and hypocritical." The State Government has announced that age discriminatory provisions in the workers' compensation scheme will be removed after the winter Parliament recess.
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Australian Gen-X women are losing out on their careers when they become mums, blaming a "lack of family-friendly workplace policies," reports The Age. A University of Melbourne study has revealed that of tertiary qualified Gen-Xers, only 38 per cent of women work full time compared with 90 per cent of men. Study leader Professor Johanna Wyn said, "While our young women are encouraged to excel academically, when it's time to start a family there is very little support available from employers." Professor Wyn also commneted on the negative effect of Australia's workplace policies on Generation X's health.
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The first set of results from the new WorkHealth checks are here, showing "both sexes are in denial about their health," the Herald Sun reports. The figures from over 100,000 workplace health checks conducted by WorkSafe Victoria show that almost half of male workers are at high risk of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, compared with 32 per cent of women. WorkSafe MP Tim Holding said, "Women have long claimed that they are healthier than men, and unfortunately for blokes this proves it." Of the workers who were checked, 562 men and 296 women were advised to see a GP within 24 hours because of high health risks.
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Disenfranchised employees who feel powerless to express grievances are using sick leave as a "powerful strategic tool" against employers, Medical News Today reports. Psychologist Dr Maurice Lipsedge warned of the trend, which risks diverting attention away from "unfairness and injustice" at work. Lipsedge said that employees who are feeling overwhelmed and unable to improve their working conditions are behaving according to a "cultural template", which involves using a GP's sick certificate to validate their concerns. This approach, however, shifts the focus away from the workplace and into the medical realm. "It depoliticises workplace conflict (and) percevied unfairness and injustice are not remedied, and medicalisation maintains the status quo."
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Queenslanders have only a few days left in which to nominate for the Q-Comp Return to Work Awards. "Above and Beyond" is the theme for this year, celebrating the essential work undertaken to develop and improve a strong return to work culture. There are four achievement awards categories including: Case Manager Achievement Award; Rehabilitation and Return to Work Manager Award; Injured worker Achievement Award and Employer Achievement Award. Every nominee will receive a certificate of recognition, with each individual award winner receiving up to $2000 in prize money. Nominations close at 5pm on July 2nd.
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The recent release of the Australian Government's report on suicide has highlighted the issue of work-related suicide, Kevin Jones of the Safety at Work Blog reports. "The Hidden Toll: Suicide in Australia" asserts that previous estimates of people affected by a suicide are "a load of nonsense," as they don't take into account the impact of lessened productivity at home and in the workplace. The report demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of selected workplace suicide and mental health training which Jones cites as "probably...the biggest challenge to workplaces and safety professionals over the next decade."
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Leading Seaman Stacey Pikot has broken the silence on workplace bullying and sexual harassment in the Australian Navy, speaking to an inquiry into "misbehaviour" aboard HMAS Success, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Pikot has recounted multiple instances of verbal and physical abuse, including being grabbed by the throat and being told to "do as you are f------ told." Pikot recalled instances of intimidation where male sailors had directed her to "keep her mouth shut" about abuse onboard the ship. Another woman speaking to the inquiry denied reporting to a female Naval Lieutenant that she was so drunk she did not remember whether she had consented to sex with a male officer or not.
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A nurse at a psychiatric clinic has been instructed not to return to work by his employer after discovering he had suffered from depression, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Alistair Colgrave thought he had performed well in his first shift at Northside Clinic, with the nurse in charge pencilling him in for 15 more casual shifts. However clinic director Paul Dolan cited Colgrave's employment there as a "conflict of interest" after finding out that he had once been a voluntary patient at the clinic undergoing treatment for mild depression. The move has been condemned by the Greens and the NSW nurses federation as discrimination and smacking of "the bad old days where the stigma of a mental health condition served to dog a person's working life."
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161,000 New South Wales employers will soon see cuts to their WorkCover premiums, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. The rates will be reduced by up to 2.5 per cent and will benefit around 55 per cent of employers covered by WorkCover NSW. Businesses who have shown continued improvements to workplace health and safety will enjoy the cuts, which are a result of WorkCover's recently improved financial position. Changes will come into effect on June 30th.
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Women who have health complications during pregnancy and have to pull out of the workforce early will still qualify for the impending paid parental leave scheme, The West Australian reports. Concerns raised by a Senate inquiry were answered by recent small amendments to the scheme, ensuring expectant mothers who would have otherwise qualified for parental leave but have to stop working for medical reasons will still receive the $570 per week for 18 weeks following the birth of their baby.
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This year the United States celebrates 100 years of workers' compensation laws. The Workers' Compensation Centennial Commission website was set up to celebrate the anniversary, providing an historical overview of the birth of workers' comp. The workers' compensation video is a wonderful insight into what catalysed such monumental health care reform all those years ago.
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Bill Shorten, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, has about-faced an initial freeze of funding for disability employment support services. The 206 companies that find employment for 19,000 disabled Australian people were shocked to find their funding not raised in line with cost increases in this year's budget. However Shorten has since publicly recognised the importance of the service and pledged its continuance in the budget. CEO of umbrella organisation Australian Disability Enterprises Ken Baker said, "to his credit, Bill Shorten has listened and responded... There's some way to go, but this will help members that were on the edge."
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The number of teachers suffering from mental illness or stress has doubled in two years, The Mercury reports. For teachers working in the Polytechnic colleges of the Tasmanian education revamp, the number of workers' compensation claims for teachers' mental illness or stress has risen from five to 10. "There has to be possibly hundreds of others who are also feeling the strain who have not taken those steps," commented Greens education spokesman Paul O'Halloran. The problems relate to the government's management of the controversial Tasmania Tomorrow "reforms", which Education Minister Lyn Thorpe has recently agreed to scrap.
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A UK study has found that one in four workers does not take a break, Walletpop UK reports. Workers are increasingly disenclined to break from work due to "too much work" or "too few people...to cover the workload." Chartered Society of Physiotherapy chief executive Phil Gray said, "Employees pay the price with their health and there is a cost to employers in reduced productivity and performance." The CSP warned that unless people change their working and exercise habits, they are "increasing their risk of back pain, obesity, cancer, depression and heart disease."
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Rostron Carlyle Solicitors are warning employers to be aware of the possibility of breaching the Fair Work Act while interacting with employees on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The article cites the "adverse action" provisions under the Act, which protect the employee from having their workplace rights breached, including while they are online. It is argued that an employee may initiate an "adverse action" claim if, for example, a manager accepts some employees' friend requests and not others. It is stated that this could cost a company up to $33,000.
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56 million Japanese will have their waists measured this year in an attempt by the government to curb increasing healthcare costs, reports The Age. People who fail to measure up to the limit of 85 centimetres for men and 90cm for women must undergo counselling. Companies who do not reduce their number of overweight employees over the next five years may also be forced to contribute to a healthcare program for the elderly. Japan's healthcare costs currently account for 11.5 per cent of the nation's gross domestic product.
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A construction worker has died following a three metre fall off makeshift scaffolding in Northcote. The 59 year old man died in hospital after he was taken off life support a week later after the accident. He fell after balancing on a piece of wood that was loosely attached to homemade scaffolding and is the 11th person to die this year in a Victorian workplace. WorkSafe Vic said, “People think they’re going to save themselves time... It goes without saying that getting the job done isn’t as important as protecting yourself and your workers from serious injury or death.”
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More bullying claims have been made against ACT Health by current and former employees in what the State Opposition describes as a "systemic bullying problem," The Canberra Times reports. These complaints come after those already being investigated in the obstetrics and gynaecology department. More than 40 complaints have been made over the past three years by employees including nurses and clinicians. Nine doctors resigned from Canberra Hospital prior to February this year.
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A report by the Financial Services Union has revealed Commonwealth Bank customer service employees' opinions of the flawed "Customer Experience Survey." FSU reports, "if 80 per cent of customers do not give an overall rating of 9 or 10 out of 10 the team fails," affecting bonuses and job retention. Employee comments on the system ranged from"grossly unfair" to "causing high stress amongst staff."
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Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick announced recent changes to workers' compensation legislation in Queensland. The changes, made in a bid to stabilise QLD WorkCover after significant losses during the global financial crisis, aim to offset "rising costs associated with common law claims." Queensland's premium remains the lowest in the country, at $1.30 per $100 of wages. Mr Dick maintained that "workers will still have unchanged access to their benefits" and "unfettered access to common law claims." Read more about the changes here.
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From July 1 this year WorkCover levies will be reduced for most South Australian employers. The reduction has occured for "most industry levy rates" and is the result of redistribution of money from the Bonus Penalty Scheme and the reduction in the average levy rate from 3.00 per cent to 2.75 per cent.
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Swedish fathers are taking an increasingly proactive role in parental leave, reports the New York Times. "A new definition of masculinity is emerging," with men increasingly expecting both a career and time at home with their children. Legislation that allows fathers two months of non-transferrable parental leave was at first not widely supported by parents or business, but has now lead to a massive increase in male parental leave and a change in gender role perception that is "perhaps the most striking example of social engineering."
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Doctors are increasingly avoiding dealing with comp claims, according to the law firm Slater and Gordon. They claim medicos are frustrated with the paperwork and bureaucracy. The TAC counters by saying doctors don't like the increased scrutiny of invoices through new systems implemented by the TAC in response to the damming Ombudsmen’s report.
Who is right? Hard to say it's the TAC when scrutiny of invoices is a recent phenomena , yet GPs have been complaining for years about the difficulty of referring patients as specialists avoid dealing with compensation systems.
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A man has been convicted for defrauding WorkSafe Vic and ordered to pay back the $22,822 in injury benefits he was paid while secretly working at the same time. The Bendigo Advertiser reports that Paul White had been delivering tanks for a business registered in his wife's name, when he was caught under surveillance by WorkSafe. His lawyer said that White and his wife only made $10,000 for the year in which White was fraudulently receiving WorkSafe benefits. He was sentenced to one month jail with a 12-month suspended sentence.
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Research conducted by law and psychology professor Jennifer Robbennolt suggests that the humble apology may play a huge role in settling cases and minimising damages. Medical News Today quoted Robbennolt saying apologies can be psychologically powerful, fulfilling some of the needs of the claimant that precipitated the legal suit in the first place, ultimately lesening their perceived need for financial reimbursement.
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The practice of mindfulness meditation has been proven to reduce pain, according to a study reported by Medical News Today. It was found that people who meditate regularly find pain less unpleasant because their brains anticipate the pain less. Researchers suggested that meditation could be the way to deal with the epidemic of chronic pain conditions, including arthritis: "40% of people who suffer from chronic pain report inadequate management of their pain problem."
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You may not be alone. Amongst the myriad of recent coffee-research news rebounding around the world, a new study claims that coffee doesn't make you more alert. Medical News Today refers to a study published in the 2nd June edition of Neuropsychopharmacology, that says while frequent coffee drinkers may feel reinvigorated by coffee, the reversal of their caffeine withdrawl symptoms meant that it was actually only "bringing them back to normal."
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Hiring people who have disabilities will assist Australian businesses access a wider market, according to The Australian Network on Disability, careerfaqs.com.au reports. "Businesses that fail to make their products and services accessible to people with disability, or don't build their expertise in welcoming customers with disability, risk missing out on a great deal of business," the article reports. Despite common employer misperceptions, hiring people with a disability often does not mean substantial costs associated with workplace disability-friendly adjustments.
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Conflict in the workplace is unavoidable, but it must be dealt with, says a Sydney Morning Herald article outlining practical ways to deal with workplace conflict. "Co-worker conflicts can be one of the most difficult forms of workplace stress," which if left unresolved will be bad for both business and home life. The strategies for resolving workplace conflicts involve being flexible, honest, bringing in outsiders to assist, or aligning staff with a common goal of the organisation.
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Kevin Jones at Safety At Work Blog has examined recent workplace illiteracy statistics from the Australian Indusrty Group and asked whether illiteracy is a big safety risk. AIGroup's CEO Heather Ridout is quoted as saying, "safety risks are increased when signs and safety information can't be read... productivity is reduced." Jones also refers to ABS statistics that show just under 50 per cent of Australian workers do not have literacy skills needed to meet the demands of the workplace. Jones points out though that perhaps the most important aspects of workplace safety communication are not just conveyed through language but rather through inherent workplace culture and practices.
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Bus drivers for New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority are taking extended leave over incidents in which they are spat on by irate customers, Workers' Comp Insider reports. 51 drivers took paid leave in 2009 after "spitting incidents", for an average of 64 days off work each with the longest being 191 days. While being spat on is a "physically and psychologically traumatic experience" for assaulted workers, Workers' Comp Insider questions Transit Union president John Samuelson's comments alluding to the fact that injured workerscan deem the extent of their leave and timeframe for return to work, rather than being informed and directed by medical advice.
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Monash researchers have concluded that psychological factors such as pessimism and depression are major predictors of chronic pain in people who haven sustained an injury, Medical News Today reports. The study, published in American Pain Society's "The Journal of Pain" focused on people who had a range of non life-threatening injuries, many of which having happened in the workplace. It was found that "recovery expectations played a role" with those who believed they would not recover soon being nearly four times more likely to report pain-related diability after six months. "Symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress post-injury also were identified as strong independent predictors of pain-related work disability."
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QANTAS has been described as having a "third-world approach" to return to work, forcing injured workers back to work without clearance by their doctor, the NSW Transport Workers Union reports. "Bullying, harassment and humiliation" are all cited as tactics QANTAS has used against workers and their doctors in order to return injured workers to work sooner, presumably in a bid to boost low staff levels. The Union also alleges that QANTAS fails to take seriously life-threatening illnesses aquired on the job and delay payments to injured workers. WorkCover is now investigating the Union's claims.
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The Australian Government's new No Leave, No Life campaign uses workplace wellness as one of the top reasons why workers should take their accrued annual leave. The initiative maintains that lowering the level of accrued leave reduces sick and stress leave claims, lowers the level of accidents and increases motivation and productivity of workers. The initiative promotes "positive work/life balance" with fact sheets, research findings and toolkits for employers to implement healthier approaches to work leave.
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Independent medical advisers are costing WorkCover South Australia $439 an hour, at the same time as some injured workers are "going without food or medication," according to Adelaide Now. Almost one in 10 medical specialists are brought from interstate to review an injured worker's doctor's diagnosis, costing WorkCover $3.2 million dollar since 2006. Independent MP Anne Bressington will be asking Parliament this week why local experts were not used, and the money spent on interstate experts instead directed at return to work programs and retraining.
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The QLD Government has introduced new workers' compensation laws, My Sunshine Coast reports. Minister for Industrial Relations Cameron Dick billed the changes as, "fair to both employers and employees," while stating that there will be no changes restrictions on workers' access to common law compensation claims. Damages for economic loss will be capped at $176,607 per annum, whilst general damages would be capped at $300,000. Mr Dick added, "a court will be able to award costs against a worker where a claim is not successful." He maintained that QLD WorkCover still had the lowest average premium of any Australian state or territory.
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The Victorian Government has responded to recent high-profile workplace bullying cases with an increased focus on the issue, including introducing a team of specially trained bullying inspectors to visit workplaces across Victoria. Minister of Finance Tim Holding said, "Calls to WorkSafe from employers and workers have increased by almost 100 per cent in the past three months with people wanting more information on how to prevent bullying." WorkSafe is also beginning a "Respect at Work" advertising campaign to raise awareness of the issue, and developing a self-assessment tool for employers to ensure they're being proactive enough in preventing and responding to workplace bullying.
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When it comes to combating "shift-work disorder" - a dangerously higher incidence of workplace accident and injury due to worker fatigue, nothing works quite like caffeine. The New York Times reports that recent research has found caffeine reduces errors and improves performance on tasks involving memory, attention, perception, concept formation and reasoning.
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The ongoing recession is having a negative effect on employees' mental health, Digital Journal reports. A survey by UK mental health charity Mind show that one in 10 people had to seek medical advice from their doctor, with seven per cent on anti-depressants. 50 per cent of those polled said their workplace was suffering with low morale and 30 per cent were working extra hours due to the recession. Mind says that mental illness costs the industry around £26 billion annually, but with improved management this figure could be reduced by £8 billion.
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Retaining new recruits can be hard for companies, The Age Reports. There is a 30-40 per cent attrition rate for new workers, with the level of happiness dropping after 12 months without active engagement. "It may be nice giving fruit or a free breakfast, but you have to value staff in personal ways," says Meahan Callaghan, HR Director at SEEK. The article maintains that management practices often can't be seperated from culture, and that's why good leadership counts. John Asquith, retention adviser of TalentDrain said, "I think little notes of appreciation and chats with the boss are essential...when those are missing then the other factors become more important. These don't cost you."
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Work-performance reviews are on top of a new list of workplace practices found to be contributing to heart disease,stress and mental disorders, says The New York Times. Clinical Psychologist Samuel A. Culbert has just released a new book highlighting the danger of toxic work environments: "Reviews are so subjective — so dependent on the worker’s relationship with the boss — as to be meaningless." The article cites numerous recent work-health research including a 15-year Danish study of 12,000 nurses, which found that "nurses struggling with excessive work pressures had double the risk for a heart attack."
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A NSW goverment committee has recommended that, "The NSW Attorney General examine the adequacy of the existing legal framework for bullying related offences, and identify any legislative changes that could enhance the legal protection provided to victims of bullying and cyberbullying.” Kevin Jones of SafetyatWorkBlog reports the NSW Government's reponse as "By-and-large... uninspiring, with the Government exploiting the loopholes left for it in the recommendations."
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The Federal Government has allocated $4.4m in its most recent budget to Comcare over the next five years, to assist them in pursuing OHS prosecutions and combatting appeals, reports Safe To Work.com.au.
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The revised Model Work Health and Safety Act draft is now available on the Safe Work Australia website. The draft outlines how States and Territories will need to adapt their own health and safety laws in order to comply with the national harmonisation of OHS laws in December 2011. According to the website, "This current version of the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act incorporates technical and drafting amendments to the draft endorsed by Workplace Relations Ministers Council. This version was approved by Safe Work Australia on 29 April 2010 (revision dated 11 May, 2010).
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New research suggests that healthy retirees "actually face higher health costs over their remaining lifetime then the unhealthy." Medical News Today reports on a study of the determinants of health care costs from age 65, conducted by the Center for Retirement Research, Boston College. The study found that for a couple turning 65 in 2009 in which one or both spouses suffer from a chronic disease, the cost of insurance premiums and nursing home care was $220,000, whereas for couples free of chronic disease at 65, the figure was higher at $260,000.
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An 11-year study of 10,000 British public servants has found that people who work overtime have a 60 per cent higher risk of heart-related problems, reports ABC online. Researchers say "the risks for those who work just two more hours a day are significant." It was suggested that the heart disease may be associated with overtime because, "you don't have time to exercise and your diet may become unhealthy in time... You don't sleep enough and also it is possible that people who work long hours don't take care of themselves in terms of if they have some preliminary symptoms they might not go to see a doctor."
