The vast majority of workers with disabilities, health conditions or injuries are motivated to retain, secure or return to suitable employment, but necessary work accommodations are rare, and outcomes are stymied by stigma and discrimination, according to a major report on empowering workers.
A worker suffered a mental injury from being bullied and called racist names at work, but his condition ceased to be employment-related when his work-aggravated drug abuse syndrome became his "predominant problem", a tribunal has found.
An employer's lack of policies for preserving CCTV footage of workplace incidents and failings has led to it being found vicariously liable for a worker s-xually harassing and injuring a colleague.
The effect of a worker's disability on their work capacity doesn't always constitute part of the disability, a full Federal Court has found, in quashing a finding that an employer that dismissed a worker on stress leave discriminated against him because of his mental disability.
A major employer has been ordered to provide a series of draft disciplinary and injury reports to a former OHS manager, who claims the company discriminated against him by refusing to appoint him vice president of health and safety because of his gender.
> New laws protect safety of contractors and gig economy workers; > Safety Regs with WHS clauses released, WorkSafe Vic boss resigns; and > SRC and disability discrimination instruments introduced.
Public sector agencies have been warned against responding to allegations of misconduct with strategies designed to "camouflage poor systems" instead of preventing incidents, after an anti-corruption survey unearthed "shocking" reports of bullying and nepotism.
A major employer did not need to seek an exemption to anti-discrimination laws to reject a worker with colour vision deficiency's application for a more senior and more safety critical role, a commission has ruled.
> "Safety reset" agreed on after string of fatalities; > PCBU allegedly failed to act on induction advice before death; > Health department charged with OHS discrimination; and > Prohibition notice numbers nearly tripled in ACT.
A victim of workplace racism has been awarded $75,000 under a settlement that allows him to pursue further compensation for a psychiatric injury. Meanwhile, an employment lawyer has examined the impact that softening cannabis laws might have on workplace drug policies.
