Queensland: Barton to take over IR portfolio; Risk management in the retail industry; Western Australia: New guides on forklift and mobile powered plant safety; Tasmania: New Workplace Issues now available; and Victoria: Claims data for 1985-2003.
Workers should not be allowed to access surveillance recordings taken of them before a hearing, because it is one of the few ways employers can test the validity of claims, a tribunal has ruled.
A worker who claimed she developed a severe fragrance allergy after being exposed to chemicals from a fluorescent light bulb at work has had her compensation claim rejected after a tribunal full bench found her symptoms were probably psychological.
The Law Council of Australia has argued for the retention of common law in a national workers' compensation framework, saying access to damages at common law provides the best way for seriously injured workers to "get on with their life".
A worker whose chronic fatigue damages claim went all the way to the High Court before failing due to credibility issues may be permitted to admit further evidence.
A leadership commitment model being used in public sector workplaces could also be applied in the private sector to ensure successful OHS and return to work outcomes, according to Comcare ceo Barry Leahy.
A worker who embellished his injury symptoms because of a grudge against his employer was nonetheless genuinely incapacitated and entitled to compensation, a SA tribunal has ruled.
Depression can sometimes lead to stress claims but a greater understanding of the illness can ensure workers seek help rather than lodge a claim, according to a depression specialist.
Northern America has adopted a highly restrictive approach to accepting stress claims, in the belief that without change, the claims had the potential to break workers' compensation systems.
A SA Tribunal has clarified that weekly compensation payments should be based on workers' actual hours and not those they would like to be working, after a part-time labour hire employee unsuccessfully claimed compensation for a 38-hour week because he was seeking full-time work at the time of his injury.
