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Information of interest to our Clients and for the industry

Returning to Work: supporting your employees through the transition
Returning to Work: supporting your employees through the transition
One in two workers still feel uncomfortable about returning to the workplace As COVID-19 restrictions start to ease around Australia, …

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Strategies for the New World of Work
Strategies for the New World of Work
The world of work today looks nothing like that of yesterday.  The COVID-19 crisis has bought some companies almost to …

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Case Study: correct ergonomic setup when working from home – important for both you and your staff
Case Study: correct ergonomic setup when working from home – important for both you and your staff
With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the world has moved to a reality where many people are working from …

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Managing mental health in the workplace: spotting the warning signs
Managing mental health in the workplace: spotting the warning signs
Stress-related workers’ compensation claims have doubled in recent years in Australia, resulting in $146M in compensation claims annually.  With many …

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Hiring: should I conduct a pre-employment drug and alcohol testing or not?
Hiring: should I conduct a pre-employment drug and alcohol testing or not?
Pre-employment drug and alcohol testing has been relatively common in industries such as mining, construction, transport and logistics in Australia.  …

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Tagged With: Workplace Alcohol Testing, Workplace Drug Testing,
Times have Changed: why employers need to adapt their thinking when recognising psychological injuries
Times have Changed: why employers need to adapt their thinking when recognising psychological injuries
Whilst hundreds of thousands of Australians are currently experiencing uncertainty and increased stress related to their employment status, financial security …

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Tagged With: Maintaining Mental Health, Mental Health at Work, Psychological Injuries,
Alcohol and Drug Awareness in the workplace: a Supervisor’s guide
Alcohol and Drug Awareness in the workplace: a Supervisor’s guide
Drug and alcohol misuse represents a significant hazard to the health and safety of employees, contractors, visitors and others impacted …

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109 views
Tagged With: drug and alcohol testing, workplace drug use,
Case Study: Why Fitness for Work Assessments are a Win-Win for Employers and Employees
Case Study: Why Fitness for Work Assessments are a Win-Win for Employers and Employees
We’ve heard about hundreds of cases in Australia where an employer is legally prosecuted for discrimination against a potential employee, …

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113 views
Tagged With: fitness for work assessment, Unfair Dismissal Claim,
Oral Fluid Testing: how it works and what it can achieve in the workplace
Oral Fluid Testing: how it works and what it can achieve in the workplace
Last month we looked at urine testing in the workplace, the advantages of implementing it as a preferred method of …

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Are employers legally required to offer Employee Assistance Programs?
Are employers legally required to offer Employee Assistance Programs?
Workplace Health and Safety legislation in Australia requires employers to provide a safe work environment that protects worker’s physical and …

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132 views
Tagged With: Employee Assistance Program, mental health,
Urine testing: how it works and what it can achieve in the workplace
Urine testing: how it works and what it can achieve in the workplace
Drug testing in the workplace is a common practice, particularly within high-risk industries who are at a greater risk of …

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97 views
Tagged With: Urine Test, Workplace Drug Testing,
Managing the return to work process: a guide for employers and workers
Managing the return to work process: a guide for employers and workers
Despite the physical and financial risk of workplace injuries, when managed correctly, employee injuries can be a positive experience for …

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Tagged With: return to work, workers compensation,
Missed our January e-News?
Missed our January e-News?
Catch up here…
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Mental Health Audit: how mentally healthy is your workplace?
Mental Health Audit: how mentally healthy is your workplace?
Mental health in the workplace is fast becoming an important issue for managers and supervisors, and can be a challenging  …

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146 views
Tagged With: mental health in the workplace, mentally healthy workplace, positive mental health,
Guide to employer obligations around poor air quality
Guide to employer obligations around poor air quality
The devastating bushfires around Australia are not only significantly impacting communities across the country, but should be an important reminder …

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Tagged With: air quality guidelines, working in poor air quality,
Case Study: when a pre-employment medical can put you at risk of discrimination claims
Case Study: when a pre-employment medical can put you at risk of discrimination claims
When hiring new employees, employers often put themselves at risk of discrimination, either advertently or inadvertently and despite the best …

