The model workplace safety laws commence in January, but employers that wait until then to comply could find themselves at risk of fines, prosecutions, or worse.
According to Kemp Strang partner Lisa Berton and lawyer Ben Urry, OHS professionals should be preparing by addressing five key areas:
A successful workers' compensation claim against Telstra by an employee who fell while working from home shouldn't cause other employers to put these arrangements in the "too hard" basket, says employment lawyer Kristin Duff.
Organisations that rely on contingent workers will be most significantly affected by the introduction of harmonised workplace safety laws, says employment lawyer Charles Cameron.
Due to a lack of education and understanding, too many managers wrongly assume mental illness will prevent an employee from working well, says SANE Australia executive director Barbara Hocking.
When an organisation is serious about employees' wellbeing, it will not only tell them to look after themselves but provide them with the means to do it, say members of the HR department at Minter Ellison Lawyers.
Under the model OHS laws that take effect in January, an HR manager who under-staffs a department where an injury occurs could potentially be found criminally liable, says employment lawyer Paul Cutrone.
The more resilient employees are, the more likely they are to "survive and thrive" in today's increasingly complex world, according to organisational psychologist Kathryn McEwen, who says that although some workers are born more resilient than others, the ability to "bounce back" from adversity can be developed.
Many workplace policies make it hard for employers to investigate anonymous complaints, and should be redrafted, according to workplace investigator Lisa Klug.
An overly prescriptive approach to sickness absence can do more harm than good, according to occupational physician Dr Mary Wyatt, who says a pragmatic, common-sense approach is far more effective in reducing absenteeism.
Discrimination against people who smoke or are obese is an emerging issue in many workplaces, according to a new International Labour Organisation report, which says raising awareness is a key to driving change.