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The Rudd Government will improve assessments for disadvantaged jobseekers and people with disabilities to ensure that appropriate employment services and income support are provided. According to a Government media release, "New Disability Support Pension (DSP) assessments will help people with disabilities return to the workforce by focusing on their ability, rather than their disability... These reforms will provide faster, more sustainable support for people with severe disabilities, while referring others with the potential to work to employment services including Job Services Australia and Disability Employment Services."
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A Bayswater man has pleaded guilty to two charges of claiming workplace injury compensation he was not entitled to, WorkSafe Victoria reports. Robert Window received a suspended four month prison sentence after being charged with producing certificates declaring him "unfit for any duties" and collecting $25,000 in injury benefits whilst working in I.T. and operating a hire car business. "On the day he obtained a medical assessment supporting his appication to... drive hire cars, his regular GP declared him "unfit for any duties."
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Sunshine Coast pro-surfer David Reardon-Smith has pleaded guilty to defrauding WorkCover after he was busted surfing competitively while on workers' compensation benefits, Sunshine Coast Daily reports. Reardon-Smith was charged and ordered to repay over $16,000 after he was discovered secretly competing in a surfing competition in the Phillipines and medically certified as, "totally incapacitated for work." Reporting "no improvements and no response to the therapuetic rehabilitation he was undergiong for his injury," Reardon-Smith had also competed in two other competitions and won prize money while receiving injury compensation.
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Dealing with return to work after surviving cancer can be challenging and require planning with employers, reports Mayoclinic.com. People's common concerns include continued fatigue, physical changes and fear of not being able to perform in their usual role. The suggestions for people wanting to return to work include planning a flexible working arrangement, and maintaining communication and open-ness with employers.
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Dean Stone, President of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Licensees Association has expressed concern for the increased cost to business of proposed national harmonisation of OHS regulations, according to The Australian. Stone said of the upcoming unification, "It is really multiplying the compliance burden by eight," referring to the fact that many companies who operate under the federal jurisdiction Comcare will incurr significant legal and administrative costs when forced back into seperate state and territory based jurisdictions in 2012.
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Traumatic experiences "biologically embed" themselves in select genes, altering their functions and leading to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reports Medical News Today. The findings of a study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health were that, "trauma exposure causes epigenetic changes in immune system genes and thus, compromised immune functioning putting individuals at risk for a host of disorders." The implications of a stress response system becoming chronically overactive are significant, with increased risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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On April 12, 2010, the Occupational Cancer Research Centre and the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) co-hosted a scientific symposium on the health effects of shift work. More than 100 researchers and representatives from the employer, labour and workers’ compensation communities — primarily from Ontario, but also other parts of Canada, the United States and Europe — came together in Toronto to participate in the symposium. The aim was to provide an overview from leading scientific experts on research findings about the health effects of shift work, and collectively identify the key gaps in the research evidence.
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A QANTAS flight attendant who was on "slip-time" (the period of time between arrival and departure in an overseas port) and injured himself riding a bicycle has been awarded injury compensation. While QANTAS denied liability and rejected the attendant's claims for weekly compensation and lump sum payments, it was concluded on appeal that his injuries did in fact occur during the course of his employment.
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The Australian has reported the Victorian Government's move to save employers $240m over four years on their workers' comp insurance premiums. The change accompanies a reduction in payroll tax, from 4.95 per cent to 4.9. The Government was quoted as saying the cut reflected, in part, a continuing drop in workers' compensation claims. This will result in the average premium being 1.34 per cent, which makes Victoria the nation's second lowest after Queensland, at 1.3 per cent.
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"Workplace accidents are placing added strain on the colleagues of injured workers", reports Moonee Valley Community news, "but employers and consumers are also feeling the impact." The report draws on recent WorkSafe Victoria figures in describing an 'alarming' picture of injuries sustained in Melbourne's north. WorkSafe inspector Micheal Birt is quoted as saying that WorkSafe figures of workplace injury costs to business do not take into account the additional commercial costs such as staff replacement and reduced productivity. He also noted the indirect costs to the consumer and the injured worker personally.
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Research supporting the use of acupuncture in treating chronic pain has been published in the May issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the journal of the International Anaesthesia Research Society. Medical News Today reports that the University of Munich used quantitative sensory testing with acupuntcure and found that, "pain thresholds increased by up to 50 per cent." Dr Irnich, Head of the Mutidisciplinary Pain Centre at the Department of Anesthisiology, University of Munich said, "our results show that contralateral stimulation (via acupuncture) leads to a remarkable pain relief."
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WorkCover South Australia has announced the appointment of Mr Rob Thompson from New South Wales as the new Cheif Executive Officer of WorkCoverSA. “Mr Thomson has extensive leadership experience in the insurance industry and workers compensation schemes. His most recent role as General Manager Workers Compensation Division for WorkCover New South Wales saw him take a lead role in the financial turnaround of their scheme," said Mr Phillip Bentley, WorkCoverSA Board Chair.
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"The passage of identical OHS laws in our federal, state and territory parliaments will not produce uniform laws nationally," reports The Australian. National harmonisation of OHS laws is widely touted as creating uniform state and territory legislation, when in fact, "across Australia, courts of divergent status will interpret and apply OHS laws with inevitable differences." Multi-jurisdictional employers who opted to use the single national OHS scheme Comcare, will be moved back onto each individual state and territory system. This is despite a 2004 Productivity Commission report calling the different systems, "a distraction for management", and the Cole Royal Commission asserting that there could be no more salutary reform to OHS law than a single national scheme.
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A Radio National program streaming online investigates Australia's ranking among OECD countries of 13th out of 19 in employment rates for people with a disability. "Only half of working age Australians with a disability have a job - compared with 80 percent without a disability." The program asks whether business is overlooking a home grown resource in coping with the challenges of the national skills shortage.
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From July 1, proposed changes to Queensland WorkCover laws will see employer premums rise from $1.15 per $100 of wages, to $1.30 per $100, The Brisbane Times has revealed. The premiums will however remain the lowest rate of any state or territory in the country. Payouts for general damages of pain and suffering will also be capped at $300,000, while damages for future earnings will be capped at around $176,000, or three times average earnings. Workers will also pay the costs if they take a claim to court and lose. These changes are intended to "help drag WorkCover out of financial difficulties", which include an operating defecit of $1.3 billion over the last two years.
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New research by MetLife has found that 81 per cent of surveyed employees report improved productivity when given access to a "wellbeing programme", according to web blog Love2Reward. The report reaffirms the business case of wellbeing programmes, with MetLife researcher Dr Ronald Leopold stating more employers are, "viewing wellness programmes as an investment to help address their business objectives."
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A company in Sunbury, Victoria is being investigated for what a senior union leader has described as the "worst bullying case he had seen", the Age has reported. Dean Hutchison recounted severe examples of workplace abuse, over which the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy union is launching an "adverse action" against Sunbury Wall Frames & Trusses. WorkSafe is also investigating bullying claims. The allegations range from physical abuse, no safety equipment provided, pay docking for taking a colleague to hospital and injury incurred using unsafe equipment.
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A link has been found between working night shifts and sleep problems, especially among workers in their 30s and 40s. Medical News Today said the study, published by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that former shift workers had more sleep problems than those who had never done shift work, specifically problems with waking up too early. The study reinforces findings of earlier work highlighting the link, and adds, "Sleep problems seem to be a "reversible consequence" of shiftwork- although it may take awhile after giving up shiftwork before sleep returns to normal."
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Negotiations are underway to develop Australia's first workplace agreement that will support employees who suffer abuse at home, ABC News reports. The Community and Public Sectors Union and the University of New South Wales are attempting to create an agreement that protects the financial security of victimised employees. "By remaining connected to a workplace, a woman has a much better chance of attaining her independence after the perpetrator has been removed from the family home," said Tanya Plibersek, Minister for the Status of Women.
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The US National Bureau of Economic Research has released figures showing an alarming increase in Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) in the past two decades, All Business has reported. Those receiving SSDI rose from 2.2 per cent of 25 year olds in 1985, to 4.1 per cent in 2005, increasing the percentage of total Social Security dollars spent on disability from 10 per cent to 17 per cent. The Bureau predicts SSDI will account for up to seven per cent of non elderly adults in the US. The article highlights the importance for all countries in returning injured workers quickly, electing modified duties that will ultimately lead to less chronic reliance on disability pensions.
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According to psychologists and researchers, yawning has nothing to do with boredom, rudeness, or even fatigue, reports The Age. "Yawning helps cool down our brains so they function better," explains Andrew Gallup, a researcher who specialises in yawning at New York's University of Binghamton. "Our research indicates that we yawn in response to increased brain or body temperature." Yawning is still stigmatised as an sign of boredom or tiredness, with employees mindful of keeping their yawns to themselves. Researchers however, emphasised the role of yawning in promoting health and managing stress.
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"New research reveals why a stimulus that healthy human subjects perceive as a reward might be processed quite differently in the brains of humans suffering from chronic pain", Medical News Today reports. Dr. A. Vania Apkarian from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago compared brain activity in response to pain stimuli in subjects with and without chronic back pain. "In chronic pain patients, it reflects the prediction of worsening the ongoing back pain, as if the patients were disappointed that the painful stimulus was discontinued, while in the control subjects it reflects the prediction of relief," said Dr Apkarian.
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Employers are cracking down on cigarette breaks and may be increasingly favouring non-smokers when hiring, reports the Courier Mail. Companies in the US are implementing "non-smoker only" employment policies in a bid to avoid productivity and worker disharmony issues related to the common "ciggie break". Australian employers are increasingly banning smoking breaks and are anecdotally reported to be following the US's hiring stance. Smoking-related absenteeism is reported to cost businesses nearly $800 million a year, with the Cancer Council Queensland stating that smokers are 1.4 times more likely to be absent from work than non-smokers.
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"Routine physical loading is not bad for a disc, within limits", is the message from recent research into back disorders by Tapio Videman, reports Medical News Today. The award winning research disputes the "common (mis)perception that disc degeneration is caused by physical loading", and suggests that, "more physical loading may in fact slightly delay disc degeneration". It is hoped that the research will influence patient management and preventative strategies, challenging the way many people still regard back-injury rehabilitation.
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Safety In Australia reports that a recent study of employee management shows that, "engaged people feel less stress, and the stress they do feel is offset by a lot more happiness and enjoyment and interest." The Gallup study followed 9,561 US workers through part of the recession and found that, "actively disengaged workers were almost twice as likely as engaged employees to report being disgnosed with depression for the first time in the next year", and they were 1.7 times as likely to report being diagnosed with anxiety.
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Queensland WorkCover has come under criticism from both the Queensland Law Society and the CFMEU, the Courier Mail reports. Both their submissions to the State review of WorkCover allege inept financial management, and according to the Courier Mail claim that, "artificially low employer premiums had meant WorkCover had become over-reliant on stockmarket returns to meet underwriting requirements." These criticisms come amidst earlier allegations of WorkCover management deliberately blowing out claims in an attempt to force legislative change.
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The Board of WorkCover WA has agreed that the average recommended premium rate for 2010/11 will be 1.497 per cent of total wages. This represents a 13.9 per cent drop from the previous financial year. Alongside premium changes, legislative improvements have also been made including the removal of discriminatory age limitations on workers' compensation entitlements; common law access for uninsured workers under the "safety net" provisions; and improvements to the dispute resolution system.
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In April and May, Comcare is undertaking research to understand injured workers' health outcomes, service experience, perception and expectations of Comcare. They will be speaking with over 400 injured workers from APS agencies and the ACT government. Potential respondants have been contacted by mail and results are expected in early June.
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A new UK report has shown that sickness "presenteeism", where workers show up for work despite illnesses, is more likely to negatively effect work performance and create greater sickness absence in the long term, reports People Management UK online. It was warned, "employers are at risk of underestimating or missing its impact because they focus on absence." The report showed that, "nearly half of employees surveyed by researchers reported one or more days of sickness prescence compared with 18 per cent taking days off ill in the same period." It was emphasised that compared to sickness presence, sickness absence was not significantly related to performance.
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David Wicks and Philip Sheehan, two police officers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after assisting victims of the Waterfall rail disaster in NSW in 2003, were, "denied compensation under the NSW Civil Liability Act", because they only witnessed the "aftermath" of accident, reports Safety In Australia Blog. The pair's claim has now reached the High Court of Australia, with implications of the case having, "significant impacts for emergency workers but the case also indicates the confusions that could arise in OHS law over the issue of psychosocial hazards and injuries, such as trauma and PTSD."
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New research has emphasised the importance of exercise in treating anxiety and depression disorders, Medical News Today reports. Researchers Jasper Smits and Michael Otto suggest that it should be more widely prescribed by mental health professionals, "Exercise has been shown to have tremendous benefits for mental health... The more therapists who are trained in exercise therapy, the better off patients will be." The findings show, "individuals who exercise report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lower levels of stress and anger," because, "exercise appears to affect, like an antidepressant, particular neurotransmitter systems in the brain." The study suggests that people need not view exercise as solely for long-term physical health benefits but as a way to directly, immediately influence mental health rehabilitation and wellbeing.
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Micheal Wise, former Darwin IT worker at the Defense Department has pleaded guilty to using six forged documents for sick leave, the ABC reports. Wise took a total of 10 days' sick leave over a three year period, providing fake sick certificates that were identical except for their dates. The ABC reported the court heard Wise was paid more than $2000 for his time off. Wise's lawyer described him as "depressed" and said that he had done something "very stupid". He was convicted and received a 12-month good behaviour bond.
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Canberra Hospital is leading the way in hiring people with disabilities, ABC News reports. Ben Pattrick, who has cerebral palsy, is one of several people with diabilities to be employed by the hospital. ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher has acknowledged that governments have been too slow to hire people with disabilities, "I think there's more work to be done and that's certainly the view ACT Health has taken." Ben's mother Cheryl reflected, "it's given him the opportunity to meet people, feel like he's achieving in life and it's just been fabulous."
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A British medical technician has killed himself after a colleague complained about a politically incorrect comment he made. The Daily Mail reports that Roy Amor, 61, was suspended from work pending a disciplinary investigation after suggesting to a black friend he'd, "better hide" when they spotted immigration officers outside their clinic. Another colleague took offence to the comments and made a formal complaint to the employer, private prosthetic and orthotic provider Opcare. The black colleague, a close family friend of Amor's, took the comments as a joke and is said to be "shattered" over Amor's death. Mr Amor leaves behind wife, Ann, and an adult son and daughter.
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WorkCoverSA has established a $15 million Return to Work Fund to implement initiatives that contribute to the improved return of injured workers to work. Expressions of interest for the second round of funding are now open, until 5pm on Wednesday 30th June.
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"Fit Notes" will now be issued by GPs to sick or injured British workers who have been out of work for longer than seven days, the BBC reports. Replacing the old "sick note", fit notes will still outline a worker's illness or injury but more importantly will put an emphasis on what they can still do in the workplace. The idea, conceived by recent Workplace Health and Wellbeing research in the UK, encourages employers to become actively involved in return to work for injured employees. "We know that keeping people in work helps their physical and mental wellbeing," said Professor Steve Field of the Royal College of General Physicians.
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ABC News Online has reported Occupational Physician Dr Mary Wyatt from RTW Matters stating that, "a trend towards more diagnostic tests and treatment is contributing to the rising cost of workers compensation." Dr Wyatt points out that the system is being made increasingly complex by the over-treatment of simple conditions. "We have an increasing focus on the medicine, and we have lots of scans that tell us there are things wrong with our bodies, and then when those scans are done it's often labelled as a serious problem," she said. The Federal Government estimates the costs of work-related injury and illness to the Australian economy at $57.5 billion, or 5.9 per cent of gross domestic product.
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The ABC has reported on QLD Opposition calls for an open investigation into the management of WorkCover Queensland. Deputy Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg was quoted as saying, "I think what we've got here is a Government that's just thrashing around, making excuses for poor management and just maladministration of WorkCover in Queensland." The calls for investigation are a response to a State Government discussion paper released earlier this year detailing WorkCover's worsening financial situation. There are claims that senior WorkCover staff have, "deliberately blown-out compensation claims to force policy changes".
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The Productivity Commission has criticised State and Territory laws for having uneven workplace bullying laws and definitions, according to the Safety In Australia website. A report issued last week by the commission states, "the average cost of work-related mental stress claims are much higher than the average cost for all workers' compensation claims." The commission also, "lamented the lack of a nationally accepted definition of "psycho-social" hazards, pointing out that Queensland was the only state to define bullying as a form of harassment."
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Amendments to the Accident Compensation Act 1985 will come into effect on April 5th. The key changes include worker compensation and claims lodgement, dispute resolution, employer rights and professional conduct controls for service providers. A summary of the changes are available from WorkSafe Victoria online, via the link.
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A federal agency has submitted a request to Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes for permission to "insert a clause in its job advertisements that effectively told the disabled not to apply as they supposedly would not be able to carry out the work on occupational health and safety grounds," Safety In Australia reported. Innes was quoted as saying, "its actions were not just an "absolute cop-out", but "unacceptable and against the law". The hypocrisy in the situation was clear, "I think it's very embarrassing for people like Bill Shorten and Brendan O'Connor, who I am confident are trying their hardest to address these issues, when on the ground this sort of approach is being taken."
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"Too much health and safety in the work place” has been voted sixth highest in a recent British survey of workplace annoyances. Neck and neck with, "Poor toilet ettiquite," and, "people not turning up to meetings on time or at all," the ranking has raised alarming questions about the effectiveness of workplace health and safety awareness campaigns. Safety News Alert suggests that because health was lumped in with safety, people associated the survey item with recent "wellness" programs in the workplace. Though an interesting insight into workplace attitudes, it was suggested that perhaps the real focus of workers was not against safety in the workplace, but against "the person who requested healthy snacks in the vending machine".
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The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland opposes a recommendation to State Government to progressively increase workers compensation premiums, on the basis that it would ultimately jeopardise employment and business viability. CCIQ President David Goodwin said that the increase in premiums would cost businesses at a time when they cannot afford any increases in costs. "Potentially at stake is an average increase in workers' compensation bills of $7,500 amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars to be footed by the Queensland business community," Mr Goodwin said.
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Navigating a peaceful path through the day when surrounded by irritating, disagreeable or downright insufferable co-workers can be one of the biggest difficulties in the workplace--unless you're working in the RTWMatters office of course! Business Day reports that while keeping your job is one thing, the health effects of getting angry is like, "taking a small dose of slow-acting poison". The paper has compiled a list of techniques for side-stepping difficult co-workers, so that individuals can get on with their job and ultimately avoid the risk of, "higher blood pressure, arterial damage and the stimulation of cholesterol-filled fat cells to empty into the bloodstream".
