Contributor

Tom Barton

Tom’s Return to Work Matters articles range from disease fact sheets and illness treatment plans, to guides for return-to-work coordinators and information for injured workers. Tom also maintains the events database, so feel free to forward him your upcoming return-to-work themed programme material.

Articles by ‘Tom Barton’
Extinguish smoking at work

Make your workplace a totally smoke-free zone

Building your RTW toolkit

Joanne Taranto explains how a RTW toolkit will expand your resources and get better results.

Getting RTW buy-in

Seasoned return to work professional Joanne Taranto explains the basis of a great RTW program.

Communicating with doctors: the finer points

Dr Robyn Horsley explains the issues when communicating with a treating doctor.

Mental health buy-in

Financial commitment is just the beginning

Good, better, best

What do good health, better financial returns and the "Best Places to Work" have in common?

Workplace wellbeing - front and Centre(link)

We speak to Jody Bell about Centrelink's award-winning health and wellbeing initiative.

Maintaining a mentally healthy workplace - 2

Ingrid Ozols - founder and Director of the Mental Health at Work initiative - explains the importance of reading the signs of mental illness.

Maintaining a mentally healthy workplace - 1

Ingrid Ozols - founder and Director of the Mental Health at Work initiative - explains the importance of reading the signs of mental illness.

How do I find meaningful alternate duties?

Here we respond to a common RTW Coordinator question.

"How do I find meaningful alternate duties?"

We respond to a common RTW Coordinator question.

The Balancing Act

We speak to rehab provider Donna Valiant about managing everybody's needs, expectations and obligations during the RTW process.

Office ergonomics

Keep your workers happy, healthy and productive! Find out why ergonomics is important and then use our top ten tips to improve workplace wellness.

Telecommuting and return to work

The pros and cons of working from home when returning to work.

Emotional resilience: 2

This second of a two-part series investigates identifying pessimistic thinking in employees, and improving optimism and emotional resilience in the workplace.

Emotional resilience: 1

This first of a two-part series investigates the negative health and work effects of pessimism, and how fostering emotional resilience improves wellness and business outcomes.

Suicide and work injury

New Australian research shows that workers with psychological injuries are not the only ones who may be at risk of suicide. Physical injury and long term compensation can lead to mental injury,...

Driving change

How one car manufacturer steered their ageing workforce towards higher productivity

Walk this way

Finding it hard to move your company on workplace wellbeing? Run these case studies by them and see if they don't step to a new tune.

Reducing cancer in the workplace

Implementing primary prevention policies can reduce your workers' risk of developing cancer.

The costs of cancer

Cancer is the most widespread chronic disease in Australia. We look at 10 tips for supporting employees through cancer treatment and return to work.

Make no bones about it

The Australian Government has made arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions national health priorities in the battle against chronic disease in Australia.

Dealing with diabetes

Diabetes is Australia's fastest growing chronic disease and affects 7.5 per cent of the population. How can you accommodate diabetic workers? And can employers assist with prevention?

Separating stress and chronic pain

Stress makes chronic pain worse, and worsens RTW outcomes. Here are 10 ideas to help alleviate the stress that often accompanies chronic pain.

The broad reach of suicide

The burden of suicide in Australia is comparable with other major, better understood chronic diseases.

Signs of suicide

How to look out for and deal with signs of suicide in your workplace.

Take this health message to heart

Avoid heart disease with this fact sheet and our top tips for a healthy workplace.

Breathing easy

Asthma is the leading chronic disease in Australia. This briefing paper covers the basics, as well as occupational risk factors and risk management.

Premium troubles?

We chat to Michael Simpson from OccCorp about how you can reduce your premium AND meet your obligations to workers.

"W_T_F is workers' comp?!" Part 4

Part 4 - Return to work, return to normal

"W_T_F is workers' comp?!" Part 3

Small Business series - Attitudes and People handling.

"W_T_F is workers' comp?!" Part 2

Small Business series Part 2: The nuts and bolts.

8 tips for a great relationship - working with the claims manager

We respond to a Return to Work Coordinator's query about resolving problems between employers and insurers.

Are worker's comp boards serving return to work?

And can you pick the Australian jurisdiction in which board members have NO hands-on experience of workers' comp?

Employees not coping with pain

Understanding how distress interferes with recovery is the key to addressing difficult RTW cases.

Dame leads way on health and work

Professor Dame Carol Black presents "Working for a healthier tomorrow" report to World Congress of International Medicine in Australia.

Do occ docs do it better?

If patients who see an occupational doctor get better results, why isn't it common practice?

Doctor, doctor give 'em the news

We consider why doctors fail to communicate well about return to work, and offer strategies for helping them tell their patients what they need to hear.