The final quarter of 2014 was a busy three months for workplace health and safety and workers' compensation, with major legislative changes and other developments in all jurisdictions. What did you miss?
The Productivity Commission is calling for comments on any unintended consequences of Australia's new anti-bullying laws, and other safety-related provisions, as part of its broad inquiry into the workplace relations system.
Employers that want to "infect" their organisation with the "safety virus" should turn to storytelling as their tool of choice, communication specialist Yamini Naidu says.
Sedentary workers who experience pain from exposure to vibrations and other risk factors are more likely than others to suffer from stress - and they're less likely to take sick leave, creating further issues, Australian researchers have found.
A worker's claim that she failed a drug test because her drink was spiked during her roster break was scientifically implausible, a commissioner has found, but he commended her employer for properly investigating the issue before sacking her.
Japanese researchers claim to have identified a "hidden burden" on business - the high proportion of workers who haven't been diagnosed with depression but experience symptoms of major depressive disorder.
The Federal Court has quashed an earlier ruling that a worker's psychological injury is compensable because her employer's recruitment process was potentially biased.
Two BHP Coal workers who were sacked for unsafely using their mobile phones while operating heavy machinery have successfully challenged their dismissals in the Fair Work Commission.
A recent full Federal Court decision confirms that an employee's poor performance or misconduct cannot be excused automatically by a medical condition, according to law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.