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The International Labour Office has included mental and behavioural diseases in their updated list of occupational diseases. Kevin Jones from Safety At Work Blog has announced that it is the first time, "an international authoritative OHS body has acknowledged the existence of psychosocial hazards." The inclusion in the list is a timely recognition of mental and behavioural disorders as significant occupational health and wellbeing issues.
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Job sharing is the new black, according to HR advisor Jenni Pavlou, who told The Age that a flexibly restructured administrative job advertisement drew 200 candidates in 24 hours, compared with 80 applicants for the full-time position in the same period. Despite the health and wellbeing advantages, "job flexibility" can be a bit of a bugbear for SMEs, but the experts believe that in the right position if the candidates are compatible, job sharing can save, rather than lose, money. "You’ve got more superannuation costs, but in the long run, less churn and more cover so you may not have to use temps for holidays," said Pavlou.
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The much-touted “work/life balance” has been found to be riddled with paradox, with new research showing work-related email invading workers’ homes and leisure spaces, causing stress, anxiety, an inability to switch off, as well as potential damage to family relationships. A new study from the Department of Gender and Cultural studies at Sydney University found that "many of the interviewees believed checking and sending emails from home did not constitute “work”. “This study was designed to pick up all that extra work that goes on outside the office, which is generally sold to us as this new freedom to be in touch with work when it suits us,” said researcher Dr Melissa Gregg.
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The Health and Productivity Institute of Australia has released guidelines to ensure Australian businesses have positive outcomes in terms of illness/injury, absence, productivity and workcover claims, reports Safety In Australia. HAPIA's report, entitiled, "Best-Practice Guidelines for Workplace Health in Australia", signals a move from an industry attitude of mere compliance with OH&S legislation, to pro-active worker health management. The report makes the argument that investment in worker health programs results in significant economic benefit.
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SA Unions has won funding from WorkCover for an 18 month project which aims to address a gaping hole in the current approach to workers compensation and employment. "Currently when someone is injured in the workplace that's it, they're labelled as nothing more than an injured worker. We want to change that by removing the stigma of injury through skills retraining so that they can continue to make a genuine contribution to the workforce", SA Unions Secretary, Janet Giles says. "We want to embed retraining as part of the solution not just for injured workers, but as part of the solution for the state's skills shortage."
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The Australian Nursing Federation has called for Government to place more priority on keeping people out of hospital, reports Medical News Today. "It is important to broaden the debate from talking about how to deal with those who are sick to how we are going to keep rural and regional Australians as healthy as possible, for as long as possible," says ANF federal secretary Ged Kearney. Medical News Today quotes Kearney emphasising preventative care in the workplace, "This means more school nurses, occupational health and safety nurses... Thousands are ending up in hospital when they could have received treatment from a nurse at their home. This puts immense pressure on the hospital system and costs taxpayers a significant amount of money each year." The comments reinforce the importance of occupational health professionals in best workplace health and return to work practices.
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The Australian Orthopaedic Association has declared that injured workers are experiencing delays due to a lack of medical expertise within Queensland WorkCover, reports Safety In Australia. The AOE Queensland branch has lodged a submission to a workers compensation review being conducted by State Government. Safety In Australia quoted AOA chairman Dr Peter Steadman as saying, "Better early intervention and management of claims is likely to see a significant reduction of common law claims."
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WorkSafe MP Tim Holding has announced $90m worth of upgrades to the Victorian worker compensation system, as a result of the state passing its Accident Compensation Amendment Bill 2009 last week. The Human Resources Leader has reported that the package now has provisions for payments to superannuation schemes for injured workers, as well as nearly doubling the maximum lump sum entitlement for dependants following a work-related death to $503,000. The Human Resources Leader has referred to the size of the amendment package as the, "biggest ever for injured workers."
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"A new system for assessing whether or not the sick and disabled are capable of working has been proven to be flawed, and is wrongly finding seriously ill people ready to work, a document published today reveals," reports The Guardian. The British report, released by the Citizens Advice Bureau, suggests that, "People with advanced Parkinson's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis, with severe mental illness, or awaiting open heart surgery have been registered as fit to work." The test was designed to replace the incapacity benefit in 2008, but is receiving heavy criticism for being unsophisticated and as a result is now under review by the Department for Work and Pensions.
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Qantas is considering appealing a Workers' Compensation Commission of NSW ruling that they pay $160 000 for loss of earnings, plus medical and legal expenses, to ex-pilot Bryan Arthur Griffin, who between 1979 and 1982 was allowed to continue to as a pilot despite advising that he experienced overwhelming urges to crash his planes. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 'A report from Mr Griffin's psychiatrist said Qantas had failed to fully understand Mr Griffin's serious psychiatric problem or to consider ''the danger which you brought to passengers flying with you and the public generally, should you have crashed an aircraft"'. Mr Griffin claims that his mental ill-health--including severe obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression--was exacerbated by the strain of ongoing employment.
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"John Heylar, 65 and his 35-year-old son Michael were electrocuted, and three other men were seriously injured when a tractor being used to move a windmill came into contact with overhead powerlines at Rainbow, north of Horsham," ABC News reports. Worksafe has said that it will take several days before it has details such as witness interviews, but that incidents involving overhead powerlines are still, "unfortunately a common occurrence." WorkSafe's Stan Krpan said, "We don't seem to have been able to stop them altogether and we are sending a message to the community that says we have got to be conscious of this."
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"Downsizing and demotions at work can be a health hazard for people over age 50, according to research reported in a recent issue of The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological and Social Sciences," reports Medical News Today. It was found that job insecurity increased the chance of harmful effects to health, such as higher blood-pressure in men and depressive symptoms in women. Injured workers often fear that reduced productivity and the stigma of workers' comp puts their job on the line: here's more reason to provide them with as much reassurance and support as possible.
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"The findings, which appeared in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, show that nurses participating in shift work, especially those working rotating shifts, face a significantly increased risk of developing Irritable Bowel Syndrome and abdominal pain compared to those working a standard daytime schedule," reports EHS Today. "We know the colon has its own biological clock," said Sandra Hoogerwerf, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School."Shift work can cause chronic disruption of that biological rhythm, resulting in that clock to constantly be thrown off and needing to adjust, creating symptoms of diarrhea, boating, constipation and abdominal pain and discomfort.”
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A Northern Territory employer has been fined $60,000 after pleading guilty to workplace violations that led to the death of a Philipino visa worker. Pedro Balading, father of three, was killed when he fell out of a ute being driven by another worker. The Sydney Morning Herald reports, "Panoy (Pty Ltd) pleaded guilty to breaching section 29 of the Work Health Act and received a fine equivalent to half the maximum for offences before July 1, 2008."
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"A 31-YEAR-OLD Keysborough man has been awarded more than $1 million after he sustained a lower-back injury at work that will result in him never working again," The Age has reported. The employee, Mr Dong Pham, had complained of back pain to his employer, steel manufacturer Stramit, for 18 months but was ignored. Mr Pham's lawyers said the payment was one of the largest they had ever heard of.
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The families of people who have died as a result of bullying or an accident at work could meet the employers or offenders, to help the healing process in a program that could soon be on trial in Victoria, The Age has reported. Research is being conducted by Uniting Care's Creative Ministries Network on behalf of the Legal Services Board of Victoria, to ascertain whether 'restorative justice', willingly agreed to by both parties, could assist the healing process for grieving families of those who have died in the workplace.
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Formed this month, The Good Work Commission will examine the major challenges of work in the 21st century and attempt to redefine the notion of good work as work that is rewarding for business, society and individuals. The Commission, comprised of people from across industry and the public sector, collectively represents an employed 2.4 million people in the UK. "The Good Work Commission wants to highlight best practice so that businesses and organisations can achieve more by creating an environment that promotes good work," says chairman Alan Parker.
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Unruly students, aggressive parents and bullying bosses are leading stressed and injured teachers to claiming millions of dollars a year in compensation payments. Last year, WorkSafe issued several private schools with improvement notices over alleged deficiencies with their procedures to fight workplace bullying, according to the Herald Sun. The message? Toxic workplace culture costs - everybody.
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Chronic pain is misunderstood and should be recognised as a disease, say healthcare professionals and industry groups. One in five Australians will suffer from chronic pain at some point in their life, the ABC reports. Professor Michael Cousins, who chaired the National Pain Summit in Canberra last week, says chronic pain is undertreated: "I think it's long overdue for us to recognise that chronic pain is one of the largest undiscovered diseases - not just in Australia but worldwide - [and the] third most costly healthcare problem in Australia," he said.
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Big businesses are beginning to use meditation in the workplace to aid concentration and help workers relax - not a bad trend considering workplace stress costs the national economy $10.11 billion annually through absenteeism or presenteeism, according to research by health fund Medibank Private.
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An alarming number of patients are being ordered high radiation CT scans, says Medicare watchdog, the Professional Services Review. The Australian reported that one doctor was found to have ordered a CT scan for a patient who had complained of back pain only the night before, despite the absence of signs of a serious problem. The Review showed that in 2008-09 there were 136 referrals for CT scans, as compared with 50 the previous year.
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Did you know that 15 young workers aged between 15 to 25 are injured each day while working? So tells WorkCover NSW's new Young Workers Hazard a Guess website, an interactive online tool designed to give young workers a better idea of their rights and responsibilities in the workplace.
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WorkSafe Victoria will be conducting 10 metropolitan and regional workshops on preventing and responding to workplace bullying March to May 2010. The sessions will provide practical information on how to prevent bullying in the workplace and how to respond if it does happen. The workshops are useful for employers, managers, supervisors and health and safety representatives from businesses of all sizes, from all industry areas.
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The UK Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance has called for positive action to ensure people with musculoskeletal disorders are properly supported to access employment and remain in their jobs. The ARMA has launched a new Charter for Work, calling on policy-makers, employers and healthcare professionals to make a commitment to decrease the number of people who fall out of the workplace as a result of ill-health.
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The former employee of major lawfirm Freehills has claimed she was bullied and harassed at her workplace to such an extent that she developed a severe deterioration in her mental health and even had suicidal thoughts, The Age reports. Nicole Stransky is alleging discrimination on the basis of age, employment activity and her impairment in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
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"People who are stressed by daily problems or trouble at work seem to be more likely to grind their teeth at night," reports Medical News Today. New research published in BioMed Central's journal Head & Face Medicine showed 'sleep bruxism', grinding teeth during the night, is especially common in people dealing with stress who aren't coping in appropriate or effective ways.
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WorkCover NSW has launched a new way to spread the safety at work message, which will suit those of you who don't have social networking sites blocked at work, and who fancy the F-B. 'Work safe. Home safe' is the name of the page - once you're a fan you can leave comments and ask questions. Let's hope WorkCover uses the forum as social media should be used - as a conversation - rather than a one-sided dialogue.
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WorkCover NSW has ordered Qantas to develop emergency procedures for its Sydney domestic terminal after finding the airline in breach of safety laws for failing to train or drill staff on what to do in a disaster, the Brisbane Times reports. Airport staff revealed they had not taken part in an emergency drill since 2001. Others were found to have inadequate training in fire or emergency arrangements. A Qantas spokesman yesterday acknowledged WorkCover had issued the notices. ''We welcome this scrutiny. Action plans have already been developed to work with our people to address the issues raised,'' he said.
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A leaked report from Deloitte has forecast the Queensland workers' compensation system could lose $8.6 billion by 2018 if the system isn't reformed, the Courier-Mail reports. The Deloitte report has recommended that the Government severely restrict access to the courts and that employer premiums are increased.
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Queensland's workers' compensation system is not going bust but reforms are essential to ensure its future, Treasurer Andrew Fraser says in an AAP report (published at CCH). The Courier-Mail newspaper reported that WorkCover could face losses of $8.6 billion by 2018 if the system is not reformed. Treasurer Fraser said the government is investigating ways to conduct this reform, but argued that currently the system is 'OK' - surely a level that should be hastily aimed higher than.
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WorkSafe Victoria has launched a WorkHealth initiative aimed at improving the health of Victorian workers and the productivity of workplaces. The initiative offers voluntary programs to promote health and wellbeing through free and confidential health checks. Employers can participate in worker health check programs or workplace health promotion grants. Access the Work Health website at the link above.
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If you have a small business with between 1 and 14 employees then funding of up to $15,000 is available to help you with your work/life balance initiatives. These initiatives may include home-based work programs, flexible work practices such as job sharing and part-time work, flexible workplace policies and guidelines, family rooms and more. The focus of the program is to help employees better balance their work and family obligations by making the workplace more flexible. Funding applications close 31 March 2010. For more information and help with applying for the grant contact Kerry Fallon Horgan at Flexibility At Work on (02) 9402 4741 or email kerry@flexibility.com.au. More info at www.flexibility.com.au.
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Learn how to make your business a safe business from a local with expertise in workplace safety. In March WorkCover NSW is running free small business safety workshops across NSW. Local business advisory officers will be on hand with advice and practical assistance. For a full list of workshops happening near you and to register, take link above or call 13 10 50.
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The LA Times reports this week on a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that determined if you exercise regularly you are less likely to feel anxious - regardless of the status of your illness. Compared with similar individuals who did not exercise, the people who exercised had a 20% reduction in anxiety symptoms, the Times reported. Exercise helped to stay calm regardless of the type of health problem, for example cancer, depression, heart disease or fibromyalgia. Multiple sclerosis was the only condition in which exercise did not appear to have a significant effect.
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ACT Attorney General, Simon Corbell, has launched a new suite of material from the Work Safety Commissioner focusing on workplace bullying, to assist employers seeking to prevent or respond to workplace bullying. It is also designed to provide guidance for workers who feel they have been subjected to workplace harassment. Access the new material here: www.worksafety.act.gov.au/bullying.
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A UK study has shone light on a message we like to push here at RTWMatters: being a flexible employer is better for you and your employee. Now there's evidence on our side to suggest flexibility boosts employees' health, as judged by measures like blood pressure and stress in this particular study. But interventions that are motivated or dictated by the needs of the employer, such as cutting hours, either have no effect on employee health or make it worse. "Control at work is good for health," said review co-author Clare Bambra, a researcher at Durham University, in England. "Given the absence of ill health effects associated with employee-controlled flexibility and the evidence of some positive improvements in some health outcomes."
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Work Safe Victoria has launched the first TV ad for its five-year Work Health initiative which encourages people to get health checks in the workplace, reports media observer MuMbrella. WorkSafe is targetting businesses to sign up to the service to provide free health checks to their employees. The service is available free to businesses with an annual remuneration of less than $10m. Organisations with an annual remuneration of over $10m will be reimbursed $30 towards the cost of each health check.
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Using company nominated doctors to push injured workers back to the job before they're ready? Australia Post remains in the firing line over its alleged treatment of injured workers, with 15 postal workers having lodged submissions with a Senate inquiry saying they were bullied by managers and pressured by doctors affiliated with the company to get back to work before sufficient rehabilitation and recovery time. Australia Post's submission said the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission had given it an award for excellence in rehabilitation programs for injured workers. The Seante inquiry is due to present its findings on March 17, 2010.
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A US State Senator Andrew McDonald last week introduced a bill that could change workers' compensation so that stress induced by the killing of an animal in included. Currently, insurance cannot be claimed for stress relating to killing an animal, as in the case of a US policeman denied insurance after developing post-traumatic stress when he shot and killed a 91-kilogram chimpanzee last year. The new bill would allow for claims for mental or emotional impairment on those required to kill animals that have tried to injure.
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The Age reports this week that business groups have urged the federal government to hold ministers liable for workplace deaths, saying they should bear the same responsibility as company executives. An Australian Retailers Association director, Yvonne Anderson, told the newspaper: ''Why should it only be the private sector? Why should a minister be excluded from due diligence responsibilities when they have the responsibility of running a major government portfolio?'' Full story at link above.
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A return of Work Choices? Could it really be on the agenda? Julia Gillard belives so, should Tony Abbott win the upcoming federal election. Gillard has accused the Coalition of planning to re-introduce elements of Work Choices such as relaxed unfair dismissal laws and scrapping penalty rates if elected. Full story at the link above.
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Are you a RTW coordinator in a medium-sized workplace (20 - 200 employees)? Then WorkSafe would like to hear from you, as part of a study it's conducting to better understand the challenges faced by coordinators. WorkSafe wants to discuss in focus groups things like what it's like doing your job and what skills you employ. For more information contact Stephen Pehm on (03) 9641 1562, or by email at stephen_pehm@worksafe.vic.gov.au.
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According to a WorkSafe Victoria survey, conducted this year with approximately 4,000 injured workers, small employers still need the most help in getting injured workers back to work. "Returning to the pre-injury employer was most likely for those employed by large (82 per cent) and government (92 per cent) organisations, whereas only 56 per cent or workers from small employers returned to their pre-injury employer," WorkSafe explained.
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After a landmark case for future OHS prosecutions, reported at RTWMatters last week, the NSW abattoir which won a case against WorkCover NSW is now demanding a refund from WorkCover of more than $200,000 in fines that followed accidents in 2001 and 2003. It is also demanding WorkCover desist in seeking a further $320,000 in costs.
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A more than two-year inquiry into WorkCover SA has recommended "the corporation stop charging fees for companies to leave the scheme and become self-insurers, which can save them up to $7 million a year," the Adelaide Advertiser reports. Both Labor and Liberal MPs have submitted oposition to several of the inquries' recommendations, among them the allowing of two or three companies to manage compensation claims instead of one, WorkCover reporting every year on the level of savings achieved by having only one claims manager.
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A Melbourne nursing home has come under attack by the Fair Work Ombudsman for "heartless and shabby treatment of a long-standing elderly employee", as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. The 74-year-old nurse fell and broke her hip at work and, after a seven-month recuperation period at home, was allegedly told by owners "not to come back". The company has reimbursed the nurse - now employed elsewhere - $30,000.
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More than 60% of respondents in an American Psychiatric Association survey have said they feel their work status would be damaged if they openly sought treatment for depression, and more than 70% for drug addiction or alcoholism. This, despite the fact that more than 40% said their employer was supportive of workers seeking healthcare.
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Among three new reports released by Safe Work Australia is the Compendium of Workers' Compensation Statistics Australi 2007-08. Access the report, including a summary of serious claims and trends over time, at the link above.
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The man responsible for detonating a bomb in a Darwin shopping centre, which left 15 people injured, was reportedly angry with his workers' compensation payout and unsatisfied with insurance service TIO. According to News.com.au, "He allegedly blamed TIO for loss of earnings that forced him to leave his three-bedroom home in Humpty Doo and move into a shipping container."
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If more evidence was needed of the severe effects of workplace bullying, the case of 19-year-old Brodie Panlock, who took her life after enduring 12 months of brutal bullying, provides it. In the wake of Panlock's ex-employer's and colleagues' maximum sanctions under Victoria' Occupational Health and Safety Act, the ACTU's Jeff Lawrence has warned of the "clear message to all employers and business owners that workplace bullying will not be tolerated and is unacceptable."
