Employers are being urged to "take the moral choice" of reducing job demands or at least increasing resources, after a national survey of school principals showed the "sheer quantity" of work is their greatest source of stress.
Employees who manage their energy at work by setting goals or switching tasks, and recover after work through relaxation, are more likely to be healthy, engaged and productive, Finnish researchers say.
Western Australia's proposed mirror WHS laws for the resources sector should include a duty of care at worker accommodation facilities, suicide-specific provisions and a special Code of Practice that addresses rosters, fatigue and bullying, the parliamentary inquiry into FIFO arrangements has recommended.
Employers should ensure their internal or external employee assistance programs go beyond supporting workers through counselling, and tackle negative trends in the workplace, an EAP provider's chief executive says.
In a submission to the Productivity Commission that sends a strong message to employers, Australian National University researchers have highlighted the link between unpredictable working hours and occupational injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and poor health.
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.
