Under workplace health and safety regulations, an employer’s main responsibility is to make sure that the workplace is safe and does not expose employees to hazards or harm, which can include work-related risks to psychological health. Discover management tips to promote a mentally healthy workplace > SafeWork Australia recognises that mental health can be adversely affected by exposure to prolonged workplace stress-factors such as high job demand, low job demand, poor support, poor workplace relationships, low role clarity, poor organisational change management, poor organisational justice, poor environmental conditions, remote or isolated work, and violent or traumatic events. When stress is high and prolonged, it can lead to work-related psychological harm, such as to depression and anxiety. Work-related stress can manifest and be linked to: frequent unplanned absences including sick leave staff turnover withdrawal and presenteeism, and poor work and poor product quality. In this article, we have chosen to highlight four mental health hazards in the workplace, which reflect some of the common workplace issues that we come across: 1. Poor support Poor support means employees either don't receive, or perceive not to receive, adequate support from their leaders and colleagues. Support can be both emotional and practical. Poor support could look like: poor and/or irregular communications, including not providing clear work goals and organisational updates, not providing adequate information, training or induction to support their work performance, not providing access to additional support such as an Employee Assistance Program , not providing constructive feedback (for example, in performance reviews) so they can improve, not providing the tools and sufficient resources to perform the job. 2. Poorly managed organisational change This occurs when organisational change is poorly managed and communicated. Change can come in various forms such as changes in roles and responsibilities, organisational restructuring, the introduction of new technology or processes, etc. Poorly managed organisational change can be a result of: insufficient consideration of the potential impacts on employees of the change/s, lack of consultation before making a major decision, not providing employees sufficient support during change, lack of regular communication processes with employees, such as regular team meetings. (This can lead to rumours spreading because ‘official’ information isn’t reaching all employees.) 3. Poor organisational justice Poor organisational justice is when people are not treated fairly, or there is inconsistency or bias in the workplace. It’s important to be open about how decisions are made – if employees can’t see what’s happening, they can’t know whether or not people are being treated fairly. Poor organisational justice can look like: applying policies and procedures sometimes but not at other times, unfairness or bias in decisions about how resources, work tasks and shifts are allocated, not providing underperforming employees the support they need to improve, hiring or promoting people for reasons that aren't related to performance or experience, or not using valid selection and consistent recruitment methods. 4. Poor workplace relationships Unresolved conflict or strained relationships between co-workers or with managers lead to mental ill-health. Incivility is one of the biggest causes of problems in workplace relationships. Incivility is inappropriate behaviour such as rudeness, sarcasm and belittling or excluding people. This can be spoken or written. Problems in workplace relationships can mean: workplace bullying, aggression, harassment including sexual harassment, discrimination, or other unreasonable behaviour, poor relationships between employees and/or their supervisors, conflict between employees and/or their supervisors - this can become worse if supervisors are reluctant to act on inappropriate behaviour, employees are not given clear guidelines about how they are expected to behave, a workplace culture that does not discourage disrespectful behaviour. WorkPlacePLUS can support to address mental health hazards in your workplace, which may be caused by issues such as restructuring, bullying & harassment claims, conflict within teams, poor staff engagement, misconduct, leadership issues, staff complaints, toxic workplace cultures, natural disasters and states of emergency, and more. Discover our range of tools for workplace wellness > For more information, please contact us today.

