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Information of interest to our Clients and for the industry

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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Stretches Series – Part 2
Stretches Series – Part 2
Part 2 of our Stretches Series delivered by Megan Northey, Senior Injury Management Specialist. Megan leads us through four stretches, …

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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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Tagged With: injury recovery, return to work, work and worklessness,
Correct Ergonomic Setup of a Workstation
Correct Ergonomic Setup of a Workstation
Our Senior Injury Management Specialist Diana Hurst guides you through the correct ergonomic setup of a workstation.
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Tagged With: ergonomic setup, ergonomics, Injury Prevention,
Stretches Series – Part 1
Stretches Series – Part 1
Welcome to part 1 of our Stretches Series delivered by Megan Northey, Senior Injury Management Specialist – Megan shows us …

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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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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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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,
You suspect a worker is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, what’s next?
You suspect a worker is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, what’s next?
62% of harmful drug and alcohol users in Australia are employed fulltime. Let that sink in… Are you a manager …

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Tagged With: drug trends, drug use at work, positive drug test,
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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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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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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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,
5 Common Workers Comp Questions Answered
5 Common Workers Comp Questions Answered
Our Senior Injury Management Specialist Diana Hurst guides you through our most common questions regarding Workers Compensation claims.
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Tagged With: return to work, workers compensation,
When stress in the workplace becomes a bigger issue
When stress in the workplace becomes a bigger issue
There’s no doubt that we’ve all experienced a high level of stress at some point in our working life. For …

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Tagged With: Burnout, mental health, Stress, Stress at Work, work wellbeing,
Why work-life balance is so important for injury prevention and tips on how to do it
Why work-life balance is so important for injury prevention and tips on how to do it
It’s pretty obvious that having a healthy work-life balance is good for mental health and stimulation, but new research shows …

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Tagged With: Injury Prevention, work-life balance,
Is burnout costing your business? Here’s what to do about it.
Is burnout costing your business? Here’s what to do about it.
Picture this… you’re the GM or CEO of a booming commercial company; you’re well connected and well respected within the …

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Tagged With: Acute Stress, Burnout, Health and Wellbeing, mental health, Stress at Work, Workplace Health and Safety,
The importance of critical incident debriefing in preventing psychological injuries
The importance of critical incident debriefing in preventing psychological injuries
SafeWork NSW has recently circulated information highlighting the risk of crush injuries, as a result of two fatal incidents where …

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Tagged With: Acute Stress, Critical Incident at Work, Critical Incident Management Tools, Critical Incident Reporting, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Psychological Injuries, Psychological Injuries at Work, PTSD,
Common Injury Management Mistakes Guaranteed to Rise Insurance Premiums
Common Injury Management Mistakes Guaranteed to Rise Insurance Premiums
As an employer, you have a lot on your mind when a worker gets injured… I’m not going to meet …

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Tagged With: Injury at Work, Insurance Premiums, Managing Return to Work After Injury, Workers Comp Insurance, Workers Compensation Claim,
Workplace Health and Safety Policies: employer versus employee responsibilities
Workplace Health and Safety Policies: employer versus employee responsibilities
It is a common misconception that maintaining a safe workplace and reducing hazards lies solely with the employer… but it’s …

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Tagged With: Employee Safety Responsibilities, Employer Safety Responsibilities, Injury Prevention, Safety at Work, WHS Policies and Procedures, Workplace Health and Safety,
An Employee Assistance Program Story
An Employee Assistance Program Story
Sarah* was into her third year working for a major Australian news publisher, was head of a small team and …

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Tagged With: EAP, Employee Assistance Program, mental health, Mental Health at Work,
The Role of an EAP in Improving Staff Performance
The Role of an EAP in Improving Staff Performance
When we talk about poor mental health, it’s easy to think of personal problems like family and relationship issues, financial …

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Tagged With: EAP, Employee Assistance Program, mental health, Positive Mental Wellbeing, workplace health,
What To Do When an Employee Fails a Drug Test
What To Do When an Employee Fails a Drug Test
For many Australian businesses, particularly within the civil, construction and mining industries, random drug and alcohol testing is common and …

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194 views
Tagged With: Drug Test, Failed Drug Test, What to do when an employee fails a drug test, Workplace Drug Testing,
The Latest Drug Trends from NDARC
The Latest Drug Trends from NDARC
Drug and alcohol use at work is becoming more prevalent than ever, with a staggering number of related workplace accidents …

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Tagged With: alcohol in the workplace, drugs and alcohol, drugs in the workplace,
Unfairly Dismissed for Drunkeness at Work?
Unfairly Dismissed for Drunkeness at Work?
Have you heard about the Cannon versus Poultry Harvesting case? Here’s a bit of background. Ms Cannon was employed by …

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Tagged With: drug and alcohol testing, drunk at work, workplace drug and alcohol testing,
The biggest pitfalls in workplace drug and alcohol testing policies
The biggest pitfalls in workplace drug and alcohol testing policies
The statistics on drugs and alcohol use in Australian workplaces are alarming – a staggering 25% of work accidents involve …

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126 views
Tagged With: drug and alcohol policies, drug and alcohol use, drugs and alcohol in the workplace, workplace drug use,