Work Options is an independent workforce health provider. We are engaged by employers, insurers or other agents to assist both employers and employees through the Workers Compensation process and/or with various aspects of workplace health and safety.

Work Options’ Head Office is located in North Sydney however we offer our services Australia-wide.

Work Options is an accredited provider by SIRA (State Insurance Regulatory Agency).

Yes, Work Options is an accredited agency and approved to complete rehabilitation services under iCare.

Your Work Options Consultant is to be your main communication and support contact during your recovery journey and return to work. They will help to navigate through the system and assist you in reaching your milestones via upgrades in capacity, treatment success and return to work goals.

Yes. Employers have a responsibility to provide suitable duties within a worker’s medical restrictions if they can. If suitable duties can’t be provided, the injured worker will remain off work even if they have some work capacity.

Hours worked by the Worker will be paid by the employer (at 100% of wage) and the rest of the pay will be topped up by the Insurance company at a percentage of your usual wage.

1) Work Trials (a voluntary placement program which can be arranged up to 12 weeks for an employer to on-board a worker without incurring costs to their business whilst allowing a worker to demonstrate their ability to work and support their recovery and return to work)

2) JobCover Placement Program (it gives eligible employers subsidies and incentives to employ workers who cannot return to work with their pre-injury employer)

3) Return To Work Assist Program for Micro Employers (it supports eligible employers with five or less workers with a basic premium tariff of $30,000 or less to offer suitable work through a graded return to work place whilst minimising the financial burden to the employer)

Firstly, it comes back to recruiting the “right” people. Having pre-employment drug and alcohol screens conducted is a simple and inexpensive way of identifying persons who may have drug or alcohol issues before you employ them. Helping you make sure you bring the right people into your workforce.

Second, is to have a system in place to address the issues of drugs and alcohol in the workplace and that has as its focus a purpose to minimise the risk of drugs and alcohol in the workplace. One small issue… it is difficult and complex. There are many legal and social aspects involved. The technical issues relating to drugs and alcohol are not only confusing but also appear to change very quickly. Many businesses elect to build a system in house, but the unfortunate reality is that many of these businesses do not realise that their system is flawed until it is tested in the courts. It is then that the real costs of such mistakes are really brought home.

As a provider of drug and alcohol services we are often approached by businesses to provide advice on their drug and alcohol management systems, often only after an issue has been identified. Some of the common mistakes we see in businesses systems;

• An umbrella policy statement has been developed but there is no detailed management system
• The system does not apply to ALL
• Thinks only about illegal drugs and fails to deal with prescribed and over the counter medications
• Legal WHS consultation requirements not met in establishing the system
• Terms such as “under the influence” or “impaired” used instead of establishing a clear standard of behaviour for the workforce
• Does not have provisions for education and awareness training for the workforce or for the supervisors of the business who are the eyes and ears of the business
• Does not have provisions for support for workers or management plans for individuals who have positive drug or alcohol readings. Management Plans can be relied on legally for termination if a person does not comply. Not having these provisions can lead to drawn out industrial relations problems that can lead to worker’s compensation claims.

If done correctly, the answer is absolutely. As a business you could potentially be absorbing substantial costs caused by the impact of drugs and alcohol. They are costs associated with absenteeism; productivity; workers compensation; worker health; security and employee morale.

The business benefit of addressing the issues of drugs and alcohol in the workplace (correctly) are clear;

• Safer workplace = fewer WHS incidents and injuries = fewer WC claims = less downtime, less admin, less heartache, more productivity and less costs!
• Reduced absenteeism = increased employee morale; increased employee health; more productivity and less costs!
• Employer of choice = easier to attract and recruit the right people; keep the good ones you have = reduced recruiting costs = less costs!
• Improved business image = competitive edge = winning more work and more profit!

Ergonomic assessments are an insightful way in highlighting areas of the workstation that could impact a worker’s daily environment. Ergonomic is the happy marriage between the work environment (i.e. systems/products) with the worker. It is essential to make sure the worker is in an optimal environment to prevent and minimise injuries in the workplace or working from home.

These assessments can have a positive impact in making the worker aware of their own environment, take charge in supporting themselves and being conscious on promoting better health.

Of course, due to the ever changing COVID-19 world we live in, most people have been impacted from this pandemic in various ways. As businesses are required to adhere with government policies and advice, the usual office environment has transitioned from the office space to our home office set up or less than desired, kitchen or lounge rooms.

Work Options is here to help employers with ensuring their workers are set up in an ergonomically sound environment even if it is outside of the usual workplace. Our ergonomics consultants can remotely review the home office environment with the current equipment to provide useful recommendations for the worker’s workstation setup. An assessment with a comprehensive report including recommendations is provided in this service.

It is essential that these assessments, regardless of the type chosen should be conducted every 12 months, provided there are no changes in the worker’s environment. If there are changes to the worker transitioning to a home office set-up, or back to the office, or post surgery, or a new staff member is joining the business then an ergonomics assessment is vital.

Ideally, an ergonomics assessment is imperative for all new staff joining the business and can include existing staff as a refresher if need be.

A fit for work assessment (F4W©) is a valuable tool in identifying the suitability of a potential candidate for a role within the business to ensure they meet the inherent physical demands of the role.

Our unique F4W© program provides employers with a report on the person’s physical capability to perform the role without endangering themselves or others. The assessment gathers feedback around the person’s medical history, work history, the results of the physical assessment with the option of a drug and alcohol screen, and recommendations if the assessed individual is suited to the position.

Our fitness for work assessments (F4W©) are conducted by a range of Allied Health Professionals within Work Options. Our expert team includes Occupational Therapists, Exercise Physiologists, Exercise Scientists and Physiotherapists.

Inclusion of a drug and alcohol screen is optional, however including a drug and alcohol test in the F4W© assessment helps an employer identify increased risk associated with drug or alcohol use at work. This may be particularly helpful for higher risk roles.

We’re here to help businesses create a mentally healthy workplace and our services include:

• Mental Health policy and procedure development;
• Employee Assistance Programs;
• Training to improve communication within the workplace around mental health;
• Education to staff in areas of mental health, substance abuse and ways to improve mental wellbeing;
• Management training around how to improve the mental healthiness of teams.

Work Options are able to work with your business in developing your Mental Health policy and procedures in alignment with your systems, Employee Assistance Program and staff feedback.

When you accept Work Options as the Employee Assistance Program provider for your business, you will receive access to a hotline number that employees can call to arrange an appointment with a qualified counsellor.

To access this number, it can be either provided directly to all employees or accessed via the line manager or human resource personnel, depending on what is outlined within your organisations Mental Health Policy and Procedure.