We know that staying at home is helping to save lives, but how is lockdown affecting your mental health? We asked our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) specialist Connie Juross to share some tips and suggestions to help you stay mentally healthy while working from home: Routine & Boundaries – It’s important to find a way to demarcate between work and home life. As much as possible, try to keep to normal sleep/wake times and maintain an exercise routine. Switch on your work mindset by showering and dressing for work in the morning. At the end of your workday, give yourself the signal to switch off by changing into your home clothes. Flexibility for Working Parents – If your kids are currently learning from home, cut yourself some slack – this is not easy! The extra responsibility of supporting your kids with remote learning may bring up emotions or anxiety for some working parents. Communicate with both the school and your workplace to receive support and flexibility. If your routine and work boundaries have gone out the window, please don’t stress. Every day is a new day. Fresh Air & Exercise - Vital for keeping the blues at bay. Replace gym visits and work commuting with walking breaks and simple home exercises (e.g. squats, push-ups, online classes such as Pilates or yoga). If working from home means lots of sedentary time in front of the computer, break up the day with a short walk in the fresh air – preferably 20 minutes in the morning, and again at lunchtime. Involving kids and pets can help minimise cabin fever for everyone. Stay Connected - Humans are social beings. Whether or not you consider yourself introverted or extroverted, staying in touch with family and friends is important for our mental health. Connect with at least two friends a week on a video chat platform like Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Google Hangouts. Just a 10-minute coffee chat up via video conferencing will do the trick, but make sure you can both see each other. Eye contact is one of the keys to meaningful human connection. Limit Exposure to News - It's natural to feel some anxiety about how our lives have changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, people living with anxiety and depression may be particularly triggered during this time. Manage your exposure to social media and only read Coronavirus updates from Government sources, at limited times during the day, e.g. 15 minutes at 10am and 15 minutes at 2pm. When chatting daily with colleagues, friends or family, find other positive points to focus on e.g. sharing what you’re grateful for, cooking tips, new projects, even a daily joke. However, do not ignore warning signs such as invasive thoughts or emotions. Talk to someone you trust – a friend or family member, your GP or your EAP provider. Stepping Up as a Remote Manager - Managers, get to know your staff over video conferencing, particularly their communication nuances. Video conferencing has enabled business to continue through the COVID-19 crisis. However, this mode of communication can be fraught with errors, both technologically and regarding communication patterns. Managers will need to be clearer and more explicit in communicating expectations and feedback; more empathetic and flexible regarding what your staff are dealing with at home; and more available for regular check-ins, to help keep your staff on track and ensure that they are still coping. R U OK? - Keep an eye on your loved ones and co-workers. If, for whatever reason, you or your colleague is uncomfortable with video chat, then have a good old-fashioned phone call. Make it 1:1 and be a good listener. “It’s okay to not be okay” but talking about your feelings almost always helps people cope. Make regular check-ins part of your routine, to help maintain a mentally healthy workplace while working from home. If you or someone you know is in need of immediate assistance, click here for 24/7 crisis services within Australia. WorkPlacePLUS offers a holistic, fully integrated Employee Assistance Program (EAP) incorporating mental, emotional, and physical health education. Our EAP’s are positioned to deliver innovative, best practice and proactive solutions. For more information, please contact us today.

The Fair Work Act 2009 requires all employers to keep certain personal information about employees in their employee records. Most organisations also collect and store personal data about their clientele. Any personal information collected in your workplace must be kept secure. A data breach could trigger a range of serious consequences for your organisation and the individuals involved. Do your staff know how to handle personal information? PRIVACY IN THE WORKPLACE is a workplace training and development program designed to educate managers, supervisors and staff on how to manage employee and client records and how to mitigate the risk of a data breach. Included are discussions on Australian privacy laws, your organisation’s privacy and confidentiality policy, employer/employee obligations, and the proper handling of personal information. Throughout this interactive training session, participants will engage in reflective practice, applying their learning to real situations in the workplace, with the benefit of feedback and support from our experienced facilitator. Learning Outcomes Participants will learn: What is privacy and personal information? The applicable privacy laws and industry guidelines Your organisation’s privacy and confidentiality policy Best practice tips and processes for handling and protecting personal information How clients or employees can access or correct their own personal information How to handle a privacy or data breach How to handle common privacy hotspots in your organisation Topics covered 1. Principles of Privacy & Industry Guidelines 2. Managing Privacy in Your Organisation 3. Employer & Employee Obligations 4. Troubleshooting Privacy & Confidentiality Scenarios For more information or to book your training, please contact us today. ► Discover more training programs... >