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A landmark High Court decision handed down this month, in which WorkCover NSW lost a case against farming company Kirk Group Holdings, has been "welcomed by employer groups and the Australian Federation of Employers and Industry" according to law firm Minter Ellison, who say the case "will have a significant impact on how regulators approach prosecutions of employers for breaches of occupational health and safety laws (OHS laws) across Australia." ABC reports on the story here, or read more at the link above.
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A Princes Trust study based on interviews with over 2,000 unemployed 16- to 25-year-olds in the UK has found that out-of-work young people experience poorer health and lower levels of happiness, with one in ten claiming that unemployment drove them to drugs or alcohol. The study also showed they more commonly feel more ashamed, rejected and unloved.
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With information for injured nurses, RTW coordinators, nurse unit managers, employers and directors of nursing, and medical practitioners, the Nurses RTW in Hospitals website is a feast of information. Dig in at www.nursesrtw.com.au.
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Fatigue is the number one accident risk factor for construction workers and requires better recognition by occupational health and safety managers, according to research at the University of Sydney. Dr Margaret Chan’s PhD research focused on four high profile oil and gas Sino joint-venture construction projects in Mainland China, where she interviewed workers, managers and safety supervisors to establish perceived causes of workplace accidents. All three groups considered fatigue to be the most significant risk factor in workplace accidents at these sites. “If you eliminate fatigue, you also eliminate other so-called ‘causes’ of accidents," said Dr Chan. "Previous research shows fatigue can cause performance impairment equivalent to - or greater than - 0.10% of blood alcohol concentration, a level deemed unacceptable for driving a crane or operating dangerous construction equipment or machinery.”
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The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry has called a ruling by Fair Work Australia commissioner Greg Smith "judicial activism" because it awarded the tribunal unqualified powers to impose arbitration on business and workers, despite distinct limits in the Fair Work Act, reports The Australian. The ACCI has called the decision "completely unacceptable", and will make a submission to Federal Government expressing the view that the decision is at odds with the legislative intent.
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A draft report released yesterday by the Productivity Commission found that 2.5 million Australians experienced some aspect of bullying during their working lives, at a cost to the economy of about $15 billion a year. The Australian reports that while the Commission's report states some progress had been made in ironing out inconsistencies in national OH&S standards, businesses are still burdened by 3392 pages of regulation across Australia. South Australia is the only state to include specific laws in its OH&S act about inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
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Are you guilty? That difficult day in between a four-day-weekend last month was avoided, under the not-so-clever guise of the 'sickie', by a record number of people in this year - some 500,000 workers according to research. Head of the Retailers Association, Scott Driscoll, doesn't empathise with those workers hungry for an extra long weekend; rather, he brands them as "un-Australian" and "selfishly turn[ing] their backs on their mates in the workplace". Hmm, debatable. More difficult to argue with, however, is research conducted by absence-management firm Direct Health Solutions which showed that the increase in workers taking sick days on 25 January cost the economy about $257 million.
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The Victorian Trades Hall Council organised a symbolic vigil at the steps of Victorian Parliament, held today, to promote its the message that, while there are many welcome aspects to the proposed amendment Victoria's Accident Compensation Act, many consider that there are some critical problems that remain unresolved. The proposal is only at Bill stage at the moment but is unlikely to face any significant change in the legislative process. Were you at the vigil? If you were, let us know how you think it went!
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Witnessing "unethical, violent" behaviour during her two days of employment at the Cairns Case Hospital mortuary 18 months ago has cleft Amy Hendel with what she describes as a "horrendous debilitating injury". QComp denied her initial claim but Ms Handel is now pursuing a compensation claim against Queensland Health in the Industrial Magistrates Court. Queensland Health says an audit of the mortuary shows the facility is operating at a high standard and within guidelines. Is this a case of employee unsuitability for a psychologically challenging role or is there something else at play?
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After falling by 7% in 2009, workers' compensation premiums across Australia are expected to rise 6% in 2010 and a further 4% in 2011, according to a report by accounting firm Deloitte and investment bank JP Morgan. Small to medium businesses will be hardest hit by the rise. While this isn't great news, it does foreground the costs you can control, by focusing on injury prevention and best practice injury management.
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Here at RTWMatters we like straight-talkers, so we've developed a fondness for National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Director John Howard, M.D., who recently said, "“The issue of healthy aging is critically important as the U.S. economy is revitalized. As we go forward in time, the demand for workers will grow but fewer workers will be entering the workforce and a larger proportion of the workforce will be older. This is a simple reality of demographics.” Thank you, John. It's also a reality that older workers tend to suffer more severe workplace injuries and have longer recovery periods than younger workers. However, NIOSH is hopeful that this, and other health issues faced by ageing workers, can be ameliorated by research, legislative change and health investments in the workplace. Follow the link above for more information.
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Proposed changes to the Victorian Accident Compensation Act stand to make it more difficult to claim for job stress-related illnesses. Anthony LaMontagne from the University of Melbourne believes a better look at the research into job-stress related mental illness is required, and a whole of government approach to preventing illness required. He writes in the Age, "If getting started means paying more job stress claims in the short term, that would be a small price to pay for the long-term greater good."
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Stress at work makes earning a living harder for depressed workers, a message highlighted in a new study to emerge from the US, led by Debra Lerner, Ph.D., director, Program on Health, Work and Productivity, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at Tufts Medical Center. "We need to develop and test programs that directly try to address the employment of people with depression," she said. After musculoskeletal problems, depression accounts for a greater effect on work attendance and productivity than any other health condition.
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Devoted readers of RTWMatters will be familiar with the many gripes of Victorian ambos (the uninitiated can read about the situation here and here). Poor workplace culture, low comparative pay, bullying, fatigue and poorly managed RTW have all contributed to an antagonistic relationship between management and staff. Now Ambulance Victoria has released figures showing that 213 staff members resigned between Nov 07 and Oct 09. According to the Herald Sun, many moved interstate in search of better pay and work environments or quit the field altogether. We hate to say, "I told you so," but this time we really did.
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To what extent do the practice patterns of physicians' participating in a workers' compensation system impact on the ultimate cost of claims? Profoundly, according to a Johns Hopkins study published in the January edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. After analysing five years of workers' compensation claim data researchers found that a small group of physicians, only 3.7%, accounted for more than 72% of the workers' compensation costs. The study showed that while most practitioners practice effectively and ethically, the small portion of those who don't - with whom high claims costs are associated - can be isolated and their associated costs quantified. Next step? Identify the right education methods so that practitioners have no excuse but to stop such costly practices.
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Safe Work Australia has agreed to implement a Strategic Issues Group on Workers’ Compensation. According to Safe Work's media release, the group will be required to guide and advise on the overall strategic planning and policy development for harmonisation of workers’ compensation arrangements, including providing advice and information on harmonising a national workers’ compensation legislation. Does this mean that we are one step closer to the harmonisation being realised? RTWMatters is not holding its breath.
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Psychology and its role in return to work is beginning to be recognised more and more - a happy trend. Word is spreading! Keynote speakers told an audience of more than 300 psychologists at the British Psychological Society Division of Occupational Psychology Annual Conference last week that psychological intervention helps incapacity benefit claimants get back to work. Other topics covered included the rating of managers' ability to manage in pursuit of happy, healthy, stress-free employees, and the need for emotional resilience training for social workers who are highly vulnerable to work-related stress.
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Australia's Healthy Weight Week, from 24 - 31 January, is designed to highlight the fact that Australians are getting bigger: sixty two per cent or more than 13 million Australian adults are overweight or obese, and 25 per cent of Australian children are overweight or obese. The Healthy Weight Week website includes tips for staying healthy at work (for example getting up from the computer at least every hour or walking to speak to a colleaugue when possible rather than emailing) and home, for eating better and understanding more about your health. Check out the website and get involved!
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The Get Moving at Work Kit is designed to help organisations identify the health needs and issues of staff via an online survey tool. The tool provides an already established workplace health and wellbeing survey to distribute to staff; immediate confidential feedback for staff on their health and wellbeing; and a summary of employee health and wellbeing findings to assist in designing an effective workplace program. Simply register your organisation at the link above - and get moving!
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Empowerment was the main message to emerge from a meeting of British psychologists last week to discuss 'Skills4Success', a program aimed at returning long-term unemployed to work by addressing the theory that long-term unemployed people feel like victims of "the system" and therefore become unable to act for, or motivate, themselves. Medical News Today reports that the Skills4Success program teaches participants to work collaboratively in small groups, sharing experiences in areas such as goal setting, CV writing techniques, job searching and presenting for interviews.
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WorkSafe Victoria is conducting research to better understand the information needs of return to work coordinators. The research takes the form of a survey, accessible via the link above. Those who complete the survey enter a draw to win a $100 Myer voucher if you complete the survey by 5:00PM on Tuesday, 19 January 2010, a $50 Myer voucher if you complete the survey by 5:00PM on Wednesday, 27 January 2010, or two movie tickets.
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Some sensitivity, flexibility and empathy on the part of employers during the silly season can reduce pressure on staff to prepare themselves and their families for the summer break, and increase the amount of actual work performed during work, says John McFerran in the Free Press. He recommends being open to flexible hours in the lead up to holidays, considering floating holidays to accommodate diverse cultural and religious traditions, consider holding the work party during business hours, and recognising and showing appreciation for those staff members working through the summer period.
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The eleventh edition of the Comparative Performance Monitoring (CPM) report on Australia’s occupational health and safety and workers’ comp outcomes has been released. Key findings in the report, as reported by Safety in Australia, include: the number of fatalities recorded for 2007–08 is slightly lower than in previous years; the reduction in the incidence rate of injury and musculoskeletal claims between 2000–01 and 2007–08 was 18%. This is well below the rate required to meet the National OHS Strategy long term target of a 40% improvement by 2012; five jurisdictions met the required rate of improvement (Seacare with 46% improvement, SA with 33% improvement, the Australian Government with 30% improvement, NSW with 25% improvement and Victoria with 24% improvement.)
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Courtesy of a short summary of workers' comp requirements, the Sydney Morning Herald reminds small business employers that they have a responsibility to: maintain a safe workplace, maintain current workers' compensation insurance and protect yourself and your workers from financial hardship in the event of a workplace injury. The SMH directs employers seeking more information towards the Safe Work Australia workers' comp section, and to read up on workers' comp in your state or territory.
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The appointments of Commissioners to Fair Work Australia have been announced, including: Peter Hampton, Danny Cloghan, Anne Gooley, John Ryan, Michelle Bissettand Julius Roe. As a result of states joining a national workplace relations system for the private sector, the Government has also made the following dual appointments to FWA: Dual appointments as Deputy Presidents are the Hon Peter Dennis Hannon (SA); Karen Marilyn Bartel (SA); the Hon Rodney William Harrison (NSW); the Hon Peter John Andrew Sams AM (NSW) and Deirdre Anne Swan (Qld).Dual appointments as FWA Commissioner are David Steel (SA); Peter John Connor (NSW); Donna Sarah McKenna (NSW); Ian Walter Cambridge (NSW); Alistair William McDonald (NSW); John David Stanton (NSW) and Ingrid Catherine Asbury (Qld).
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To help rehabilitate those workers who suffer from a stress injury, the ASU has developed a Best Practice Return to Work kit to them through the return to work phase. The kit contains a guide to help employers deal with stress claims, and another for the support person, which provides them with clear, step-by-step instructions on their role in the claims process. Guides for employers, support persons and employees can be found at the link above.
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Workers' ability to claim for stress-related workers' compensation will be significantly restricted as a result of a new Victorian parliamentary bill. "The Government bowed to pressure from business, the Victoria Police and the Victorian Farmers Federation, significantly curbing workers' ability to claim stress-related injuries caused by management actions," the Age reported this week. While businesses have welcomed the change, union groups including the CPSU argue the change allows the State Government to avoid responsbility for, rather than assist injured workers.
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Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard said it was good news for business, but ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence said the model occupational health and safety (OHS) regime - agreed upon by all states and territories except WA at Workplace Relations Ministerial Council in Melbourne last week - would water down strong state-specific protections, such as those provided for in NSW. Gillard stood firm against criticism, the SMH reported, saying "Safe Work Australia can of course deal with technical issues, but the policy decisions have all been made."
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If you're looking for some advice and information about the management, recruitment and retention of staff, the Business Victoria website might be able to help. It has tools and techniques for managers to get better results from staff planning, including advice on how much staff turnover is costing your business, how productive staff are, and how much unscheduled staff absences are costing your business.
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‘Safety doesn’t take a holiday at Christmas’ is the tag-line from the latest WorkSafe Victoria campaign. "Christmas is a time of celebration and it’s important to remember, 'The most important reason for workplace safety is not at work at all,'" says the WorkSafe website. "Victoria is in its most risky time of the year...The consequences of safety failings don’t always kill, but they can lead to permanent injuries or reduce their ability to enjoy their lives. To enjoy time off, holidays, and happy times with friends and family you need to keep on the ball and focus on what’s to be done so you can make it to those personal events you value."
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The new national workplace relations system, Fair Work, will commence on 1 January 2010. New South Wales and Queensland last week joined Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia in referring their workplace relations powers to the Commonwealth in relation to the private sector. Western Australia is the only state or territory not to refer power.
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Minister for WorkCover Tim Holding last week introduced the Accident Compensation Amendment Bill 2009 into Parliament. The Bill proposes increased benefits for workers suffering from permanent injuries and the family members of workers who have lose their lives at work. Changes relating to permanent injury and entitlements for families impacted by workplace death will come into effect immediately. Most other reforms will apply from 5 April 2010. Links to more information including a summary of the proposed changes is available at the link above.
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Minister for Finance Michael Daley has announced that Lisa Hunt has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the WorkCover Authority of NSW. Ms Hunt, a former executive at Transurban, has a legal background and wide-spread experience on private and public sector boards including Westlink Limited, Sydney Catchment Authority, Queensland Rail, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia and the Greater Western Sydney Economic Development Board.
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The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, has announced that Fair Work Week will run from 4-8 January 2010. Fair Work Week will highlight elements of the new Fair Work system which will come into full operation from 1 January, including the right to request flexible working hours or additional parental leave, and a national workplace relations system across the private sector.
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It seems the 'process over people' problem is one infecting more than just employers and employees involved in RTW and injury claims processes. The Prime Minister yesterday targeted ''over-bureaucratisation of the health sector'' at a meeting with premiers to discuss health reforms. The topic has arisen after complaints from the Australian Medical Association that as the number of hospital beds have declined, desks for managers have increased. The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday reported that the PM was expected to put a reform plan to the states and territories at talks early next year, with responses determining whether he will move on his election pledge to seek a mandate for a federal takeover of public hospital funding.
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The winner of the UK's prestigious "Britain's Best Boss competition" has shown that flexibility improves working conditions for staff and care for patients. Debbie Hinton, a County Audiology Services Manager at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust won this year's Best Boss Award for her exemplary skill at encouraging flexible working patterns and job roles. "Flexible working has been widely adopted across most professions within the NHS. It will help the NHS during lean times as it seeks to make savings of about £20 billion by 2014."
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WorkSafe Victoria says it will be targeting employers during December 2009 to ensure they are meeting their return to work obligations for injured workers. According to WorkSafe, the objective follows recent investigations into business operators who have illegally terminated employment of an injured worker. All employers have a legal obligation to provide injured workers with suitable employment within the first 12 months following the acceptance of a claim. WorkSafe’s Len Boehm said, “Helping injured workers return to work in a safe and sustainable way can be a complex process; however, an employer cannot ignore their responsibilities.”
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The Western Australian Government has shown it understands that disability doesn't equate with unemployability: it's changing its tender process to provide preferential treatment to companies who employ people with a diasability, to help provide such people with job security. Samantha Jenkinson, from the Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability, said that employment security will improve, with clear benefits: "employment is a really important part of participating in life that people with disabilities are often excluded from."
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Australians work the longest hours in the western world - but aren't remunerated accordingly. So states the latest report to come out of the Australia Institute, Something for Nothing: unpaid overtime in Australia. The practice of unpaid overtime is common, the report's authors conclude, stating that 45% of all Australian workers and more than half of all full-time employees work more hours than they are paid for during a typical workday. Authors Josh Fear and Richard Denniss state: "Reducing the amount of unpaid overtime is an essential step towards helping families balance the interaction between work and other aspects of life. There are also obvious benefits for the physical, mental and cultural health of
the nation."
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As the first single source of information capturing all work-related deaths in Australia, Safe Work Australia has released two reports on Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities 2006-07 and 2005-06. Additional reports on work-related traumatic fatalities that occurred during 1989–1992 is also available, archived on the Safe Work Australia website.
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A train driver has been excused from giving evidence at an inquest into the deaths of three children killed when struck by the train he was driving, following concerns from his psychiatrist that he would attempt to take his own life were he forced to relive the ordeal. The driver had returned to work since the tragedy three and a half years ago, but has been on WorkCover leave since rocks were thrown at his train in September 2009. "I knew him before the incident and he's nowhere near the person he was," said Greg Smith, state secretary of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees. "Train drivers, when they've had a fatality, don't get over it. Some learn to live with it, others have to leave." Most people, given time, recover from trauma, but sometimes the impacts are long term and disabling.
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Victoria has experienced the highest number of work-related deaths for eight years after a recent jump in the number of fatalities. Since the start of October seven people have died at work, including a 48-year-old man who was hit by a forklift last week while delivering turf to a home near Lake Eildon. His death brought to 25 the number of people who have died so far this year - an increase of seven compared with the same time last year.
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Submissions are open for the NICNAS (the federal government agency which assesses industrial chemicals for their health and environmental effects and makes recommendations for safe use) Proposal for Regulatory Reform for Industrial Nanomaterials. The proposed changes apply to two separate groups of chemicals: "new" chemicals (that is chemicals not currently in use or registered in Australia) and "existing" chemicals, but in nano form. The changes seek to close some loopholes which would allow 'new' chemicals in nano form to be introduced with little or no scrutiny, as well as moving towards getting information on any nano forms of "existing" chemicals.
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A new report into call centres from the Australian Services Union (ASU) has identified a significant increase in stress levels in the industry. Call centre work is one of the fastest growing industries in the country, employing nearly one in forty Australian workers. ASU Assistant National Secretary, Linda White said the Union was concerned at the results of a national survey of 1,549 call centre workers. Over 250,000 employees work in over 3,800 call centres Australia wide. Workers dealing with abusive callers, being over-monitored, under-trained, and in an understaffed workplace answering the 16 million calls made to Australian call centres every day according to the union. The survey, conducted by Dr Ruth Barton of RMIT, reveals a range of findings, including significant levels of work related stress.
