An employer that puts "pressure" on managers to prevent injuries, and gives them the resources to do so, has created a culture where nine in 10 workers feel they can openly discuss safety issues, its national WHS manager says.
Nan Austin, of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, told OHS Alert that the organisation's 2014 employee engagement survey shows that 88 per cent of its 4000 workers feel they can openly discuss safety issues with managers, and 88 per cent believe the organisation is a safe place to work – an increase of 10 per cent from the previous year.
The survey also shows that 85 per cent of employees think the employer is committed to safety – an increase of two per cent, Austin says.
She adds that injured workers' absences are "minimised" when their immediate supervisors and colleagues are committed to workplace safety – a commitment that was recognised in the engagement survey.
According to Austin, Australian Red Cross Blood Service ensures managers are well equipped to provide support to their employees and are up-to-speed with its "absence procedure", which requires managers to immediately contact workers who have called in sick.
She says it's important for employers to show workers they care, and that "even one absence is important".
Managers have a "very important role" to play in reducing absences and improving workplace safety, and it's vital that employers provide them with the resources and support they need to manage the health and safety of staff, Austin says.
Australian Red Cross Blood Service has a "very strong corporate induction" program that all workers and managers must attend when entering the organisation, and provides new managers with a specific three-month online training program to enhance their skills, she says.
Managers are also provided with detailed job descriptions of their subordinates, which list both the physical and psychological demands of each role.
Further, they are supported by regional return-to-work coordinators, so that if someone gets injured they are "in a good position to have that consultation with the local GP around changes they could implement to get someone back to work".
"The pressure is on the managers to prevent injuries or to minimise the absence upon those injuries," Austin says.
Employers that build positive relationships between managers and employees, she says, are going to experience much shorter absence periods, "if an absence is required at all".
Austin adds that her organisation also reduces injury absences by ensuring workers feel valued and are satisfied with their roles.
The organisation has a number of strategies to ensure employees are happy, including the annual employment engagement survey, an employee value proposition, a performance management program and a new diversity strategy, as well as its employee assistance program (EAP).