How do you resolve stakeholder complaints? Complaints, allegations, incidents, or disputes involving an employee and a service-user, stakeholder or client require a prompt response by the organisation. An independent workplace investigation is a formal fact-finding process that must be conducted professionally from interview stage through to the final report. Types of w orker-client issues requiring a formal investigation may include: ➤ Crossing professional boundaries e.g., becoming too personally involved, personally over-disclosing, overuse of touch ➤ Harassment e.g., sexual harassment, violence, abuse, threats, intimidation, gaslighting ➤ Misconduct or neglect e.g., breaking code of conduct, failing duty of care ➤ Quality of service dissatisfaction or disputes e.g., complaint of poor or unmet services ➤ Breaching privacy or confidentiality e.g., mishandling of client information, a suspected data breach involving a client's sensitive information ➤ Breach of safety or record keeping protocols causing risk or harm ➤ Historical conflict between the organisation and the stakeholder or family member. WorkPlacePLUS takes a respectful, communication-centred approach to investigating worker-client issues. By getting to the heart of the matter, we can identify and recommended the next steps forward towards resolution. WorkPlacePLUS has a qualified team of HR consultants with extensive experience in investigating worker-client conflict, complaints and issues in the healthcare, community care, NFP and public sectors. We always follow fair process and best practice standards with the utmost sensitivity and professionalism. Method of Delivery: Virtual vs. In-Person The team at WorkPlacePLUS conducts independent workplace investigations both in-person and virtually, Australia-wide. When delivering independent workplace investigations online, WorkPlacePLUS meets the same exceptional standards we are known for in-person. We achieve this by: ✓ planning ahead to mitigate technical issues ✓ planning ahead to ensure privacy ✓ using clear, direct communication ✓ adhering to procedural fairness ✓ obtaining and maintaining detailed records ✓ gathering and safeguarding physical evidence ✓ ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive documentation and personal information For more information, please contact us today.

The Victorian Government has recently announced its plan for “WorkCover Modernisation” to ensure it is financially sustainable into the future and meets the needs of modern workplaces. It is important for employers to be familiar with the changes and ensure that workplace polices and processes are updated accordingly. The WorkCover reforms include: Premiums – The average premium rate will move to 1.8% of remuneration. Establishing Return to Work Victoria – New initiatives will be piloted, designed to improve return to work and prevention outcomes. Return to Work Victoria will also provide injured workers with training and job placement pathways. Eligibility for mental injury claims – Workers who experience stress and burnout will no longer be able to access weekly benefits from WorkCover. Instead, they will be eligible for provisional payments for 13 weeks to cover medical treatment, plus enhanced psychosocial supports and return to work or training pathways. Eligibility for claims lasting longer than two-and-a-half years – A “Whole Person Impairment” of greater than 20% will be required alongside the capacity test for a worker to continue receiving weekly benefits after two and a half years. Planned eligibility changes will come into effect in 2024 and will only apply prospectively. WorkCover will continue to support workers who make claims for mental injuries arising from workplace harassment, bullying and traumatic events, such as those experienced by frontline workers. Prevention is key Return to Work Victoria will support employers to prevent injuries and help them intervene early to address emerging mental health concerns. Please note that under Work, Health and Safety (WHS) laws and the new Respect at Work Act 2022 , employers already have a duty to eliminate or minimise psychosocial hazards in the workplace. It is important for employers to review and update their risk management processes and regularly train staff on the organisations policies and processes. Communicating with your staff Under WHS laws, employers have a duty to consult with their workers on matters that impact their health and safety, such as undertaking risk management processes and decisions, proposing or making changes that may affect WHS, or doing any other thing prescribed by WHS regulations. In addition, whenever you make changes to your workplace policies or processes, it is important to communicate these with your staff. As the employer, you are responsible for ensuring that your communication plan is effective i.e. that your messaging has been received and understood. In this case, it is advisable to: Communicate with your staff both verbally and in writing regarding the changes to WorkCover, any changes to your polices and processes, and any actions you are taking to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. Provide ample opportunity for your staff to ask questions, give feedback or voice their concerns. Keep a record of these communications. WorkPlacePLUS can support you to meet your employer obligations and foster a mentally healthy workplace. For more information, please contact us today.

