Two sleep studies have highlighted the prevalence of work stress-related insomnia symptoms, the risks associated with workers taking sleeping pills to fall asleep and the need for interventions that promote the safe use of these hypnotic drugs.
End-of-year work celebrations are likely to be very different this year due to COVID-19, with mental health issues and the possibility of restricting attendee numbers just some of the new things to think about, a senior safety lawyer says.
An employer acted reasonably in enforcing its safety requirements by refusing to support a worker's application for an extraordinary driver's licence after he lost his licence for drink driving, a commission has found in upholding his dismissal.
There is an under-recognised link between work factors and opioid disorders and overdoses, but employers can play a "lifesaving" role by reducing the risks and improving their response strategies, researchers say.
The suicide death of a worker, who started abusing marijuana to relieve the pain from a work injury, did not arise from his employment, a superior court has ruled.
A worker who claims he was unable to urinate over a three-hour period was lawfully summarily dismissed for refusing to provide his employer with a sample for a drug and alcohol test, a commission has ruled.
A major review of studies covering more than 270,000 police personnel, including from Australia, has found police are at greater risk of poor mental health and risky drinking than previously thought, highlighting the importance of stigma-reduction strategies and continuous rather than reactive "psychoeducation".
Workplace policies and programs that drive home the broad safety repercussions of turning up to work with a hangover, and impaired coordination, are far more likely to reduce risky drinking behaviours than warnings on the impact of alcohol on individuals' health, a study of NSW workers suggests.
