Browsing: Coronavirus, COVID-19

Ill-considered decisions on the COVID-19 vaccination, and on whether it should be mandatory for workers, could result in employers facing costly discrimination, harassment and bullying claims, a leading workplace advisor has warned.

It is more pressing than ever to tackle the safety challenges of remote work arrangements and make a business case for telework infrastructure, a peak workplace safety body says.

The surge of flexible working arrangements is creating new challenges for employers, but the right approach to this "new normal" can optimise employee wellbeing and ensure those who still want to work in the office don't feel abandoned, according to the authors of a major Australian study.

One of the first unfair dismissal cases involving a worker's refusal to have a flu vaccination has been decided in an employer's favour, with the Fair Work Commission finding the employer's pandemic-inspired mandatory vaccine policy is lawful and reasonable.

A major four-year workplace mental health strategy has been relaunched to reflect the impacts of COVID-19, with new offerings for employers, while a WHS regulator has issued a very high number of prohibition notices in its "zero tolerance" blitz against fall risks.

• COVID compliance checks of employers stepping up in Vic;
  
• Comcare reveals COVID strategies in 2020 review; and
  
• Royal Mint faces up to $3.5m in fines under three WHS charges.

New ways of working are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and providing opportunities to improve workers' work-life balance and fatigue levels, but they must be provided with the skills to match the evolved workplace, an ex-US military sleep researcher says.

A study of 16 years of workers' comp data has foreshadowed that as Australia moves out of a recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic there will be a surge of workplace injuries, highlighting the importance of resilient safety strategies.

Mental health safety stand-downs can help workers help each other, and help employers support the workforce during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, an engineering giant's head of safety, health, environment and quality says.

Safe Work Australia's latest "snapshot" of COVID-19-related workers' compensation claims shows that while a quarter of all COVID claims are for psychological issues, nearly all of the claims in one industry involve mental health.