[Australia] Psychological injury at work claims triple rate of physical in NSW

In New South Wales, Australia, claims for psychological injury at work are rapidly increasing with their rate multiplying that of physical injury claims. In the wake of this, the state’s safety watchdog has warned businesses to expect compliance checks and prosecution if practices are not improved, The Guardian reports.

Over the four years to mid-2023, physical injury claims rose 11 per cent. Claims of psychological damage leapt by 30 per cent over the same period, according to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority.

Now SafeWork NSW has released its four-year plan to tackle mental harm and pledged to come down hard on organisations found failing to protect the wellbeing of staff under the state’s workplace laws.

Psychological injury hazards reportedly include bullying, harassment, exposure to traumatic events, work isolation and lack of support.

The government revealed that workplace mental ill-health is estimated to cost Australian businesses up to $39bn a year in lost productivity and participation. In 2021-22, mental health conditions accounted for 9.2 per cent of serious workers’ compensation claims.

Sophie Cotsis - NSW work health and safety minister - told The Guardian that it was a “fundamental right” of every worker to go home physically and mentally healthy and that when a workplace was unsafe it was costly for businesses and the state.

“The rate and severity of psychological injury at work continues to rise,” she said. “If workplaces remain unsafe, I strongly endorse SafeWork’s actions to bring about improvements.”

The average cost and time off work for psychological injury claims was more than triple that of physical injuries, according to State Insurance Regulatory Authority data. In 2022 28 per cent of workers dealt with a mental health condition, the SafeWork strategy found.

Employee’s families can often be affected by the psychological injuries of workers, SafeWork said. Additionally, the agency reported that psychosocial hazards can lead to physical harm, including musculoskeletal disorders.

The government has pledged to support the strategy with $5.6m for workplace mental health training programs for SMEs over the next two years.

Trent Curtin - SafeWork NSW’s acting deputy secretary - reportedly alerted big businesses to expect compliance checks and an impact on their bottom line if practices are not improved.

“SafeWork NSW … may prosecute workplaces who repeatedly do not comply or where they have seriously breached WHS laws,” he said.

Waveconn, a digital infrastructure company, has given its staff government-provided workplace mental health training; provided by the government and presented by the Black Dog Institute and Transitioning Well.

Josh Maxwell - Waveconn’s workplace health and safety manager - told The Guardian that this training helped the company’s older workforce “transition from how things used to be done years ago”.

“It gave them some skills to understand their own capabilities,” he said.

Source: The Guardian

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

In New South Wales, Australia, claims for psychological injury at work are rapidly increasing with their rate multiplying that of physical injury claims. In the wake of this, the state’s safety watchdog has warned businesses to expect compliance checks and prosecution if practices are not improved, The Guardian reports.

Over the four years to mid-2023, physical injury claims rose 11 per cent. Claims of psychological damage leapt by 30 per cent over the same period, according to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority.

Now SafeWork NSW has released its four-year plan to tackle mental harm and pledged to come down hard on organisations found failing to protect the wellbeing of staff under the state’s workplace laws.

Psychological injury hazards reportedly include bullying, harassment, exposure to traumatic events, work isolation and lack of support.

The government revealed that workplace mental ill-health is estimated to cost Australian businesses up to $39bn a year in lost productivity and participation. In 2021-22, mental health conditions accounted for 9.2 per cent of serious workers’ compensation claims.

Sophie Cotsis - NSW work health and safety minister - told The Guardian that it was a “fundamental right” of every worker to go home physically and mentally healthy and that when a workplace was unsafe it was costly for businesses and the state.

“The rate and severity of psychological injury at work continues to rise,” she said. “If workplaces remain unsafe, I strongly endorse SafeWork’s actions to bring about improvements.”

The average cost and time off work for psychological injury claims was more than triple that of physical injuries, according to State Insurance Regulatory Authority data. In 2022 28 per cent of workers dealt with a mental health condition, the SafeWork strategy found.

Employee’s families can often be affected by the psychological injuries of workers, SafeWork said. Additionally, the agency reported that psychosocial hazards can lead to physical harm, including musculoskeletal disorders.

The government has pledged to support the strategy with $5.6m for workplace mental health training programs for SMEs over the next two years.

Trent Curtin - SafeWork NSW’s acting deputy secretary - reportedly alerted big businesses to expect compliance checks and an impact on their bottom line if practices are not improved.

“SafeWork NSW … may prosecute workplaces who repeatedly do not comply or where they have seriously breached WHS laws,” he said.

Waveconn, a digital infrastructure company, has given its staff government-provided workplace mental health training; provided by the government and presented by the Black Dog Institute and Transitioning Well.

Josh Maxwell - Waveconn’s workplace health and safety manager - told The Guardian that this training helped the company’s older workforce “transition from how things used to be done years ago”.

“It gave them some skills to understand their own capabilities,” he said.

Source: The Guardian

(Links and quotes via original reporting)