Workplace change is usually motivated by either a need to adapt, for example to meet new regulatory requirements, to weather the economic climate, or by a proactive vision to evolve and improve. External challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic can have a dramatic impact on a business, resulting in the need to make changes to your business model, such as restructuring or introducing new technology and processes, all of which will have an impact on your employees. We often see clients diving right into implementing workplace change when, all of a sudden, the “change management” conversation crops up as an afterthought with inadequate planning. Factoring change management in too late can cause: a rough transition a lack of advocacy a vague “change” vision overall resistance workplace conflict, and decreased sustainability of the change required There is also the risk of claims and penalties against the employer. Before you dive into any hiring or firing of staff, always review your employment obligations! Regardless of the type of workplace change, having an effective change management strategy not only helps employees adapt, but it can also create stronger bonds between you and your employees by ‘taking them on the journey with you’. Here are 4 key strategies for managing workplace change: 1. Create a “Change Impact Statement” - This will be an important resource for decision-making and communications throughout the process. 2. Communication & Consultation - It is important to consult your key stakeholders by listening to their feelings and ideas, and identifying any personal impact. You also need a good communication plan to supports the change process. This builds trust and will help your staff adapt. 3. Support - The impact of workplace change on the mental health of your employees cannot be underestimated. It's important to make a range of support options available to your staff, such as a contact officer or Employee Assistance Program (EAP). 4. Review - Done well, reviews and self-assessments of your change management strategy will promote continuous improvement of your processes and culture. For more information, please contact us today.

Cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, suicide, cancer, back pain and diabetes are some of the top diseases and health burdens affecting men in Australia, according to the Health of Australian Males report by the AIHW. Men who wait too long to address health issues are at further risk of developing severe health complications. Employers can support the health and wellbeing of their staff by promoting a healthy workplace culture and offering routine health assessments. Routine health checks also help to reduce absenteeism and support an aging workforce. 10 tips for supporting men’s health in the workplace: Review your Workplace Health & Safety protocols Offer routine employee health checks Provide educational resources and training programs Promote physical activity to counteract sedentary behaviour at work Encourage employees to take proper breaks and get some fresh air and movement Provide healthy snacks e.g. fruit Offer wellness days or health leave so employees can manage their own health needs Offer an Employee Assistance Program Provide additional support to your aging workforce Offer health checks to employees who are exiting the business Read Tools for workplace wellness > Workplace stress in particular is now widely recognised as a major workplace health and safety risk factor. Leaders and managers play a central role in mitigating the risks of workplace stress and promoting a healthy workplace. Read 5 management tips for promoting a mentally healthy workplace > WorkPlacePLUS offers a number of support services to help you promote a healthy workplace. For more information, please contact us today.