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297 views
Tagged With: discrimination, fit for work, pre-employment medical,
How Employers can Avoid 5 Big Mistakes when Drug and Alcohol Testing
How Employers can Avoid 5 Big Mistakes when Drug and Alcohol Testing
We’ve previously covered the biggest pitfalls in workplace drug and alcohol testing policies, but even when your Drug and Alcohol …

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189 views
Tagged With: alcohol testing, drug testing, drugs and alcohol at work,
Reinstated after Unfair Dismissal: what you could be at risk of this silly-season
Reinstated after Unfair Dismissal: what you could be at risk of this silly-season
They don’t call it the ‘silly-season’ for nothing; employees get too drunk, verbally abuse their boss, kiss their colleagues uninvited, …

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Not always a Merry Christmas: Christmas and Mental Health
Not always a Merry Christmas: Christmas and Mental Health
Christmas is usually a happy time of year. But it’s also a busy time of year and can be especially …

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Reducing the Risk at Christmas: Considerations when planning the work Christmas party
Reducing the Risk at Christmas: Considerations when planning the work Christmas party
Most employees have a story about a time when they’ve had too much to drink, gotten a little too confident …

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6 things employers should know about the workers comp system
6 things employers should know about the workers comp system
No matter the industry, business size or insurance type, all employers have an obligation to support any person who is …

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Tagged With: workers compensation,
When performance reviews result in bullying and harassment claims, and how to avoid them
When performance reviews result in bullying and harassment claims, and how to avoid them
Reasonable performance management of staff, conducted in a rational and constructive manner is not workplace bullying. Unfortunately however, for many …

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Tagged With: bullying, harrassment, performance review,
Why work is the best treatment for injury recovery
Why work is the best treatment for injury recovery
The statistics are proof: work, wellbeing and general health are mutually beneficial. But a common belief among injured workers (and …

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207 views
Tagged With: injury recovery, return to work, work and worklessness,
The common problem with a positive drug and alcohol test which no one talks about
The common problem with a positive drug and alcohol test which no one talks about
In light of October being Mental Health Awareness Month in New South Wales, we thought we’d shed some light on …

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269 views
Tagged With: drug and alcohol in the workplace, drug and alcohol policies and procedures, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
Steps to preventing psychological injuries in the workplace
Steps to preventing psychological injuries in the workplace
Approximately $543 million is paid in workers’ compensation claims for work-related mental health conditions each year in Australia, comprising nearly …

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283 views
Tagged With: anxiety, depression, psychological injury, returning to work after injury,
How to promote corporate wellness when it’s not your primary role
How to promote corporate wellness when it’s not your primary role
It’s a pretty straight-forward formula: healthier employees = higher productivity + less sick days + reduced stress + better morale. …

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Tagged With: Corporate Health Programs, Corporate Wellness, Fitness at Work,
What to do if an employee says ‘no’ this R U OK? Day
What to do if an employee says ‘no’ this R U OK? Day
R U OK? Day is a powerful mental health awareness initiative which encourages and empowers people to have conversations with …

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166 views
Tagged With: mental health, Mental Health at Work, R U OK? Day,
Case Study: When altering your reactions can affect RTW outcomes
Case Study: When altering your reactions can affect RTW outcomes
At Work Options we see many situations where a worker submits a claim for an injury at work, and doesn’t …

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128 views
Tagged With: Mental Health at Work, psychological injury, return to work,
Understanding How Psychosocial Barriers to Pain Affect RTW Outcomes
Understanding How Psychosocial Barriers to Pain Affect RTW Outcomes
Have you ever been for a routine chiropractic appointment and met with, ‘Oh wow, you’re back is really out of …

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263 views
Tagged With: Injury Prevention, mental health, psychological injury, return to work,
Why F4W Assessments are Critical in Recruitment
Why F4W Assessments are Critical in Recruitment
Our Senior Injury Management Specialist Diana Hurst takes you through the difference between Fitness for Work Assessments and a standard …

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Tagged With: fitness for work assessment, Recruitment Process,