Mental health issues are becoming increasingly common in Australian workplaces and from a workers compensation perspective they are 7-8 times more expensive than physical injury related claims. A recent PWC study found mental health issues cost Australian businesses $10.9B a year in lost productivity. The study also suggests poor mental health is likely to impact 1 in 5 employees. So what are the common mental health disorders?
October is Australia’s Work Safety Month and the theme of “Be Safe. Be Healthy. Because…” is something we here at ABILITY GROUP are passionate about. What is also important about workplace safety is the consequences injuries have to workers. Depending on the seriousness of the injury, or in the tragic situations of a workplace fatality, government bodies can issue businesses material fines to complement the other effects.
Actively promoting workplace safety is an important ABILITY GROUP function. At times we unfortunately need to manage tragic consequences of workplace accidents. Businesses that adopt a safety first approach are making an important step towards avoiding accidents and injuries. A court recently found a leading Australian paper manufacturer liable for the death of an employee fining them $400,000. (more…)
On 1 September 2015, the regulatory and insurance functions of WorkCover NSW are assumed by 3 new discrete organisations. State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) for workers compensation regulation, SafeWork NSW for work health and safety regulation and Insurance and Care NSW (icare) for workers compensation insurance. Following the 30 June 2015 scheme changes, these new changes are aligned with making the NSW Workers Compensation scheme more commercially focused and aligned with needs.
Social media is embedded throughout society as people throughout the day are connecting to others via an mediums like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others. If work related incidents are discussed or an employee is bullied, the employer liability is considered. Social media policies are consequently becoming increasingly important for all businesses as connections to workers compensation grow.
According to NSW Government’s Get Healthy At Work, Australians spend one third of their lives at work, so being healthy at work can have some big benefits. Healthier employees are alert, fitter and more resilient against illness. A successful workplace health program improves productivity, attracts new employees, enhances business image and reduces absenteeism.