A NSW scientist who took 21 months off work due to "widespread musculoskeletal pain" has had her unfair dismissal claim rejected, after the IRC found her employer took reasonable steps to accommodate her limitations.
Many injured NSW workers are likely to turn to the State IRC and Fair Work Australia to block the reduction of their weekly benefits under the new step-down provisions of the Workers Compensation Act, according to a leading law firm.
In a message that applies to all industries, farm employers are being urged - as part of national Farm Safety Week, commencing today - to improve OHS by upgrading their machinery and processes.
NSW employer premiums won't be reduced for 2012/13, despite the recent workers' comp overhaul, WorkCover has announced. The regulator has also provided an example of what constitutes a "substantial connection" to work under the new journey claim rules.
An employee who worked for less than three months for an on-hire agency before spending more than a year on workers'-comp leave is protected by unfair dismissal laws, Fair Work Australia has found. Also in this article, FWA has ruled that bad language and agitated behaviour are grounds for dismissing a flight attendant - but not a construction worker.
Victorian "dividend" Bill could push up workers' comp premiums; Study finds injured workers require "intensive" help; Western Australia introduces firefighter compensation Bill; and WorkCover NSW investigates forklift death, releases investigations fact sheet.
Employers must tread very carefully when deciding whether to dismiss permanently injured workers, even when "armed with volumes of supporting medical evidence", lawyers warn.
An injured leading hand who was sacked after performing selected duties for more than a decade has failed in his bid for reinstatement, after the NSW IRC found it would be unreasonable to require his employer to "manufacture a job" to accommodate him.