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If you're looking for help to to become a more confident employer and to understand your legal obligations, Small Business Victoria has brought together a range of free Employment Templates and Calculators, including templates for advertising, interviewing and recruiting staff; staff planning estimators, to help you answer questions such as 'How much is staff turnover costing me?', Long Service Leave Calculator, to figure out your staffs entitlements; and record-keeping templates to help you comply with your responsibilities under Australian Workplace Relations legislation.
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During the global financial crisis workers who stayed in their jobs did not reduce their working hours, despite widespread government and commentator claims that cuts in hours had helped stem job losses during the downturn, new University of Sydney research shows. Australia at Work: In a Changing World, the third report of a five year study has just been released. The Australia at Work study is tracking 8,000 workers over five years and is the largest and most up-to-date study of Australian working life. The study, conducted by the University’s Workplace Research Centre, found that while the lives of people who remained with the same employer stayed relatively unchanged or even improved, those who entered a new job, or who changed employer, felt the impact of the global financial crisis most keenly.
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As if the evidence wasn't bad enough for the health of shift workers, a sleep expert has now warned that cancer could be added to the list of health risks. People who work overnight are known to have higher rates of diabetes and obesity among other health problems, said Associate Professor Naomi Rogers, while evidence was emerging of a heightened risk of certain cancers. "Shift workers seem to have an increased incidence of some types of cancer - breast cancer, prostate, colorectal cancers and we're not sure why," Dr Rogers said. [from Daily Telegraph]. It's a good excuse to wipe out other risk factors if you are a shift worker, taking care of your health, not smoking and maintaining a healhy body weight.
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Workers compensation amendments introduced in the ACT aim to cut red tape and increase compliance with insurance requirements, reports CCH News. The Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill 2009, introduced to the Legislative Assembly on 19 November will: remove the need for employers to provide both a statutory declaration and a certificate from a recognised auditor when providing wage information to insurers; introduce new penalties for employers who fail to protect their workers; provide that insurers will appoint a rehabilitation provider if an injured worker has not returned to work within four weeks of the injury being notified; and implement the new National Framework for the approval of workplace rehabilitation providers, including mutual recognition for providers.
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National manager of Konekt Containment - the largest private sector provider of workplace health solutions - has listed seven tips for effectively managing OH&S in your workplace, including: Understand your responsibilities; Consult your workers; Identify, assess and control risks; Inform, train and supervise; Manage incidents and injuries; Keep records; and Monitor, review and improve.
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Safework Australia has published harmonised occupational health and safety legislation, scheduled to be adopted by all jurisdictions. The intention of the legislation is to harmonise the content of the nine occupational health and safety laws currently operating in Australia. Energy Networks Association has made a submission to Safework Australia commenting on the Safe Work Act, and made two major recommendations, and 15 minor recommendations. Among other things, ENA recommended that OHS legislation contain a provision so that the terms of energy sector specific legislation regulating safety (such as the legislation underwriting the preparation of safety cases) will have force (where relevant) rather than general occupational health and safety legislation.
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From 1 January 2010, employees with children will have the right underl law to request flexible working arrangements. HR Daily and Homan Webb partner Brad Petley will explain the new law, implications for employers or failing to comply and what to include in flexible working arrangements policy. The session will run on Tueday 8 December 2009, 11am (AEST - daylight savings). Those who can't make the live session will have access to a recording and notes. Link above has more info.
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Chief executive officer of truelocal.com.au John Allan has announced the launch of an e-learning centre for small businesses. The Centre gives businesses advertising on TrueLocal access to over 400 of Learning Seat's online staff learning and development courses. These include: Management and Business; Self Development; Project Management; IT & Computing applications; Bullying Prevention; Equal Employment Opportunity; Sexual Harassment Prevention; Health and Safety in the Workplace; Microsoft Excel; and Leadership and Management. More info by contacting Vida Redoblado on (02) 8114 7325 or at vida.redoblado@newsdigitalmedia.com.au.
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Workers' compensation amendments have passed both houses of the Tasmanian Parliament. CCH News reports that Workplace Relations Minister Lisa Singh says the reforms will streamline the management of injury and illness to deliver better health and return to work outcomes for injured workers and lower costs to employers; foster and reinforce a return to work culture among employers, workers and other stakeholders; and provide additional financial incentives for workers and employers to participate in rehabilitation.
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After a near-fatal car crash 15 months ago Tasmanian teenager Danae Leno is "loving" having embarked upon what she considers the final leg of her journey to return to normal life: being at work. Danae said, "It was a big thing I was worried about," The Advocate reports, and is relieved to now be back in business. More of her story at the link above.
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The ACT Greens Industrial Relations spokesperson, Amanda Bresnan, has called for a shake-up of the ACT’s workplace health and safety watchdog, WorkCover. “We are concerned that WorkCover is unable to provide effective and regular enforcement of the health and safety standards that are required in the workplace,” Ms Bresnan said today. A review of WorkCover is soon to be undertaken, and the Greens have asked the ACT Government to provide the ACT Legislative Assembly with the terms of reference for the review. “The ACT Government claims it has some of the nation’s most progressive health and safety laws for the workplace. My point would be; if we don’t see enforcement of those laws, what good are they?”
What are your thoughts?
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With Asbestos Awareness Week right around the corner (22 November) Safe Work Australia has chosen a good time to release two new reports for its Nanotechnology OHS Program designed to "add significantly to our understanding of the OHS risks of working with nanomaterials and provides us with a strong direction for further research." Why the connection with asbestos? There is concern that not enough is known about the potential health effects of manufactured nanoparticles - nanotechnology - despite the technology being used at an increasing rate, and there being no obligation for employers to inform employees that they might be exposed to the technology on the job. Anna Kelsey-Sugg has written more on this here.
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The WorkCover Tasmania Workers' Compensation Statistical Report for 2008-2009 is out, and while we don't recommend it for holiday reading, we do recommend it for a look at claim numbers, scheme expenditure, costs and premium rates for the financial year. The report also provides statistical information on the historical trends in workers compensation data.
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The Strategy, an initiative of the Heads of Workers’ Compensation Authorities (HWCA),
which includes representatives from Australia and New Zealand government agencies
responsible for workers’ comp services, identifies
a common set of objectives, principles and priority areas to improve workers’ comp and injury management while maintaining fair, affordable and financially viable workers’ comp schemes. That's quite a mouthful. The approach is holistic and the aim, put simply, is to improve outcomes for injured workers. Read more at the link above.
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"Victoria's workplace safety authority doesn't care about the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees and has poor ethical standards," reports the Age, after an internal WorkSafe division review was leaked to the newspaper. The survey showed that two in three employees felt under excessive pressure and less than half the group believed WorkSafe has a sufficient ethical standard. The Community and Public Sector Union called the findings "grave" - a motion Return To Work Matters seconds.
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The tenth annual statistical report (2008/09) published by Q-COMP regarding Queensland workers’ compensation scheme-wide data covers all aspects of the Queensland workers’ compensation scheme, including claims information reported by WorkCover Queensland and self-insured employers (numbers, average costs and payments) for statutory claims and common law claims; scheme-wide information about the major regulatory services provided by Q-COMP for insurer and medical issues; administrative review of insurers’ decisions; appeals to the Industrial Magistrate and Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC); and medical assessment tribunals (MAT).
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WorkCover SA has launched a consultation on employer incentives.
The initial consultation paper asks three questions:
Do you think there should be any financial incentives for employers in relation to workers rehabilitation and compensation?
What do you think about the proposed design principles?
Do you have any specific ideas for employer incentives that encourage return to work?
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And the winners are:
Best workplace health and safety management system winner: S&N Civil Constructions Pty Ltd - Townsville, for expansions of the company's quality management system to a fully integrated and certified management system.
Best solution to an identified health and safety issue winner: Frook Pty Ltd - Townsville, for a safer, faster and more cost-effective method of temporary bracing when installing trusses on a building.
Best individual contribution to workplace health and safety winner: John Harris - Phoenix Drilling Services - Capella (north of Emerald), for inventing a safer compressor radiator top up system.
Best solution to an identified electrical safety issue: winner: Stanwell Corporation Limited - Brisbane, for developing a safe method of managing arc flash hazards through the provision of registers and electrical panel door labelling.
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A Victorian Government workplace health check program, WorkHealth, has shown almost half the program participants who had said they were in excellent health had one or more risk factors for heart disease or diabetes. WorkCover Minister Tim Holding described the statistics as "really concerning" saying they "are delivering a startling message...Many people really have no idea how poor their health is."
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And the gongs go to...
Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System winner: Transfield Services for developing an audit process to manage and improve safety across a force of 35 sub-contractors at Port Kembla steelworks.
Best Solution to an identified Workplace Health & Safety Issue winner: Rotacaster Wheel Ltd, Sydney, for its multi-directional hand truck for handling heavy or awkward loads.
Best Workplace Health & Safety Practices in a Small Business winner: Pride Investment Holding (Ingleburn) for developing its ‘Take Pride in Workplace Safety’ OHS system.
Best Individual Contributions to Workplace Health & Safety winner: no formal OHS responsibility: Alan Burman, Country Energy (Queanbeyan),
Winner Formal OHS Responsibility: Nardia Zelukovic, of Orange Precision Metalcraft.
WorkCover’s Leadership Safety Award winner: Motor Traders Association for its education and safety programmes, projects and partnerships.
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WorkCoverSA has established a $15 million Return to Work Fund to implement initiatives that contribute to the improved return of injured workers to work. Expressions of interest for the second round of funding are now open. Objectives of the fund include finding solutions to known barriers to return to work, expanding the retraining options for injured workers, developing greater workforce participation options, improving skills within the SA workers' compensation scheme and establishing workplace initiatives for achieving successful and timely return to work outcomes. More information at the link above.
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The UK's largest public sector union, UNISON, has said employers should be tackling stress and anxiety in the workplace more actively, and avoiding complacency when it comes the employee health. "Employers would save millions and deliver a better service, by digging into and removing the underlying causes of stress and depression in their workplaces," said UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis. "There is no room for complacency - taking action to protect workers' health is not only morally and legally right, it makes sound financial and business sense."
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We know that the RTW process can be a delicate one, and there are opportunities for injured workers to bve exposed to real and/or perceived discrimination. Want to know how that can be avoided? This half-day workpshop on 19 November looks at the RTW process, how to negotiate a Return to Work Plan, and what can be done if an injured or sick worker returning to work feels that they are being treated differently because of their injury or ill health. Follow the link above or phone (03) 9281 7122 for more information.
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Figures recently released by WorkCover Tasmania show that stress claims were the most costly claims in Tassie's private schools. Ten stress-related workers' comp claims cost a total of $660,000 in 2004 to 2008, while in the same period musculskeletal claims, affecting 113 teachers, cost $339,000. Keeping employees happy is certainly worth the investment...
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While it can seem sometimes that there's a day for just about bleedin' everything (International Talk Like a Pirate Day?!), here's a day we're very happy about: R U OK Day. Set to be an annual event, this year's day on 29 November will be the first. It's a great idea; a national day of action dedicated to reducing stress and depression in the workplace that aims to get Australians, right across the entire spectrum of society, connecting with friends and loved ones, by reaching out to anyone doing it tough and simply asking: “Are you ok?” Check out more about the day, and R U OK Arvo, here.
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The WorkCover WA Annual Report for 2008/09 presents information on the statutory compliance, performance and operational reporting for the financial year ending 30 June 2008.
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Follow the link to a good news story from Kansas which demonstrates how, with the right support systems and a stigma-free workplace, people with disabilities including mental illness can successfully return to work.
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There is no single source of information that captures all work-related deaths in Australia. Safe Work Australia publishes this annual report which provides an estimate of the number of people who died in Australia from work-related injuries, including those that occurred while travelling to and from work and bystanders killed as a result of another person’s work activity. The estimate is based on information from a number of sources: workers’ compensation data, coronial information and notified fatalities.
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The latest edition of the Comparison of Workers’ Compensation Arrangements in Australia and New Zealand is now available for download from Safe Work Australia and provides a comprehensive description of the operation of workers’ compensation systems across Australia and New Zealand as at 30 June 2008.
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The Guardian discusses the potential ill-health effects of workplace conflict, and profiles the role of mediation in resolving it.
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ONE of Queensland's richest men is fighting the Government to let his nine-year-old grandson continue to drive a 30-tonne front-end loader at the family quarry.
Mr Karreman said his three sons grew up the same way, including Dane's father Danny, and are all now working at the quarry, but Dane was his only grandchild to follow in their footsteps.
"I wouldn't let the other five anywhere near a machine, this one's just unique," he said referring to Dane, who is in year 3 at Sheldon College.
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We've been closely following the UK's transition to a system of fit notes rather than sick notes. Now some experts are raising concerns that GPs lack the expertise to make the transition a success. According to a recent survey of around 250 GPs, 77% said they took no responsibility for getting patients back to work; and only 1/3 filled in the 'comments for employers' section on sick certificates. Sounds like UK GPs could do with some training in RTW and occupational health - and that's something we think would be helpful in Australia too.
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The first round of tests from the Victorian government's $218 million WorkHealth program are in, and so far the results tell us one clear thing: we're not as healthy as we think we are. To date 13,900 workers from trade, construction, finance, manufacturing and the public sector have taken advantage of the free health checks with many, particularly men, overestimating their health. In fact, 58% of participants had at least one risk factor for type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Follow the link above to see more of the results - and encourage your workers to get involved.
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WORKSAFE failed to properly investigate an incident in which workers were exposed to asbestos at the Mercy Hospital site in East Melbourne, an independent body has claimed.
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The Strategy is an initiative of the Heads of Workers’ Compensation Authorities (HWCA), which includes representatives from Australia and New Zealand government agencies responsible for workers’ compensation services. It identifies a common set of objectives, principles and priority areas to improve workers’ compensation and injury management, while maintaining fair, affordable and financially viable workers’ compensation schemes. The Strategy has been developed with flexibility to allow for the various regulatory environments across jurisdictions.
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Get your head around the practice AND the jargon by checking out this new report on biopsychosocial injury management from the Heads of Workers' Compensation Authorities.
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James Hardie's asbestos victims fund is about to run out of money, meaning that compensation to the sick and dying may be delayed or paid in installments, the Herald Sun reports. A few weeks ago the federal government said they wouldn't let that happen. We reckon that someone has to step in; after all, the credibility of compensation systems impacts on all of us.
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A BBQ? A safety talk? A good old fashioned cup of tea? These were all suggestions for celebration offered by Safe Work Australia head Tom Phillips, when he launched Safe Work Australia Week. Running from the 25th to the 31st of October, the week not only gives us reason to remember the 260 Australian work deaths and 135 000 serious injuries that occur annually, but to focus on ways we can celebrate safety in our own workplaces.
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In 2005-06 the Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted the Work-related injuries survey. Data from this survey have been analysed with results presented in a number of reports. The reports cover analysis of the 2005-06 Work-Related Injuries Survey on the construction, health and community services, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and fishing, transport and storage and retail trade industries. To view follow link above.
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Tasmania has launched its Safe At Work Week with a new online program to educate young employees about keeping safe. The General Manager of Workplace Standards, Roy Ormerod, says young people are over-represented in workplace injury statistics.
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RTW Matters extends its congratulations to occassional RTW Matters features writer Kevin Jones, whose blog SafetyAtWork has just been deemed a 'LexisNexis Top 25 Blogs for Workers’ Compensation and Workplace Issues – 2009', in the Best International Blogs category. A great honour!
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WorkSafe Victoria general manager Eric Windholz has got himself in a spot of bother after an "offensive" speech in front of up to 40 employees in which he dressed in a blonde wig and "made disparaging comments about the need for a women's policy," the Age reports. He has since apologised to his staff describing his intention as lighthearted - a mark it looks like he missed. A good lesson in workplace consideration: others' sense of humour - and sense of taste - mightn't always match your own.
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WorkCover WA has released the Annual Report 2008/09 tabled in Parliament on 15 October 2009. The report presents information on the statutory compliance, performance and operations for the financial year ending 30 June 2009. It can be downloaded in sections or as a complete document, following the link above.
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WorkCover WA has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Reynolds, who acted in the position prior to undertaking the role. Previously Ms Reynolds was the Assistant Director General of the Public Sector Management Division of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. The term of appointment as CEO is for five years from 22 September, 2009.
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A report in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia claims a nationwide survey of more than 250 intern doctors found 65 per cent had high levels of stress in the workplace. It also found 47 per cent believed their workload was excessive.
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Geelong's WorkSafe bill has exceeded $82 million dollars in the past five years, with the highest number of injuries in regional Victoria. WorkSafe spokesman Michael Birt said Geelong people should become involved in Work Safe Week, from October 26 to 30 where a series of free seminars will be held in Geelong and Torquay.
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WorkCover SA has been able to this week report no discrepancy between WorkCover's unfunded liabilities figure and that reported by the Auditor-General. Despite claims that the state is faring worst in the country, figures show it's turning trends around - and rapidly. SA Industrial Relations Minister Paul Caica said WorkCover's financial position had improved by $238 million. For more on SA's turnaround click here.
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This presentation was initially prepared by Campbell Reseach and Consulting from the data aquired during their preparation of the Return To Work Monitor for Employers Mutual. It was revised October 2009. The presentation focusses on the decline in durable RTW and considers what insurers can do about it.
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The Victorian mobile phone rules have been revised. The change now allows both the navigational (GPS) and audio/music functions of a mobile phone to be used, provided the mobile phone is secured in a commercially designed holder fixed to the vehicle.
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Victorian private school teachers are being paid out millions of dollars a year because of workplace stress and injuries, with some warning the problem will worsen as classroom demands and parental expectations continue to rise, the Age has reported.
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Work Safe Week is an opportunity to learn the latest in work safety and stay up-to-date with industry news. Hear from WorkSafe and other industry experts about the latest advancements in health and safety, and from everyday businesses on how they solved problems to make their workplaces safer. There are many stand out activities throughout the week - for more info click here.
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Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a "Getting-Out-of-Bed (GoB) measure" to assess motivation and life outlook in older adults. The study shows that the tool has the potential to be an easy-to-use measure to bolster motivation and thus improve health behaviors and outcomes in the growing population of older adults. The idea is that identifying low motivation patients allows health care providers to intervene with strategies to increase motivation and improve health behaviours. We like it!
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Research conducted by Right Management shows that nearly two-thirds of workers are disengaged . Why? A lack of positive culture was the most commonly cited reason. Why is it so important to make sure your workers are not disengaged? The company's regional general manager says that disengaged workers are seven times more likely to quit their jobs in the next 12 months.
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How much of an effect can your diet have on your day at work? Just ask a jockey to discover the connection is strong. A new study to emerge from Victoria University shows 80% of jockeys feel their strict diet restrictions and weight control methods make them feel moody, depressed, angry, fatigued or nauseous.
