Browsing: Absenteeism/sick leave | Page 31

Employers need to be vigilant and thorough when managing short and long-term absences of ill and injured workers, according to a DLA Piper lawyer, who outlines best-practice steps to doing so.

The Fair Work Commission has found that an employer will be in breach of the Fair Work Act if it dismisses an injured worker - who is unable to perform the inherent requirements of his role - while he receives income support from a "sick leave pool".

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.

National Mental Health Commission chair Professor Allan Fels has called for employers to prioritise reducing the "huge impact" of mental ill health on productivity, and released a major report outlining six strategies for creating mentally healthy workplaces.

An injured worker who made "unreasonable" return-to-work demands was unfairly sacked, but shouldn't be reinstated or paid compensation, the Fair Work Commission has found.

An increasing number of employers are admitting that they won't consider hiring someone with a mental illness because they believe the person might have a breakdown or take too many sick days, according to new Australian research.

Australian researchers have developed a special hierarchy of controls for tackling psychosocial hazards such as bullying and harassment, and outlined a best-practice approach to risk assessment.

An employer's rate of stress-related leave applications has fallen after it introduced a "first aider program" to tackle mental health in the workplace.

Do you have employees who never take sick leave? This isn't necessarily a good thing, the International Congress of Occupational Health in Adelaide heard on Friday.

Employers can take three simple steps to recognise and manage workplace conflict, the Comcare Conference in Melbourne has heard.