Articles

This page lists all practical and feature articles available on RTWMatters. From top ten tips, how to guides and case studies, through to webinar recordings and video interviews with industry experts.

Click the ‘Topics’ button below to drill down into all articles and research updates on your topic of interest.

Click the ‘Quick Guides’ button for practical bit sized guides that give you a sound basic knowledge base.

Workers’ compensation re-imagined from a lived experience perspective — Part 2

contributorLauren Finestone

What would a workers’ compensation scheme designed by people with lived experience of such...

Workers’ compensation re-imagined from a lived experience perspective — Part 1

contributorLauren Finestone

What would a workers’ compensation scheme designed by people with lived experience of such...

WorkSafe ACT’s Psychosocial Maturity Indication Tool — in a nutshell

contributorLauren Finestone

RTWMatters speaks to WorkSafe ACT about their Psychosocial Maturity Indication Tool

Screening for risk — a ‘holy grail’ in workers' compensation claims

contributorLauren Finestone

In a talk recorded for the It Pays to Care Biopsychosocial Symposium, Associate Professor Ross...

Can you hear that sound? It’s the wake-up call for employers to manage psychosocial hazards

contributorLauren Finestone

The era of prioritising mental health and psychological safety in the workplace has arrived....

Job crafting — another way to self-manage long-term pain problems

contributorLauren Finestone

Self-management of long-term pain conditions doesn’t just mean doing things to manage the...

Comcare’s management of IMEs — the Commonwealth Ombudsman takes a look

contributorLauren Finestone

The Commonwealth Ombudsman’s investigation into Comcare’s management of IMEs addresses reports...

What happens to workers when their long duration compensation claims stop?

contributorLauren Finestone

In a study, one in 4 workers with long-duration workers compensation claims moved onto...

'Above all, do no harm'. Towards a therapeutic approach to workers’ compensation.

contributorLauren Finestone

Is the concept of ‘Above all, do no harm’ relevant to our workers compensation schemes?

Regulation toolkit: compliance as a way to influence RTW

contributorLauren Finestone

Workers get the bad press, but other scheme participants behave in ways that are unethical. This...

Regulation toolkit: encouragement, engagement and upskilling as a way to influence RTW

contributorLauren Finestone

Regulators can constructively influence our work injury scheme through encouragement, engagement...

IRRI-sistable (Part 1) — WorkCover Queensland’s Injury Risk Reduction Initiatives improve outcomes for all

contributorLauren Finestone

RTW practices are a team sport. WorkCover Queensland’s Injury Risk Reduction Initiatives show...

RTW: from research to practice. The ‘know-do gap’ through a complex systems lens

contributorLauren Finestone

In our ongoing quest to find ways to translate research into practice in our work injury...

‘WorkWell: Preventing mental injury and promoting mental health’

contributorLauren Finestone

There are 11 work-related factors that employers must identify and manage to prevent mental...

Too tough, too scared, too busy

contributorGabrielle Lis

A quarter of construction workers don’t report injuries. Why - and what are the consequences?

No reporting does not equal no psychological injury

contributorGabrielle Lis

You should be worried if no workers at your organisation complain about bullying, harassment or...

Webinar recording:Taking control of Workers' Compensation

contributorSimon Booth

Understanding risk management when it comes to Workers’ Compensation premiums is valuable...

PEMA results at work

contributorRTWMatters team

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

Using and abusing PEMA results

contributorRTWMatters team

A doctor’s assessment that a prospective employee is “fit” for a particular role does not...

PEMAs ain't PEMAs

contributorRTWMatters team

There's no "one size fits all" pre-employment medical assessment: individual role demands and...

Intro to PEMAs - pre-employment medical assessments

contributorRTWMatters team

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

Six steps to good governance in RTW

contributorGabrielle Lis

Ever looked at someone else’s injury management results and thought: I want what they’ve got?...

Webinar recording: Implementing a 24/7 injury reporting line

contributorMichael Simpson

This webinar discusses the values and outcomes of 24/7 injury reporting lines

Psychological Cases: developing a psychologically healthy workplace

contributorA. Richey

The workplace is a social environment. For many, this is one of the most enjoyable aspects of...

Disputes: is avoidance the best policy?

contributorA. Richey

Workers compensation disputes are often both costly and time consuming. While sometimes they're...

Management tips: Resolving conflict in the workplace

contributorA. Richey

Unresolved conflict can cause many problems in the workplace. Don't let it!

Wellness: a whole of industry approach

contributorA. Richey

While the health and wellness concerns of the bus industry are similar to other industries...

Grief at work: when an employee dies

contributorA. Richey

Managing the aftermath of an employee death is extraordinarily challenging. What do managers...

Historical Workplace Diseases: we've come a long way

contributorA. Richey

The history of work disease is as old as the concept of work itself. This article takes a look...

Banishing Burnout: Strategies for a Constructive Engagement with Work

contributorA. Richey

Dr Michael Leiter, a professor at the Centre for Organisational Research and Development at...

Surgeons: what can other organisations learn from the report?

contributorA. Richey

The Royal Australian College of Surgeons recently released a report into discrimination,...

Critical Ideas for the Psychologically Healthy Workplace

contributorA. Richey

In this webinar on Conflict, Emotion, Incidents, & Behaviour, Pierre Nadeau, Respectful...

Health and Wellness in the Workplace: how to promote it

contributorA. Richey

Every business wants to increase productivity and make money. Many businesses are, however,...

RTW cooperation is more effective than control

contributorA. Richey

Cooperation is vital in return to work. Whose buy-in is essential? How can you get it? And why...

Better Workplace Systems: how to implement them

contributorA. Richey

This article takes you through some effective ways of making sure that your workplace systems...

Case management in a nutshell

contributorA. Richey

The management of the work attendance of people with health condition is sometimes called case...

Template Injury Management Policy

contributorA. Richey

Are injury management policies a mystery to you? This template should help.

Injury Management: how to create your policy

contributorA. Richey

An injury management policy provides broad guidelines on the company’s approach to injury...