Risk assessment overlooked during system change in WA; Carcinogens don't discriminate, says angered Green; and ACT appoints Industrial Magistrate for safety matters.
In determining whether an injured employee can perform the inherent requirements of a job, employers must ensure they rely on medical evidence and not their own assumptions, two employment lawyers have stressed.
Return-to-work plans with set stages, developed with employee input, offer employers and workers the best chance of a speedy and sustainable return to duties, says a RTW expert.
Communicating with employees who are absent on workers' compensation has benefits for both workers and employers, but it is vital employers find out how often a worker would like to be contacted, according to a regulator's customer services general manager.
Start date confirmed for heavy vehicle safety laws; Tasmania's safest employers announced; and New safety alerts and guidance released in five jurisdictions.
Depression-related absences hidden from employers; Presumptive workers' comp laws pass in WA; Future of heavy vehicle safety laws determined tomorrow; and ABCC-restoration Bill introduced.
Employers have limited opportunities to influence medical panel determinations in workers' comp disputes, but should always provide as much documentation as possible to advance their position, says Minter Ellison Lawyers partner Maria Billias.
Employers that disagree with an insurer's decision on a workers' comp claim should prepare well to make their written and spoken appeal submissions as "compelling" as they can, says employment lawyer Hedy Cray.
Vic workers' comp Bill passes, but second Bill stalls; SA Bill will adversely affect RTW rates and drug tests, says Lucas; WorkCover SA Corporation Bill passes; and WorkCover medical fees go up in Western Australia.