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Anxiety about lost jobs is driving more Australians into relationship counselling, according to Anglicare's annual State of the Family report, with divorce rates warned to be likely to spike. Family relationships come under pressure when jobs are lost - our confidence and sense of purpose is affected, and this extends to all aspects of our lives, including our relationships.
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The perils of not ensuring staff are happy and well looked after stretch beyond lack of morale and motivation - it can also affect your public image, a fact the Adelaide Advertiser has recently brought to light. Journo's from the South Australian tabloid sent Crikey a memo revealing "morale on the newsfloor has reached a very low point", with abuse and bullying commonplace. The memo called for management to take notice and work with staff to remedy the toxic environment. There's a lesson in this: want to hold on to loyal staff, and work with employees who want to rehabilitate after an injury so they can get straight back to their job? Making sure they're treated well is a big step in the right direction.
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Internet therapy programs for depression and anxiety, reports The Age, can be twice as effective as seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist in person, studies show. Gavin Andrews, professor of psychiatry at the University of NSW, and the director of the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression at St Vincent's Hospital, says "We're doing something unnerving." He joked about ''the end of psychiatry as we know it''.
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Mark 17-18 February 2010 in your diaries, as the 11th annual hosting of Australia's leading worker's compensation event hits Sydney.
The National Workers Compensation Summit 2010 provides a unique means of gaining an audience with the policy makers and key senior personnel working at the heart of Australia's workers' compensation sector. Hear the latest developments, gain an insight on future policy, and network with your peers and colleagues over 3 days of seminars, presentations, panel sessions & workshops. Registration online at www.nationalworkerscomp.com.au.
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Improvements to workers' compensation coverage for federal public sector employees announced by the Government have been welcomed by CPSU as a positive first step - though more work remains to be done. The changes, announced by Deptuy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, include the restoration of workers’ compensation coverage for off-site recess breaks, as well the introduction of a statutory time limit to encourage timely determination of compensation claims and better consultation with employees.
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Mental silence meditation has out performed traditional stress management in recent Australian research. NSCA reports that a study headed up by Dr Ramesh Manocha from the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, found that after eight weeks of mental silence meditation training (sahaja yoga) occupational stress scores improved by 26% - as compared to only 13% for more traditional methods. Dr Manocha will be presenting his results at the Sydney Safety Conference in October.
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The transfer of OHS coverage for self-insurers from Comcare to the states and territories remains on the table despite the Comcare Review recommending that Comcare retain OHS coverage for self-insurers, NSCA has reported. Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that given the proposed transfer of OHS coverage for self insurers from Comcare to the states and territories, the Government-imposed moratorium on new entrants to the Comcare scheme would remain until uniform OHS laws had been implemented in all jurisdictions.
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Safe Work Australia has announced the Fifth Annual Safe Work Australia Week, which takes place from 25-31 October 2009. Safe Work Australia Week is designed to focus attention on workplace safety by encouraging working Australians to get involved in, and concentrate on, safety in their workplace to reduce death, injury and disease. This year national Safe Work Australia Week will focus on the harmonisation of OHS legislation. More on this as the date approaches.
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There have been calls for France's Telcom cheif executive Didier Lombard to resign after the 24th suicide of a firm staff member in 18 months. Managers are required to change posts every three years at the company and there are widespread complaints of stress. It's a sobre reminder that the responsibility for providing adequate working conditions is not one to be taken lightly.
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We all know there's room for a lot of change in many workplace systems - what principles can we keep in mind to help change happen? Uncertainty is our friend; one part confidence, two parts humility, three parts sense of humour; context before content; trust changes everything and the 'goal' is the goal. These, says management consultant Peter Fuda in his paper, "Why Change Efforts Fail", are all change enabling strategies that foster innovation, responsiveness and adaptablitity - and we don't know enough about them. He says more than 70% of all change efforts fail in the workplace. How do systems get changed in your workplace? Let us know.
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The Return to work awards 2009 recognise Queensland's great ideas, innovation, leadership and commitment in rehabilitation and return to work. The award finalists have been selected from over 500 nominations across Queensland from employers, rehabilitation and return to work coordinators, and injured workers. Winners announced on 27 October 2009. The work of all award finalists can be seen at the 2009 Work Safe and RTW expo.
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Workplace bullying has "far surpassed" any other reason why people are seeking advice from suicide prevention counsellors' services, an Irish suicide prevention charity has said. Dr Tony Byrne of the Awareness Education Office said many employees don't even realise they are being subjected to bullying, which can often take the form having one's role and contribution undermined.
Anyone requiring help about mental health and suicide related issues can call Lifeline on 131 114.
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A new report recently released by Safe Work Australia says that shift workers, particularly female, part time and new workers, had higher rates of work-related incidents than non-shift workers. The Impact of Shift work on Work-Related Injuries in Australia report shows that in 2005-06, 16% of Australian workers worked under shift arrangements yet they had 27% of the work-related injuries, as reported by Safety in Australia.
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With both parents working in 60% of Australian couple families, many families are finding it increasingly difficult to balance work and family life. "There is a concerning trend towards working unfriendly family hours," Families Australia chief executive Brian Babington said. Which might not seem relevant to injury management / RTW, unless you consider that when working conditions are inflexible, workers are more likely to take sickies to meet their family obligations - not to mention the increased chance of injury and illness associated with high levels of stress.
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Unions and employers are set to clash over Australia's new occupational health and safety (OHS) laws at The Safety Conference later next month. The ACTU, NSW Business Chamber, WorkCover NSW and Professor Michael Quinlan will debate the OHS laws at The Safety Conference on October 27. Sponsored by WorkCover NSW and Getex Pty Ltd and presented by the Safety Institute of Australia's NSW Division, The Safety Conference will run during Safe Work Australia Week from October 27 to 29 at the Sydney Showground. For more information, visit www.thesafetyshow.com.
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The Workplace Relations Ministers' Council through Safe Work Australia has released the draft model Occupational Health and Safety Act and administrative regulations for public comment until 9 November 2009. Unions and employers will clash over Australia's new occupational health and safety (OHS) laws at The Safety Conference later this month. It is intended that all jurisdictions will enact model OHS Act and model regulations and complete all related transitional arrangements by December 2011. Information on how to comment is available here.
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While return to work rates are on the up in Tasmania, less positive are the figures which show that the rate of workplace injury has also risen. The latest statistics show more than 10 000 people were injured at work last year, 144 more than the previous year. Workcover Tasmania Board member, Simon Cocker said the stats showed that safety has fallen off the radar of Tasmanian employers.
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WorkSafe Victoria is holding a free, half-day seminar on health and safety in aged care in Melbourne’s South East at the end of October. The event is being held to mark Work Safe Week, which runs from 26-30 October and is aimed at promoting workplace health and safety among the state’s employers and workers. The interactive ‘Health and Safety in Aged Care’ forum is being held at the Mulgrave Country Club. Registrations for Work Safe Week 2009 are now open and anyone interested in attending any of the events should register online at worksafe.vic.gov.au/worksafeweek.
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Last year 28% of injured workers surveyed throughout Australia and New Zealand were not in paid employment six months after lodging a workers' compensation claim. HC reports that durable return to work rates have been falling consistently for the past three years with last year showing the lowest rates since the survey began in 1997/98. If you want to know more on this click here.
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"Not only does a bit of time off work upset the productivity of the workplace, and the overall economy, it has a very serious effect on the person who is injured," says Dr Jennifer Christian, physician expert in managing injured and ill people in the workplace. In New Zealand recently, where she was hosted by ACC, Christian said she thought NZ was doing well in terms of implementing plans to make is easier for both employees and employers to remain at work.
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Cognitive stress can influence balanced decision-making, say researchers Jane Raymond and Jennifer O'Brien of Bangor University in the UK. Their study revealed that when we need to make a decision under stress we are "more likley to bear in mind things that have been rewarding and to overlook information predicting negative outcomes" - a good reason to get familiar with our article, Ten Tips for Preventing Stress in Your Workplace.
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36.5 million working days are lost each year due to chronic pain, costing the economy and employers $11.7 billion annually in productivity losses, according to an Access Economics report, "The High Price of Pain". And experts believe that this is a price we don't have to pay. "There are enormous potential cost savings for Federal and State Governments, possibly as much as half of all costs currently being borne, by giving people access to timely and effective treatment," said Dr Christine Bennett, speaking at the National Pain Summit in Melbourne recently.
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People respond better to business strategies that they understand, HR Daily reports, drawing on the work of Erik Berggren and Lars Dalgaard of SuccessFactors. Employers that fail to explain the "why" behind directions are "doomed to manage activity with a non-engaged talent pool with limited interest in doing something for no clear purpose," Berggren and Dalgaard say. We reckon that this applies to disability management strategies, which can seem like an imposition rather than something that will improve the quality of life of all involved. So get out there, and explain, explain, explain!
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If you've ever had a really supportive boss it may come as no surprise to know that employees can actually meet high work demands with relatively little ill effect when they feel appropriately rewarded and supported in doing so. Get rid of the sweeteners, though, and stress, physical injuries, even heart attacks may result, according to Dr Bradley Wright of La Trobe University's School of Psychological Science. "An effort-reward imbalance appears to be the major determinant of workplace stress," he said. (As reported in HR Daily.)
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The West Australian Liberal government is a political anomaly in Australia at the moment and Treasurer Troy Buswell has indicated that WA wants to go it alone on OHS. Buswell claims that the federal government has a propensity to work with "the union movement and the Labor states...behind the scenes to try and develop changes and then enforce those on WA...and it's not good for this state's long term future." However Simone McGurk from Unions WA points to fatality rates in the mining industry as an example of how WA could benefit from the proposed new laws. "We still have a long way to go to improve our performance and we want the best possible laws that we can get," she said.
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Worksafe NSW has released a comparison of scheme agent performance in 2008, covering a range of indicators including timeliness of account processing and the percentage of workers still receiving payments at 13, 26, 52 and 134 weeks. None of the schemes had shown any improvement on their performance in the previous year. All seven agents have recently had their contracts renewed for a further five years.
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The National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy, launched 15 September, sets out a number of priority actions to get Australians with disability and mental illness into work including a government investment of $1.2 billion in new employment services for people with disability. The aim is to increase education and employment opportunities for people with disability and make services work better for them.
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Safe Work Tasmania Week will be held 25 - 31 October, during which time WorkCover Tasmania will run a program of seminars, workshops and activities for workers and employers on a range of OHS issues currently affecting Tasmanian workplaces - including stress, health and wellbeing, and injury management. A full prgram of events can be accessed here.
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The winners of WorkCover SA's third annual Recovery and Return To Work Awards were announced last night in front of around 250 people. A man whose toes were amputated following immersion in a 540° molten metal bath and a young girl who severed an artery, two nerves and 12 tendons in her hand are two of the inspirational winners. The WorkCover Recovery and Return to Work Awards have been established to recognise people within the Scheme who strive to achieve outstanding results in injury management and return to work, and also those who assist injured workers in this quest. Click here or follow the link above for more information about the awards.
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The bill for lost productivity through alcohol-related issues including illness, staff turnover and early retirement is $5.6 billion a year, according to a new national study commissioned by the federal Department of Health and Ageing. Employers are paying for Australia's drinking culture, but are they also contributing to it? The report found that after work drinks and peer pressure in the workplace may be contributing to these costs, and advised employers to "implement cost-effective strategies to prevent and address risky drinking patterns". But is it all just a storm in a beer bottle? The Punch seems to think so. You can check out their humourous reaction to the story here.
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Queensland Health has recommended to doctors who are suffering fatigue after long shifts without breaks that the "strategic use of caffeine" may be "beneficial". While we love caffeine here at the RTW office - and acknowledge research that shows it can stave off depression and Alzheimer's - fatigue in the workplace is not about quick-fix, liquidised solutions, but needs to be met with a change in workplace pratices which are unsustainable and need addressing. The Courier Mail reports that former ACT health minister Michael Moore has said that encouraging doctors to consume caffeine "has no place whatsoever in a health policy document." Hear, hear.
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"Workplace absences due to illness cost the Tasmanian economy around $550 million per year," said David Dilger, chief workplace relations officer at the Tasmanian Commerce of Chamber and Industry. Tasmanians take more days off at a higher rate than the national average, a national study commissioned by the federal Department of Health and Ageing recently found. Mr Dilger said Tasmanians averaged 9.1 sick days a year compared with 8.7 nationally but refused to speculate on the reasons for this, which the Mercury linked to hangovers.
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The Fair Work Ombudsman has produced Best Practice Guides to help "employers and employees achieve happier, fairer and more productive workplaces". Designed to assist small to medium-sized businesses to implement best practice initiatives, the guides cover work and family, cooperation at work, flexibility, working with young workers, gender pay equity and more.
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We predict that the debate over workers' comp harmonisation will be even more fraught than the one currently raging over OHS laws. To date, opinion is divided as to whether the model OHS legislation represents "a race to the bottom" or "much needed clarity for employers". You be the judge.
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Labor frontbencher Greg Combet, who as a former secretary of the ACTU was pivotal in the campaign to ensure James Hardie compensated asbestos victims, has committed the federal government to keeping the heat on the company, despite claims that the GFC makes it impossible for them to meet their compensation obligations. "We were buggered if we were going to let James Hardie and its executives and directors get away with what they had done at that time," said Combet, of his time at the ACTU. We're not fans of organisations who attempt to shirk their obligations to workers either, and are glad to hear that the government plans to keep James Hardie accountable.
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Most US workers aren't happy with their compensation or future career prospects, and half have a strained relationship with their boss, despite unemployment there reaching a 26-year high, reports the Age. We want to know what makes YOU unhappy at work - so we can address it. Unhappiness is a major factor in toxic workplaces - the same workplaces which deliver poor return to work results. What are your beefs on the job?
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A quarter of employees in Australian workplaces have experienced bully, according to the Age's report on a new Drake International survey. 800 employees were interviewed and equal numbers of male and female perpetrators and targets. Poor management of the issue by companies was also revealed, with just 30 per cent of victims and 50 per cent of witnesses satisfied with their employer's response to incidents. "Bullying is an identifiable psychological hazard in the workplace and therefore this is not just a conduct issue," Drake's national client services manager Judy Harper said.
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Young workers aged 15 to 24 incurred much higher rates of injury than other age groups and are the least likely to apply for workers compensation. This is one of the findings to emerge from reports released this week by Safe Work Australia based on an analysis of the 2005-06 Work Related Injuries Survey (WRIS). The analysis presented in the reports has concentrated on groups of people who are either not covered by workers’ compensation or who are not separately identified in the workers’ compensation data. The message for employers is to better target education about rights and responsibilites regarding compensation to younger workers, and not dismiss a youthful demographic as unlikely to sustain workplace injuries.
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World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September promotes worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides. On average, almost 3,000 people take their own lives daily, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). 'Suicide is now among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 years (both sexes); these figures do not include suicide attempts [which are] up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicide,' WHO said. Anyone seeking support and information on suicide prevention can call Lifeline (24 hours) 13 11 14, Mensline Australia (24 hours) 1300 78 99 78, or the SANE Helpline 1800 18 SANE (1800 18 7263).
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Now it seems stress can lead to arthritis, according to a Swedish study looking at the relationship between stress at work and the development of rheumatoid arthritis. h\Here at RTWMatters we've looked at many studies linking stress to a number of diseases, and now there's another to add to a growing list. The new link between high psychological demands, low decisions latitude and job strain with inflamatory diseases is a good reason to take another look at how you and your staff are going in the workplace. Find help on fighting stress here.
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Tasmania deserves recognition for a RTW rate that is higher than the national average. RTW rates in the state are at 91%, compared with a national figure of 80%. Despite this, Minister for Workplace Relations Lisa Singh has said more than 10,000 Tasmanians were injured at work and there were nine deaths in the workplace last year - a figure that needs even more acknowledgement. "Workplace health and safety is best managed when all parties in the workplace work together," said Minister Singh - we concur! - including unions, employer and other stakeholders. A Return to Work and Injury Management Model soon to be introduced to Parliament should better facilitate positive outcomes for injured employees and employers alike.
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The stress of being unemployed for longer durations as a young adult predicts higher levels of depressive symptoms. A new study in the US has revealed the link, reinforcing the RTW Matters message - that RTW is good for your health and worth working hard for. The study found that current unemployment status and out-of-the-labor force status were significantly associated with depressive symptoms at ages 29 to 37 years.
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Comcare has launched a new guide designed to support reviews of rehabilitation management systems, and to establish a benchmark for continuous improvement. This new guide, "Improving outcomes through rehabilitation management systems: a continuous improvement guide", is a web-based tool with 52 downloadable templates. Key elements covered include committment and corporate governance, planning, implementation, measurement and evaluation, and review and continuous improvement.
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Today is Equal Pay Day and we are reminded that the pay gap between male and female workers has actually worsened in the last ten years. It's a good day to note that the Fair Work Ombudsman has developed eleven best practice guides to assist employers make better use of the provisions of the Fair Work Act and better understand other aspects of workplace laws. Among the ideas covered in the guides are gender pay equity, the benefits of family-friendly workplaces and good faith bargaining.
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Despite three in four bosses believing things are hunky dory in the workplace, 46% of employees say they are not. The Hudson study included more than 400 bosses and workers and revealed a lack of staff awareness on the part of employers. It's a wake up call for any employer who wants to keep their staff - and keep them happy - to communicate better and ask more questions. Office morale can only be improved when we know it needs to be.
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With information about RTW training opportunities and what injured workers need to know after an injury, the Victorian Trades Hall Council's Return To Work website has been launched. "It's my right to return to work after a work injury" the website states, encouraging workers to become educated and take control in the process.
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As Safe Work Australia prepares to release the national model OHS laws this month trade unions are holding a national day of action to protest what they believe is a below-par draft of the harmonised laws. The "Don't risk second rate safety" movement gathers today in cities across the country to argue that the propsed legislation puts Australian workers at risk, and haven't adopted the best state system as a minimum standard for the national system. And we all thought the harmonising of workers’ compensation laws would be easier than the process of harmonising OHS laws.
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Safe Work Australia has released four reports looking at groups of people who are either not covered by workers' compensation or who are not separately identified in the workers' compensation data. The reports, based on an analysis of the 2005-06 Work Related Injuries Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, compare compensation data with all incurred work-related injuries, and report on the impact of shiftwork on work-related injuries, the impact of employment conditions on work-related injuries, and factors affecting applications for workers' compensation.
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Three years ago Melody Gardot was, in her own words, a "vegetable" following a car accident two years previously that left her unable to walk or talk. Tonight, she's well and truly back at work, making her Australian singing debut at the Opera House. Gardot credits musical therapy with her recovery, stating that "It was how I regained my cognitive abilities." Gardot's sensible approach to touring incorporates plenty of downtime, to ensure that her rehab gains aren't shortlived. ''I make sure I give myself time out on tour. Yesterday I spent the day lying in the sun," she said.