Serious workplace issues such as bullying and harassment, misconduct or discrimination should always take urgent priority for a manager. During the pandemic, many most staff were required to work remotely, these serious workplace issues still occurred. With a growing number of employees working from home, employers and HR managers have the additional challenge of taking both their onsite and remote workforce into consideration. Read Your HR manager is under the pump > Remember that workplace investigations must adhere to natural justice principles, confidentiality, rules of evidence, compliance, and health and safety regulations. These standards help to ensure a fair and equitable process for all and allow an organisation to respond with the appropriate action. There are some predictable challenges of remote workplace investigations that are reasonably straightforward to address, such as planning ahead to ensure your own privacy and mitigate technical issues with videoconferencing, electronic signatures, transferring files, etc. Other challenges of remote workplace investigations can be more complicated. For example: 🔎 How will you ensure that the interviewee is in a private setting without unauthorised people or recording devices? 🔎 How will you ensure the confidentiality of sensitive documentation? 🔎 How will you obtain and maintain detailed records? 🔎 How will you gather and safeguard physical evidence? 🔎 How will you assess and monitor the remote workplace culture? Read Conflict in the age of Zoom > In general, managing staff remotely requires clearer and more explicit communication of expectations and feedback, and more regular check-ins to ensure staff are coping at home. When it comes to addressing serious issues or complaints, managers who are already stretched to their limits may need to seek support from an experienced and independent workplace investigator. WorkPlacePLUS conducts workplace investigations of the highest standard via video conferencing technology. We can support you to meet your employer obligations under various legislation such as Fair Work Act and Work, Health & Safety, while you continue to focus on your business. Our experienced HR consultants are trained private investigators. For more information, please contact us today.

A vexatious bullying complaint is a false or groundless accusation of bullying made in bad faith that causes distress, detriment or harassment to the subject of the complaint. Vexatious bullying complaints may not be easy to identify. It is important that employers respond consistently to any bullying complaint by following their organisation’s complaints and grievances process and conducting a procedurally fair investigation. Read What is procedural fairness? > At the beginning of an investigation, the employee making the complaint should be advised of the possible consequences of a vexatious complaint, such as disciplinary action or termination of employment. If they then withdraw their complaint, they should not be victimised, but employers should note a red flag in the workplace culture, signally underlying issues that may need to be addressed. When a bullying complaint is determined to be vexatious, it is important for employers to carefully identify areas requiring further consultation and investigation, such as: signs of bullying behaviour signs of misconduct work, health and safety hazards any other new issues that came to light from the initial investigation In addition, vexatious complaints can have a negative emotional impact on all parties involved. It is important to maintain good communication and remind employees of the available support such as an employee assistance program. Addressing a vexatious bullying complaint can be complicated for an employer, and a perceived lack of independence can pose additional risks. In some cases, engaging an external workplace investigator may be the best option. For more information, please contact us today.

Workplace culture stems from the top. The board are ultimately responsible for setting the strategic direction and the culture of your organisation and the leadership team are responsible for implementing it. Workplace culture directly impacts on employee engagement. Employee engagement represents the level of motivation, satisfaction and connection that an individual has with the organisation. In service industries, measuring staff engagement and assessing the cultural climate is extremely important in achieving client and corporate goals. Attending to the workplace culture should be a regular part of every business or organisation’s risk management plan. A tense, negative or toxic workplace culture puts you and your staff at risk. It can be the breeding ground for costly mistakes, low productivity, high staff turnover, complaints or grievances, and a compliance notice from the Fair Work Ombudsman or your industry regulator. Broadly speaking, there are self-assessing questions that boards should consider on a regular basis. For example: How approachable is our leadership team? Are we modelling the organisational values? Are we listening to our employees? Do we provide our employees with regular feedback, training, recognition and opportunities for improvement? Do we solicit feedback from key stakeholders? Are we fully compliant? It is also advisable that boards receive regular information on various People & Culture metrics, such as staff turnover rate, leave accrual rate, EAP uptake rate, legal/compensation claim metrics and cultural climate metrics. One tool used to measure the cultural climate of an organisation is a workplace cultural review. This is a proactive process designed to understand the values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours shared by individuals and teams. Regular cultural reviews can be the catalyst for constructive workplace change and the continuous improvement of workplace relationships, staff engagement, productivity, safety, and performance. Learn more about Workplace Cultural Reviews > The experienced team at WorkPlacePLUS facilitates workplace cultural reviews for organisations and teams in the healthcare, community, and not-for-profit sectors. Our carefully controlled process allows employees to provide crucial feedback in a confidential setting, helping to uncover any trends, patterns or hot spots which may need to be considered. WorkPlacePLUS can support the board and leadership team to work through any opportunities for further action or improvement that were identified by the cultural review. For more information or to book your workplace cultural review, please contact us today.

