Increasing conflict between workers and employers, over getting teams back into the office, means it is more important than ever for organisations to invest in "happy" workplaces, a workplace change specialist says.
Frontline public service workers will be afforded the same anti-violence protections as law enforcement officers, under a Commonwealth Bill inspired by the stabbing of a worker, and a review that called for legislative reforms and safer workplace designs.
An employer is entitled to direct workers to remove their moustaches or beards to comply with safety policies and manage deadly risks, a commission has ruled in examining WHS laws.
An employer that allegedly breached safety laws and regulations by failing to erect speed limit signs for forklifts, or ensure employed spotters were actually used, has committed nearly $500,000 to safety undertakings to avoid prosecution, with its enforceable initiatives including hiring a workplace health and safety manager.
A workplace manager did not bully a worker, but their employer dealt with the worker's grievances "clumsily", allowing misconstrued interactions to build up to a point where the mental health of both employees was affected, a commission has found.
A quick coaching program can show supervisors how often they unnecessarily interrupt their staff, to the detriment of staff members' health, and help them "redesign" working arrangements, according to Swiss researchers.