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Minister for Employment Participation Senator Mark Arbib described the new Disability Employment Services model as "a huge win for job seekers with a disability" . The model was developed as part of a federal government committment to ensure "job seekers have the best possible assistance from their provider and that providers have every possible opportunity to benefit from expert assistance." Program A under the new system is for job seekers with a disability, injury or health condition who need the assistance of a disability employment service and who might need irregular or occassional support in the workplace. We think employers will benefit as well.
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What's a good way to encourage people to return to work after injury? Make sure the wage they're returning to isn't a pittance. The South Australian Industrial Relations Commission has granted the state's lowest paid workers a $14/week pay rise, taking the minimum wage to $560.65 week and going against the Fair Work Australia wage freeze. The IRC granted the pay boost arguring that the state economy could sustain the increase without adding to unemployment.
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A new Australian Standard of Employment Rights gives employers and workers a benchmark against which to measure the industrial relations health of their workplace, says Sydney law professor Ron McCollum in hrdaily. The Standard, launched late last week by the Australian Institute of Employment Rights, seeks to achieve "higher standards of workplace culture". Requirements include no bullying in the workpalce, and a commitment from employers and workers to recognise the dignity of every person in the workplace.
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Employers need to look beyond legislation alone and think of businesses as social institutions, to combat the rise in workplace stress claims. This is this message to emerge from Curtin University research targeting "Minimising Mental Stress among Workers". Research leader Dr Marina Ciccarelli said that, "How workers respond physically or psychologically to the demands of their work are a product of the relationships between the worker, the employer, the organisation and other stakeholders. These relationships therefore must be based on a set of moral rules (driven by both business and society), and not simply on compliance with legislative requirements."
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Ammendments to the Disability Discrimination Act came into effect this month. The ammendments stipulate that emloyers must take meaningful steps to assist employees to safely return to work and not discriminate on the basis of injury obtained at work. In addition, new provisions in the Fair Work Act 2009 dealing with discrimination in the workplace commenced on 1 July 2009. If you've got a penchant for tomes, the new Act can be accessed here.
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The Australia Institute has released "The Impact of the Recession on Women" report, which finds that women comprise the majority of ‘hidden unemployment’ in the economy and that their financial position will worsen as a result of the GFC-induced downturn. High levels of underemployment and chronic low pay for Australian women are set to worsen as a result of the global recession. It's a pertinent time to remember that 1 September is equal pay day in Australia.
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Results to emerge from a study by the University of Portugal and the US National Institute of Health show that chronically stressed rats make poorer decisions, and their brains become "re-wired". The researchers concluded that chronic stress rewires areas of the brain involved in the switch between goal-directed and habitual actions - with implications not just for rodents! The findings have a broader impact on everyday decision-making in humans.
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An inquiry will take place into the treatment of Australia post employees who have suffered work-related injuries. The employees are preparing to strike about a policy of using company doctors to assess sick employees and union's concern that rights to workers' compensation entitlements are being undermined. An Australia Post spokesman denied that employees who were unfit for work were being forced back. "The quicker you can get a worker back, even if it is to different duties, the better it is for that person ... but we are not going to force someone back to work if they are not fit." How soon is too soon to return to work - and how can you tell? What do you think?
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After striking for the first time in 36 years, the government has granted Victorian paramedics 10-hour breaks between shifts. Ambulance officers were left to threaten mass resignation after demands for longer breaks between shifts were not being met. A new three-year agreement has also seen fairer wages, says the union.
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Minister Julia Gillard has launched the 2009-10 National Work-Life Balance Awards, to recognise employers who have demonstrated a commitment to innovative family-friendly workplace practices. Prizes will be awarded across 13 industry sectors, with one overall national winner announced. From 2010, the awards will be supported by a new accreditation scheme that recognises employers who meet specific targets in achieving work/life balance for employees. Applications close on 4 September 2009.
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Got something to say about OH&S in Australia? Well now's your chance to have your voice heard. Safe Work Australia is inviting the public to comment on the model occupational health and safety legislation in September 2009. While currently all states and territories have individual responsibility for regulating OHS standards across Australia, an intergovernmental agreement to harmonise the regulations will see the overhaul of a system rife with inconsistency and confusion. Have your say on what elements the new system should contain - public comment runs for six weeks.
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The Obesity Policy Coalition has said that lack of time is the most common excuse for not exercising. According to ABS statistics, 70% of Australians over 15 years of age achieve, at best, low levels of exercise. We know that the healthier we are the better we work and the more likely we are to enjoy it - and to return to it if we're injured - so these are not stats to be taken lightly.
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Australia risks slower economic growth without a greater focus on preventing disputes in the new industrial relations system, Business Council of Australia Chief Executive Katie Lahey says. The BCA discussion paper, Embedding Workplace Collaboration: Preventing Disputes, was launched on 10 August - the first in a series exploring more collaborative approaches to workplace relations. The paper argues the opportunity should be taken to give Fair Work Australia or the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman a stronger role in preventing disputes.
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Despite US equities are at a 20-year best, "no government can stimulate forever", writes Bill Jenkins in The Daily Reckoning. "The bottom line is this, if Americans do not return to work, THERE IS NO RECOVERY. Memorize this line. Post it on your refrigerator, your mirror, your dashboard - wherever!" If the social implications of poor return to work systems fail to inspire you, economic implications might just re-fuel the RTW drive.
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If you are 45, get ready for age discrimination to affect your employability, says Australia's Commissioner for Age Discrimination Elizabeth Broderick. In her role, Ms Broderick said she constantly heard that from 45 onwards, people face being discriminated out of the recruitment process, out of employment, out of training opportunities and into forced early retirement. “We need to invest in research into this problem," the Commissioner said; "we need to commit to communicating the existence and extent of this problem to the wider community and we need to look at legislative and policy reforms to address it.”
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Victorian businesses with up to 50 employees can register for a free three-hour session with an independent health and safety consultant. The consultant will come to your workplace, help identify safety issues relevant to your business and provide useful advice on how to go about addressing the issues.
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New unemployment figures are out and the results show the number of unemployed has remained unchanged at 5.8%. The government claims the figure is evidence of a successful stimulus plan - but the unions say that part-time work and loss of hours are disguising the real unemployment impact. The ACTU said more than 3000 full-time workers lost their job each week last month as companies continued to cut back staff numbers, and "the dependence on part-time work is putting real financial pressure on working Australians and their families". Are you working the hours you want to be? What about your employees? Let us know.
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WorkCover NSW understands safe business is good business, so in August it's running free safety workshops across the state.
In just a couple of hours, a local business advisory officer provides practical assistance and advice to improve workplace safety and injury management.
To register, or for a full list of events happening near you, call WorkCover NSW on 13 10 50 or visit the website.
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Advocates for better return to work systems will be seen with large smiles on this week, as ammendments to the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) begin to take shape. The ammendments give employers an explicit duty to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities. The House of Representatives Legal and Constitutional Affairs Standing Committee
has recommended that the new standards be finalised and introduced, and the Federal Government is considering the Committee's report. Stay tuned!
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Martin Dolezal, a former elite bodybuilder who has pleaded guilty to theft and assault charges, told the ACT Supreme Court that he developed a $1000 a day drug habit after suffering a serious foot injury at work in 2005. As a way of coping with ongoing pain, Dolezal began experimenting with heroin and other elicit drugs and ended up hooked. Most sufferers of chronic pain don't turn to theft and violence, but Dolezal's downfall illustrates how difficult it can be to manage serious, ongoing pain. We've spoken with Coralie Wales from Chronic Pain Australia about it in the past, and keep an eye out for an upcoming article on the topic from SuperDoc.
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Tasmanian Minister for Workplace Relations, Lisa Singh, has called for public comment on a plan to allow authorised union representatives to enter workplaces and take on a role in resolving OHS issues, with appropriate powers of inquiry to enable them to get the job done. The intent is to give workers a middle option, between the stress of talking directly to their employer, and the seriousness of calling in an Inspector. The changes will bring Tasmania in line with all other states and territories, barring SA.
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A research team at Stanford University has found that nearly two-thirds of the least-fit individuals are not meeting the minimum recommended amount of physical activity. However, this group has the most to gain from increasing their activity levels. "Given the considerable survival benefit associated with improving fitness in the least-fit group, increasing fitness through regular physical activity should be a priority in unfit individuals," Dr Sandra Mandic said. "Health professionals should consider a sedentary lifestyle and poor fitness as treatable and major risk factors." Giving employers an even greater incentive to get sedentary workers up and at 'em!
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Unions are urging NSW Labor and the Federal Government to rethink parts of the draft national OHS laws, which will see unions lose the right to prosecute companies for safety breaches, and the onus of proof that an employer has not provided a safe workplace shift to the prosecutor. Expect to hear more from unions as the debate over harmonisation continues: and expect even more strenuous debate when it's workers' comp harmonisation on the table.
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After a shaky explanation by Minister Arbib who couldn't explain the difference between work experience and a job, the Federal Government's green jobs and training opportunities package has been announced - and Gillard has promised Arbib was not having "a great day" and is now caught up on the details. These include: $100 million to create 50,000 green jobs, traineeships and apprenticeships and at helping young Australians get into work - and stay there.
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Asbestos victims groups have met with Kevin Rudd at the ALP national conference and asked him to ensure that James Hardie meets its "legal and moral responsibilities," after the industrial buildings materials giant announced that the next three years of compensation payments are in jeopardy due to the financial crisis. We hope Rudd was listening.
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Supervisors who support their employees' work and family demands can positively impact upon their employees' health, according to researchers from Michigan State and Portland State University. The two have teamed up to create a training program to help supervisors discover new ways to manage in a tough economic climate. The training covers emotional support, role-modeling behaviours, instrumental support and creative work-family management.
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An investigation into bullying claims at the Pambula Hospital is underway, amidst allegations that nurses have experienced problems with rostering, diagnostics and bullying at the far south coast institution. RTWMatters readers will be comforted to know that a spokesperson for John Della Bosca, NSW Health Minister and partner to Belinda Neal of Iguana-gate infamy, told the ABC that "bullying and harassment aren't tolerated and an investigation into the claims is an appropriate response". We're glad the problems are being investigated, but can't help noting the irony of Della Bosca using a spokesperson here. Pot calling the kettle black, anybody?
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Long hours are intruding on personal lives. This is the finding to emerge from the University of SA's Work, Life and Workplace Flexibility: the Australian Work and Life Index 2009. The report shows a quarter of full-time working Australians feel work regularly interferes with their personal lives, with women feeling the pressure more than ever. Is this a sentiment present in your workplace? It’s a question worth asking - working conditions in your workplace will have a big impact on the successful return to work of your employees.
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The Australian Government has identified occupational health and safety (OHS) as a priority area for reform. One of the key elements of the OHS reform agenda is harmonisation – moving towards one set of national OHS laws. The harmonisation of OHS legislation aims to reduce the incidence of workplace death, injury and disease right across Australia. Safework Australia has now published a timeline for the development and approval of the model national OHS legislation
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The Workers' Compensation Statistical Bulletin 2007/08, providing information on the causes and effects of workers' compensation claims, has now been published. Workers 'compensation reforms (in 2001) increased the focus on early intervention and return to work - a move which deserves support; however, while this has resulted in reductions in lump sum and non-compensation payments since 2001 - and a decrease in the incidence of NSW workplace injuries, the incidence and frequency rates of major employment injuries has remained static. This suggests there's still a lot of work to be done to make sure employees are returning to work as effectively and efficiently as possible.
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In recognition of July as Multicultural Safety Month, WorkCover NSW has created a series of workplace safety posters available in 13 different languages. Copies of the poster are free and can be ordered by phoning the publications hotline on 1300 799 003.
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This Friday is the 45th Australian Labor Party Conference where the 2009 draft party platform will be debated. High on the discussion list will be harmonisation and workers' compensation, as well as a number of OHS policies. The Draft reinforces Labor's committment to harmonising occupational health and safety legislation, including the Commonwealth's own, and states the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act will be ammended. We'll keep you updated as developments emerge from the debate.
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Australia's Federal ministers have told young people that they should be willing to settle for less than dream jobs in order to help drive the economy out of trouble and increase their chances of finding employment. What it should have made clearer is that being willing to try any job does not mean putting up with upsafe workplaces - these are not the standards we can afford to drop. And perhaps the government could push more money towards training and skilling instead of telling people they should be prepared to do anything for the sake of their economy.
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Following on from April's Supreme Court decision that the public was mislead over the James Hardie compensation trust for asbestos victims, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has asked the Federal Court to impose heavy fines on 10 former James Hardie directors and ban them from managing a company for at least five years for breaches of the Corporations Act.
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We can’t change the world except insofar as we change the way we look at the world — and, in fact, any one of us can make that change, in any direction, at any moment.
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Earlier last month Gab Lis wrote on the effects of fatigue, and we learnt it accounts for 1/3 of all workplace accidents; contributes to 1/4 of all road accidents; results in lower productivity; increases irritability; and can lead to higher rates of absenteeism. We read, therefore, with great interest over the weekend Therese Rein's comments that K-Rudd commonly gets only three hours' sleep. We like Crikey's take today on the weird tendency of people in power to boast about their lack of sleep - as if it were a good thing! Professor Drew Dawson, Director of the Centre for Sleep Research, Uni SA, writes in Crikey: "The reasons behind why high performing people like to underestimate their sleep are complex. It's based on our cultural biases about the type of personality we attribute to sleep durations and sleep. Despite a large body of scientific evidence to the contrary, people typically attribute laziness and lack of motivation to individuals who express a high sleep need and/or report long sleep durations." To learn how fatigue hurts workers in more ways than one, check out Gab's article here.
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WorkSafe inspectors have issued notices against child protection offices in Dandenong, Cheltenham and Preston relating to work overload. As recent news stories about abused children slipping through the net suggest, the high workload is not only potentially injurious to staff, but also compromises outcomes. We expect better from government departments: and this OHS and RTW nightmare seems especially unacceptable given that the Department of Human Services is responsible for it. Please explain, Mr Brumby and Ministers Andrews and Neville.
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A follow-up to the 2002 'Work Factors in Suicide' study has been initiated by the Creative Ministries Network, aiming to identify suicide risk for people on WorkCover compared with general population, factors contributing to this risk and factors which lessen the risk of suicide. The Victorian WorkCover Authority is assisting the reseach with data and the Victorian Coroner will also contribute information. The very fact of a need for such a study is deeply concerning - and we'll be keeping a close eye on research progressions to bring you news on the study as it emerges.
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Associate Director of The Work Foundation (UK) hopes a recent MacLeod Review of employee engagement - which points to the importance of effective people management - will lead to more than mere "evangelism for employee engagement" and rather act "as a trigger for a profound debate about how to manage people fairly and effectively." Here at RWTMatters, we couldn't agree more - and let the debate get started here first! How can managers manage fairly? Would you say you're doing it? How? What makes fair management hard? How do you feel about taking responsibility for the relationships with your staff - and is the role yours alone? Click here to let us know!
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Fair Work Australia has told Victorian paramedics they cannot go ahead with plans to pull ambulances off the road in rolling four-hour stoppages because it may endanger lives.
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We've all, on occasion, suspected it to be the case, and now official confirmation has arrived: "People who aren't very nice are more likely to become managers," said Michelle Tan, a researcher in the economics program at the Research School of Social Science, at Australian National University. Tan recently co-authored a study into personality, gender and occupation, which found that men (and to a lesser extent women) who are sympathetic, kind, co-operative and warm tend not to make it to the managerial level. We don't want to get too carried away with the warm-fuzzies, but sympathy, cooperation and kindness are pretty essential to durable RTW. Are managers letting the team down?
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Most people with a mental illness can't cover the costs of their treatment AND basic living expenses like food, a survey by SANE Australia recently found.
Jeff Galvin, who has lived with schizophrenia for 23 years, spoke of the difficulties of finding work. "Because you've maybe got a 10, 15-year gap in your resume and you've got to explain it away and you tell the truth that you're on medication; you won't get work," he said.
However, people with mental illness can be loyal and productive workers. For more information, take a look at our articles on the subject of RTW and mental illness here and here.
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Employers who cut safety corners to reduce costs have been warned by WorkCover NSW that they risk paying for their "savings" in higher compensation costs and lower moral. According to error-reduction specialist Filomena Sousa, who is chief executive of Talsico International, businesses should strive to avoid the "double-whammy" effect: "People taking on more work increases the cognitive load. People being stressed by financial pressures decreases cognitive capacity."
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Men who work in full-time casual jobs report significantly lower levels of mental health than those who are permanently employed. And it is less-educated men who are suffering from the shift to a service economy.
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According to an annual survey conducted by Lifeline Australia, work related stress is on the rise, with 73% of Australians reporting that they are stressed about work and 17% reporting that they are very stressed about it.
RTWMatters is desperately seeking contact with the 10% of Australian workers who are unstressed.
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Unions and employers are both sceptical about the proposed changes to workers' compensation laws which the Tasmanian government has indicated will pass through Parliament later this year and take effect in July 2010.
Under the new legislation, injured workers will:
Receive full pay for 26 rather than 13 weeks, and then lose 10% rather than 15% of their paycheck; and
Be able to sue their employer if they suffer 20% whole body impairment, a reduction from the current 30% requirement.
Predictably, the Chamber of Commerce is concerned about increased costs for employers - the cost of claims is expected to rise by about 15% - while Unions Tas is pleased with the reforms, but believe that they don't go far enough.
According to Premier David Bartlett, however, the changes are both fair and affordable.
The Tasmanian government had faced pressure from employee organisations and the Greens for some time over the whole body impairment threshhold, which was deemed by many to be unfairly high.
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Sue Richardson and Guangyu Zhang, researchers at Flinders University, recently found that men employed as full time casuals have significantly lower levels of mental health than men in permanent positions.
Men are more affected than women by the shift to casual employment, and less educated men are suffering most of all.
According to Professor Richardson, the reason is the social expectation that men will be the breadwinner for their families, which can make it difficult for them to adjust to casual employment.
Organisations opting for full time casual employees as a way of increasing wage flexibility during the downturn should bear in mind the additional stresses casual employment can entail.
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From June 30 2009, WorkCover NSW has introduced an optional alternative method for calculating big business' workers' comp premiums. Retro-paid loss, or 'burning costs' arrangements determine premiums using an organisation's individual claims and injury prevention and management experience, rather than an industry rate. While there is a danger this could lead some organisations to discourage workers from placing claims, WorkCover hopes that it will allow them to 'work more closely with industry and...achieve improved injury prevention and management outcomes'.
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The World Health Organisation defines stress as "the reaction people may have when presented with demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope." This is made worse when employees feel they don't have their supervisors' or colleagues' support, and where they have little control over the work they do. WorkSafe Victoria advises four steps to irradicate workplace stress, including: identify potential work-related stress hazards; assess the work-related risks; control the work-related stress hazards and risks; and implement continuous improvement. Check out our Top Ten Tips for Preventing Stress in your Workplace for more.
