Trans-Tasman demolition blitz begins today; Commonwealth cuts Centrelink absences through early intervention; Queensland passes laws to protect child workers; Correction to article published last week; and Latest safety alerts and guides.
Workers' compensation systems could become a default to the lost unfair dismissal jurisdiction under the Howard Government's industrial relations reforms, according to a leading IR practitioner and psychologist.
A NSW employer has successfully appealed against a finding that it was liable to pay compensation to a clerk who, 24 years after ceasing employment, claimed that telephone work caused his hearing loss.
The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission has ruled that it does not have the power to grant stays of Q-Comp decisions pending appeals by employers.
Employers must provide detailed evidence of past and present work patterns if they intend to alter the overtime component in workers' compensation payments, a South Australian case shows.
The NSW Court of Appeal has set aside a police officer's $400,000 damages award, finding that his employer's failure to provide counselling after a shooting didn't materially contribute to his PTSD but rather cost him an opportunity to reduce the severity and duration of his condition.
Researchers have provided employers with yet another reason to encourage workers to improve their health, finding that obese employees are not only more likely to die of a number of causes but also have a higher risk of accidents.
The NSW Industrial Court has fined an energy company $145,000 over a fatality, while conceding that it had clear safety policies and processes in place.
Queensland employers are not entitled to appeal against Industrial Magistrates' rulings on compensation liabilities if they were not a party to the initial proceedings, the Industrial Court has ruled.
