A commission has stood behind its decision to stand over rather than extinguish a worker's stop-bullying application, after hearing he perceived being excluded from his workplace and otherwise bullied while working remotely for the coronavirus pandemic.
Employers that issue "worker permits" to employees capable of working from home, or without implementing a COVID Safe Plan, could be fined $100,000 under pandemic restrictions commencing in Victoria tonight. Meanwhile, NSW has established a permit system for workers entering the State from Victoria, and Queensland has closed its border to NSW, with exemptions for essential workers.
Employers have been warned they bear the onus of ensuring their sites comply with the new COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, which include stringent PPE requirements and workforce caps in many cases, while doctors have warned of the consequences of never "switching off" while working from home during the pandemic.
Safety regulators and police will target workplaces and enforce the use of face masks under a Victorian plan to tackle the concerning increase in COVID-19 cases in the State. Meanwhile, Safe Work Australia has released a checklist for complying with WHS laws while transitioning workers back to usual workplaces during the pandemic.
With one Australian state going back into COVID-19 lockdown and a resurgence of cases in other jurisdictions, a doctor has urged employers to remain vigilant to the fact that workers' health can deteriorate from stress, grief and lack of exercise.
Safe Work Australia has urged employers to access a free program that addresses the WHS risks associated with prolonged sitting and includes tools for those working at home for the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Victorian police are targeting businesses that breach pandemic restrictions, with coronavirus cases soaring in the State.
COVID-19 work safety measures, like longer roster cycles and shutting onsite facilities where workers socialise, have amplified the already isolating experience of being a fly-in-fly-out worker and could have long-term mental health impacts, according to the head of a major Australian study.
Workers returning from COVID-19-related working-from-home set-ups have valuable insights on how to optimise workspaces for their wellbeing, which employers can capitalise on to make workplaces healthier and less stressful, a building and workplace design expert says.