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Worker activities varied to use different muscles, the use of mechanical aids and work surfaces the correct height are just some of the points in the new WorkSafe Victoria checklist, designed to help prevent "unseen" workplace injuries. These are musculoskeletal disorders such as sprain or strain injuries involving the back, knees, ankles and wrists, as well as cartilage and tendon damage. Such injuries often arise from repetitive maunal handling work. Safe To Work reports that one in five workers suffers an "unseen" injury as a result of a slip, trip or fall.
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Chronic pain isn't a black and white issue; no simple five-point plan could encapsulate the myriad issues involved including what to be aware of in taking steps to help an employee with chronic pain back to work. Having said that, there are things to keep in mind that will help the process:
Pain is subjective - everyone experiences it differently,
Pain scales (where pain is rated by the person experiencing it on a scale onf one to ten) help the employee and the treating medical practitioner assess the level of pain,
Open discussions about pain are invaluable so that all parties - including the employee - can learn more about it,
Medication isn't the be all and end all of treatment - they only help ease the pain not eradicate the cause of the pain.
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In 07 / 08, the Tasmanian Department for Health and Human Services spent more than $3 million on workers' comp payouts, with most cases relating to manual handling claims.
Liberal Health spokesperson Brett Whitely believes that the real costs of poor manual handling processes are actually much higher, linking the claims to an additional $17 million spent on temps and locums in a 10 month period and $22 million spent on overtime pay.
Mr Whitely also believes that poor working conditions are also leading to increased stress claims and staff turnover.
"All these matters are inter-related and lead to a vicious and expensive cycle," Mr Whitely said.
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There is a strong link in obesity between mothers and daughters and fathers and sons, but not across the gender divide, research suggests.
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SWEARING can lessen the feeling of physical pain, scientists have discovered.
Volunteers withstood pain for longer when they swore compared with when they used anodyne words, in a study at Keele University in the English Midlands.
Dr Richard Stephens, who led the study at the university's school of psychology, believes it may explain why most languages contain swear words.
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Nearly nine out of 10 Australians are feeling stressed and most blame work for the way they feel, a new poll shows.
RTWMatters.org has 19 articles on dealing with stress, see summary of titles here.
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Important read this, we are all getting sick just sitting here. - 'THAT ergonomically designed chair you pull up to your office desk and computer may be a hazard to your health. The sofa you lounge back in to watch TV every night is probably doing you harm.'
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Among those in the know Work Cover W.A. has the reputation of being easy to deal with and having simple common sense systems. The authority also has an excellent quarterly reporting system which provides statistical info on claims and performance (including costs) in an easy to read format. The report for the first quarter of 2009 is now out and available from the Work Cover W.A. website.
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From June 30 2009, WorkCover NSW has introduced an optional alternative method for calculating big business' workers' comp premiums. Retro-paid loss, or 'burning costs' arrangements determine premiums using an organisation's individual claims and injury prevention and management experience, rather than an industry rate. While there is a danger this could lead some organisations to discourage workers from placing claims, WorkCover hopes that it will allow them to 'work more closely with industry and...achieve improved injury prevention and management outcomes'.
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The World Health Organisation defines stress as "the reaction people may have when presented with demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope." This is made worse when employees feel they don't have their supervisors' or colleagues' support, and where they have little control over the work they do. WorkSafe Victoria advises four steps to irradicate workplace stress, including: identify potential work-related stress hazards; assess the work-related risks; control the work-related stress hazards and risks; and implement continuous improvement. Check out our Top Ten Tips for Preventing Stress in your Workplace for more.
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Worker activities varied to use different muscles, the use of mechanical aids and work surfaces the correct height are just some of the points in the new WorkSafe Victoria checklist, designed to help prevent "unseen" workplace injuries. These are musculoskeletal disorders such as sprain or strain injuries involving the back, knees, ankles and wrists, as well as cartilage and tendon damage. Such injuries often arise from repetitive maunal handling work. Safe To Work reports that one in five workers suffers an "unseen" injury as a result of a slip, trip or fall.
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Chronic pain isn't a black and white issue; no simple five-point plan could encapsulate the myriad issues involved including what to be aware of in taking steps to help an employee with chronic pain back to work. Having said that, there are things to keep in mind that will help the process:
Pain is subjective - everyone experiences it differently,
Pain scales (where pain is rated by the person experiencing it on a scale onf one to ten) help the employee and the treating medical practitioner assess the level of pain,
Open discussions about pain are invaluable so that all parties - including the employee - can learn more about it,
Medication isn't the be all and end all of treatment - they only help ease the pain not eradicate the cause of the pain.
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Work Choices have been scrapped - effective 1 July 2009 - and in their place stand the new Fair Work laws. What does it mean for workers? Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) president Sharan Burrow says the new measures are what Australians voted for at the last federal election, and that "We have fundamental rights back in place. WorkChoices is off the agenda and people can go to work today knowing that they can't be sacked unfairly," she said.
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In 07 / 08, the Tasmanian Department for Health and Human Services spent more than $3 million on workers' comp payouts, with most cases relating to manual handling claims. Liberal Health spokesperson Brett Whitely believes that the real costs of poor manual handling processes are actually much higher, linking the claims to an additional $17 million spent on temps and locums in a 10 month period and $22 million spent on overtime pay. "All these matters are inter-related and lead to a vicious and expensive cycle," Mr Whitely said.
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South Australia's WorkCover Scheme reform package will include $2.4 million for Return To Work Fund Projects, aimed at implementing practical solutions to improve return to work outcomes in South Australia. The new direction acknowledges evidence that those who've been off work for more than a short period find it difficult - and are less likely - to ever return.
From 1 July 2009 WorkCover SA is enlisting the education, training and coaching skills of various organisations, to increase injured workers' confidence about returning to the workplace, and to teach employers to reduce barriers that discourage workers form returning to work.
The moves shows SA is taking positive and proactive steps towards addressing a national reputation for underachievement in return to work and workers' compensation in Australia.
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If you're having difficulty making the case for best practice injury management, this new guide from WorkCover Tas will come in handy. It explains the key concepts and benefits of best practice and gives some general suggestions as to how to make it happen in your workplace. No substitute for a subscription to RTW Matters, but a good overview nonetheless!
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The Workers Compensation (Default Insurance Fund) Bill 2009 has been tabled in the Legislative Assembly
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The Acting Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Mark Arbib, is today pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Tim Lee as the General Manager of Fair Work Australia and Mr Nick Wilson as the Fair Work Ombudsman.
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Looking back, I think it was the death threats that did it. Yes, that must be it. That was the time I finally realised that despite my unhealthy desire to be liked, it was possible that employees within my team hated my guts.
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THE number of public servants taking stress leave is on the rise, a Border workplace injury consultant says.
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It started with an odd sensation in her right hand and a feeling of exhaustion so profound she could hardly get through an hour of work, let alone a full day.
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If you've been intrigued by the idea of workplace flexibility (e.g., flexible schedules, working form different locations, flexible work days, results-only work environments), but aren't sure it'd truly benefit your business, think again!
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A recent study of 12,000 top end Australian managers has revealed that the key determinant of an effective work life balance is not a company's policy in this area but the approach of its line managers.
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Victorian ambulance paramedics are imposing work bans after a breakdown in negotiations over extended breaks.
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172 million working days were lost due to sickness absence last year. 34 million of these were due to an injury or illness caused by work.
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The state government has missed a major opportunity to correct major problems in Victoria's workers' compensation system that date back to the Kennett years, according to the Victorian Trades Hall Council.
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A $90 million reform package has been announced for Victoria's WorkCover scheme.
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The Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Robin Shreeve as the new Chief Executive Officer of Skills Australia.
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Shifts planned with little thought to ergonomics are a health-and-safety gamble. Fatigue, accidents, injuries and ill health are all but inevitable if the shift pattern doesnt balance the demands of work with time for rest and recovery.
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he swine flu pandemic could cause more economic problems than the global financial crisis if Australia continues to quarantine sufferers, the Australian Democrats say.
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A behavioral intervention program delivered by e-mail significantly improved diet and physical activity by helping people move more, sit less, and make healthier food choices.
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Employers are reluctant to let staff go, with the struggle of finding suitable workers during the recent skills crisis still firmly etched in their memories.
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In these tough economic times, even workers at stable organisations might be finding it hard to stay motivated. This can make it difficult for managers to maintain a positive, productive work environment
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Australian employers are putting their productivity at risk by failing to motivate employees, with a global study finding that 62 per cent of Australians are disengaged at work.
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Labor Senator and former union leader Doug Cameron has called on his own party to ditch its plans to keep tough laws to prevent lawlessness in the construction industry, and has accused the Government of treating workers like organised criminals.
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Secretary of State for work and pensions James Purnell MP is lending his support to an MS Society-led project designed to help people with chronic and fluctuating health conditions remain in work.
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Being happy at work is, of course, quite related to how much you like your job, but there are small steps you can take to boost your mood.
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Everyone has some weaknesses in their work behavior that they need to work on, and they often extend beyond annoyances (such as eating a smelly lunch at your desk) and become problems for your career.
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Since 1993, I have studied the experience of thousands of managers at all levels in a wide range of industries through workplace interviews, focus groups, polls, questionnaires, and intensive seminars.
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Back pain in adolescents bodes ill for Australia's future workers, unless mythbusting Professor Buchbinder has her way...
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The 'Trust Bounce' is a not-so-rare phenomenon that happens in great workplaces when the level of trust among employees and management reaches a critical mass.
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Police officers have threatened to start political action and to work to rule from next month if their demands for a better pay offer are not met.
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On 3 June 2009, the Victorian Auditor-General released the Victorian Workcover Authority audit report. The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of VWA's claims management.
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The mentor program is all about big business showing small business how to improve their workplace safety and workers' compensation performance.
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No matter the size of the business, you can make wellness a priority in your workplace. What exactly does “wellness” mean you may ask? It means placing more emphasis on prevention of illness, and making healthful lifestyle choices.
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The workplace is filled with stressful land mines, especially as companies announce furloughs, corporations slash employee pay and state agencies lay off workers in the coming weeks.
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Businesses fear a loss of productivity will result from staff stressing about the economic downturn and increased workloads as companies axe staff, a survey has found.
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County finances have not been a pleasant subject at the courthouse these days, but Lawrence County Commissioners Thursday noted one bright spot — one area where they have been able to save money — worker’s compensation.
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From 1 July 2009, ACC will begin using a new early intervention vocational rehabilitation service, Stay at Work, which is designed to help people get back to work safely and as soon as possible following injury.
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Premier Anna Bligh has announced a new taskforce will tackle health problems in the construction industry as a shocking report reveals high levels of obesity, smoking and problem drinking amongst our builders.
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Trust in the workplace is essential to retention, says Jeff Aplin, executive vice-president of David Aplin Recruiting
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Job insecurity, increased workloads and uncertainty about the future is fuelling a potentially deadly wave of depression among workers, according to the head of a major employee support service.
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I propose a new job title: Manager of Fear. If every business had one, we'd keep good workers, raise morale and increase the quality of work - which is suffering mightily because everyone is running so scared these days.
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WASHINGTON — In its effort to overhaul health care, Congress is planning to give employers sweeping new authority to reward employees for healthy behavior, including better diet, more exercise, weight loss and smoking cessation.
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A new website was recently launched by the South Australian Industrial Relations Minister, Paul Caica, to help young people deal with issues in the workplace. Caica says: "It’s a great resource, not only for young people themselves but also for their pa
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Work safety laws have been a major policy and political battle ground for a long time. That battle finally appears to be over.
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They're stressed, anxious, worried about their jobs. They're losing sleep and they're losing confidence in the economy.
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Work. It pays the bills, gives structure to a day, a sense of self-worth and can be therapeutic, yet long-term sickness is on the rise, according to the latest figures.
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AUSTRALIA will move to a national system of workplace safety laws after state and territory governments agreed yesterday to harmonise their laws in a move designed to reduce business red tape.
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Australians work the longest hours in the developed world - with the average worker spending 38 years of their life working in an office and 5.7 years in meetings. These figures are among many interesting facts revealed today by office furniture manufactu
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Stress levels are soaring because of the recession, a new report has suggested.
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A report issued yesterday by a public policy group calls on the Obama administration and Congress to make the federal government "a model employer" by increasing its support for flexible work arrangements such as compressed workweeks and telecommuting.
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The AMA says the most alarming element of last night's budget is the total absence of health support measures for the unemployed.
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Even as the Labor Department released figures showing that the economy lost more than half a million jobs in April, researchers on Friday made public a large study with an unsettling finding: losing your job may make you sick.
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Employer groups have abandoned the State Government's WorkHealth program, which could end up a fraction of its intended size, in a major embarrassment for Premier John Brumby, who promised every Victorian worker would be offered a free health check.
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Gary Hofferman knows how heavy the burden of suburban tragedy can be. After 34 years as a police officer it become too much to bear.
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Dozens of doctors and nurses are on workers compensation because of traumatic work experiences.
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Business groups are urging all states and territories to sign up to a national approach to occupational health and safety when the country's workplace relations ministers meet by phone today.
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National workplace safety laws are likely to be a step closer following a telephone hook-up of state and federal ministers today.
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Arthritis can have significant physical and psychological repercussions that impact quality of life and for those of working age, it can affect their ability to remain employed.
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Back pain, muscular strain and arthritis are the most common work-related illnesses in Ireland and account for half of all sick days taken by workers each year, a report has found.
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Victoria's paramedics plan to take 10-hour fatigue breaks between shifts as part of industrial action following the breakdown of year-long talks with the state government for better pay and conditions.
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The State Government will soon make vital decisions on workers' compensation laws that could have compelling economic consequences if the Government gets it wrong.
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New guidance to help people with chronic back pain return to work is to be published by University of Leicester researchers today.
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Anytime there are multiple physicians involved, there's potential for costly delays, says Gordon Butler, leading authority in return to work strategies.
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At least one day a week, Frankston Council's arts access officer Tim Dakin can't get out of bed.
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Unions have launched a national advertising campaign after expressing deep concern that federal and state Labor are about to wind back health and safety protections for workers.
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A union campaign being launched today will push for tougher national health and safety laws for workers.
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Victoria's new chief commissioner has dared to utter publicly the word many of his predecessors have only whispered in private: the "B" word - bludging.
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FOR the first time, the life-threatening physical and psychological effects of shift work are being used to push for bigger pay packets for nurses and midwives in NSW.
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Three Emirates pilots have spoken out about fatigue problems at the airline, saying passenger safety is under threat.
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Doctors are increasingly at risk of violence in their surgeries, the ACT Division of General Practice says.
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ALMOST all school teachers have been bullied in the workplace, often by senior staff or the principal, a national study reveals.
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Is a free flu shot an effective and convenient preventative health measure? Or a way to help your company cut costs?
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A HIGH school teacher who claimed he was bullied by senior staff has won a compensation case against the Education Department.
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National Return to Work Week is an opportunity for everyone involved in the workers' compensation and disability management process to demonstrate their commitment to helping injured, disabled or ill employees stay at work or return to work.
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A new book, "The Advanced Stress Management Training Guide", questions how much stress and fear are costing us individually and as a society.
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New research from the Institute for Work & Health indicates that depressive symptoms are pervasive among workers disabled by musculoskeletal disorders.
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A new study suggests that it is a mistake to assume a team can work effectively under constant time pressure and remain engaged and innovative.
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A high-level event bringing together representatives from throughout the profession to tackle the issue of workplace pressure will be hosted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
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Comcare, in partnership with the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC), has launched a new nationally accredited qualification in injury rehabilitation management.
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While interventions for breast cancer survivors have shown improvements in quality of life and in physical and psychological states, efforts aimed at stimulating re-employment and return-to-work interventions for breast cancer survivors have not kept pace
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This concise list of tips on how to support and care for injured workers through the RTW process comes from Workcover Tasmania. Print it out and stick it up at your work!
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We need to stop putting all our happiness eggs in the career basket.
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A new study looks at the evidence about workplace interventions
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The number of US companies taking action to combat the chronic health conditions of employees and their families jumped nearly 30 percent in the past year, according to a survey.
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Change could be in the air in our capital territory, with the Chamber of Commerce saying the ACT Government is taking more notice of pushes towards changing workers' compensation laws and fixing compensation amounts for specific injuries.
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Paramedics have been unhappy for a long time about working conditions, but perhaps never more so than now.
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David Kellermann, mortgage giant Freddie Mac's former acting chief financial officer, spoke of feeling overworked and overwhelmed in the lead up to his death.
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International building materials company James Hardie is in deep do-do. Former company employees face heavy fines and bans for misleading conduct.
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Insurers are taking the the risks posed by nanotechnology very seriously.
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Workers' compensation insurance in New York State is "befuddling", "arguably the most adversarial in the nation" and "serves no one well" according to the NY Times.
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In 2003, a butcher with a 'vulnerable' back helped his supervisor lift a 40kg tub. In 2009, the Supreme Court confirmed that Woolworths was liable for his acute prolapsed disc injury.
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A Brisbane finance professional turned to insider trading after being bullied at work and becoming worried he would lose his job, Brisbane District Court has heard.
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There were 10,290 visits to Victoria's occupational health and safety trade shows, down 10% on last year.
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The Transport Workers Union has called for an urgent review into the welfare policies and procedures within the ACT Ambulance Service as officers report a lack of debriefing after jobs.
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Continuing her push for paid maternity leave, ACTU President Sharan Burrow claims the recent Productivity Commission Report proves it will boost the economy
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Australia's Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research recently awarded Excelgene Pty Ltd a $64K COMET grant to further develop a simple DNA swab test. Now, how about some policy?
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Researchers at the Childrens' Hospital Boston believe they may have discovered a long-lasting, non-toxic local anaesthetic to help fight chronic pain.
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Not everyone at government HQ is wearing their cranky pants! A new initiative provides up to $15 000 to help families balance work and life.
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Worksafe WA has issued a safety alert on working hours after a young security officer on a student visa was fatally injured in a road accident while on his way to work.
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A Monash University study has found that Australia's workers are amongst the unhealthiest in the world.
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An American economist claims that recessions reduce workers' compensation claims. At what cost?
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From 1 March, 2010 new Disability Employment Services (DES) will provide more support for employers, offer tailored assistance to employees and remove existing service caps.
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PAID maternity leave remains affordable despite the global financial crisis, according to secret costings being weighed by the Rudd Government ahead of next month's budget.
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An allegedly abusive Logan councillor has returned to work, just three days after his colleagues banned him from entering council chambers without a security escort.
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The union movement is worried that workers in the nanotechnology sector might be facing a health time bomb similar to asbestos.
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One third of construction companies in Sydney are breaching workplace laws. These are the findings from a recent audit of 272 companies in Sydney.
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US $2.6 million dollars has been awarded to Kathryn Rost, research professor in Mental Health at the Florida State |