Under Workplace Health & Safety (“WHS”) business owners, including directors, can be held personally responsible for health and safety in their workplace. For example, Victoria's anti-bullying legislation, known as Brodie's Law, commenced in June 2011 and made serious bullying a crime punishable by up to 10 years in jail. Brodie's Law was introduced after the tragic suicide of a young woman, Brodie Panlock, who was subjected to relentless bullying in her workplace. Her employer and several of its staff were fined under the existing occupational health and safety laws. Brodie’s employer pleaded guilty and was fined $220,000. The company’s owner and three co-workers also pleaded guilty and were fined between $10,000 and $45,000 each. Did you know that 'Bullying and Harassment' falls under Workplace Health & Safety legislation? Bullying and Harassment not only comes under the WHS legislation, but as of 1 January 2014, a worker who reasonably believes that he or she has been bullied at work can apply to the Fair Work Commission for an order to stop the bullying. WHS in each state has its own authority that polices and enforces the WHS legislation. In principle they are about creating a safe work environments. There are two ways of viewing compliance with these WHS regulations: either as a stick, which results from being prosecuted and fined if you do not comply, or as a carrot, where the employer is proactive and communicates with workers, which in turn supports their success and can be a way of retaining staff and maximise productivity. As a business owner/manager/director, you have responsibilities in regard to health and safety in the workplace. You need to ensure that the business doesn't create health and safety problems for your employees, customers or the public. A worker can be a direct employee on full-time, part-time or casual. This can extend to: Apprentices, or anyone with an employer undertaking manual labour, clerical work or otherwise Anyone who is deemed to be working under a contract of service Volunteers A school pupil doing work experience These policies and procedures should provide for the following objectives: To meet your compliance requirements, the employers should takes all reasonably practicable steps to ensure there are WHS policies and procedures in places and that workers have access and are training on these policies. The provision and maintenance of a safe work environment. The provision and maintenance of safe systems of work including safe plant and structures. The safe use, handling and storage of plant, structures and substances. The provision of appropriate information, training, instruction or supervision of all workers to perform their role safely. The identification of any hazards and associated risks at workplaces. The prompt implementation of risk control strategies to eliminate risks. Active participation in raising and resolving WHS issues. WHS risks apply to small business with two workers as was well as large organisations with thousands of workers. The risks can pose physical dangers or emotional distress to workers. The following example outlines the potential risks that may be faced by a small suburban health clinic, and potential mitigating actions: The above-mentioned risks are not comprehensive and should only be used as an example of potential WHS risks that workers can be exposed to. Each employer will have different circumstances and the risks will vary. This highlights the importance of the employer consulting with the workers in matters relating to WHS and also consults with appropriate advisors to ensure risk minimisation. Like all other WHS risks employers need to ensure that they have adequate policies and procedures in place and all staff have been trained and understand the consequences of noncompliance. Don’t wait for an issue to escalate, we encourage employers to participate in open and honest consultations with staff the work place. As the person/s responsible, be prepared to not only share, but to listen. For more information and professional support, please contact us today.

Managing a remote workforce presents a range of leadership challenges and considerations. In the Summer edition of OTA's Connections Magazine, WorkPlacePLUS provides tips to assist healthcare managers in the following areas, which can be particularly challenging when staff members are working off-site or in people's homes: Monitoring Staff Performance Addressing Workplace Conflict Protecting Employee Mental Health The two common threads throughout our management tips for a remote workforce are the importance of knowing the organisational policies and processes, and the importance of regular, transparent, 1:1 communication between supervisors and staff. Even when, ideally, a remote employee demonstrates autonomy and confidence in their own abilities, their supervisor should remain consistent in following the organisational protocols and connecting regularly with each person on their team. Access the full article with management tips for staff working remotely in the Summer edition of OTA's Connections Magazine, via our Media page >