Return to Work Matters - The power of partnerships

Workplace policies and return to work

Scott Sanderson | We look at how organisational policies and practices can have a big impact on RTW outcomes.
Let’s face it: the return to work process can be a chaotic one. Each case requires consideration of the individuals’s unique physical and psychological health, as well as the particulars of their role and the environment they work in. Although it is difficult to envisage a comprehensive ‘best practice’ approach to return to work, recent studies have stressed a link between organisational policies and practices to return to work outcomes. more >>

Change of name, change of outlook

Elizabeth Quinn | WorkCover employee Teegan Jordan explains that the authority's 'rebranding' of its case managers title reflects an improved RTW focus.
WorkCover QLD has chosen to ‘rebrand’ its case managers to reflect the dynamic role they play in facilitating return to work outcomes for the worker and employer. Their new title, 'Customer Adviser', reflects the ‘one-stop shop’ nature of their role in advancing mutually beneficial return to work outcomes, which balance the needs of injured workers and employers. Teegan Jordan started work at WorkCover Queensland in 2009 as a Claims Representative. more >>

Guided internet-based cognitive behavioural treatment for chronic back pain reduces pain catastrophizing

Dr Mary Wyatt | A randomized controlled trial from Sweden offers hope for chronic back pain sufferers.
The internet offers a range of opportunities for providing individuals with advice and potentially assisting their medical condition, yet research in this area can be limited or fledgling. In one study, Swedish researchers looked at whether internet-based cognitive behaviour treatment could help people with chronic back pain. Cognitive behaviour therapy seeks to educate and inform, to change beliefs and patterns of thinking about a condition. more >>

Tired new dads are risking their safety

A significant number of new fathers are experiencing fatigue that is risking their safety at work, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. While new dads experiencing fatigue may not be news in itself, research shows that chronic tiredness is impacting on new fathers' safety at work. A study by Gary Mellor at Southern Cross University followed 241 fathers during their babies' first three months, gauging the effect of the fathers' fatigue levels at work. Those who reported fatigue at work were 36 per cent more likely to have "near misses" at work. Not surprisingly, the more fatigued the fathers were, the less likely they were to follow safety practices. On average, fathers of six week-olds were woken two to three times a night and slept for 5.5 hours. 65 per cent of these fathers reported fatigue. By the time their babies were 12 weeks old, fathers got more sleep yet felt worse for it, with 75 per cent reporting fatigue. ''Fathers might benefit from using leave by working fewer days a week, having later start or earlier finish times, or long weekends,'' suggested Dr Mellor.

The vicious cycle: stress and weight gain

Poor diet and a lack of exercise are not enough to singlehandedly explain the rise in obesity, says one study, which cites stress as an overlooked factor, Medical News Today reports. Human biologist Brynjar Foss and sports scientist Sindre M Dyrstad have highlighted what they see as only part of the problem in the obesity crisis, in their article, "Stress in obesity: cause or consequence?" Their research gathered a number of studies that link weight gain to higher corticol levels - the stress hormone. "If you have high cortisol, you seem to put on weight more easily," said Foss. Because of this link, putting on weight can trigger a vicious cycle of stress. "When you go up in weight, your body also comes under stress. That probably has a self-reinforcing effect - so you get even fatter," explained Foss. Dieting can also trigger a stress response, which can counter the weight loss. "Should our hypothesis turn out to be correct, it would mean that you'll have to break this stress pattern if you want to halt the weight increase," said Foss.

Helping female employees to be healthy

Balancing work and home commitments is a common requirement for many women and it comes comes with an increased risk of ill-health, reports Post-Gazette. According to US statistics, women are 60 per cent more likely to miss work due to injury or illness often due to their caregiver role outside of work. Because of this duty towards others, outside of work hours, caregivers are almost twice as likely to report chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis. To combat womens' elevated health risk, employers can implement effective workplace health and wellbeing initiatives. Such programs work twofold; by improving the health and wellbeing of workers, productivity also improves. Popular programs aimed at women include: Online resources; Discount programs for uncovered healthcare costs; A focus on womens' health needs in employee wellness programs; Workplace preventative health screenings such as body mass index, bone density, cholesterol level, heart rate, blood pressure and diabetes screening; and Supporting local and national organisations dedicated to women's health issues.

Office workers still spend too much time at desks

On average, people spend 5 hours and 41 minutes per day sitting at their desks during a typical working week, and that's still too long, Medical News Today reports. A study from the Work & Health Research Centre, Loughborough University, UK, highlights not only the physical risk of prolonged sitting, but the mental health risks as well. Over 1000 employees were surveyed over an 18-month period to determine their physical activity levels and uptake of occupational health services. The study found that nearly 70 per cent of employees did not meet recommended guidelines for physical activity, and that the increase in sitting time was associated with a decrease in mental well-being. Those found to sit for longer at work were also more likely to sit outside of work hours. "People don't need a psychologist to tell them to get up and walk around," said researcher Dr Mayanna Duncan. "But if it helps, I'd tell them to put a post-it note on their computer to remind them. Anyway go and talk to your colleagues face to face, it's a lot more sociable and better for you than emailing them."

Avoiding your abusive boss may not be healthiest option

Avoiding your abusive boss may seem like the easiest strategy for dealing with them, but it may actually worsen your well-being, EHS Today reports. A study by professors at the University of Haifa's faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences followed the coping strategies of employees faced with abusive bosses and measured the impact of these different approaches on employees' health. "Abusive supervision is highly distressing for employees. Our study shows that the strategies being used by employees to cope with the stress caused by such behavior do not lead to the most positive outcomes," said lead author Dana Yagil, Ph.D. While five different types of coping strateges were identified, the most popular ones involved avoiding contact with the abusive supervisor and seeking social support. These strategies, however, resulted in negative emotions for the employee, which increased stress. Communicating directly with the supervisor was found to be the healthiest strategy. "It is understandable that employees wish to reduce their contact with an abusive boss to a minimum," said Yagil. "However, this strategy further increases the employee's stress because it is associated with a sense of weakness and perpetuates their fear of the supervisor."

Office air a potential source of toxic chemicals

A first-of-its-kind study has revealed that indoor air in offices may be a significant source of potentially toxic substances, Medical News Today reports. The study reports on Polyflourinated compounds (PFCs), used in water-repellant coatings on carpet and furniture, that were found in office air and subsequently the blood of office workers. Exposure to PFCs has been linked to a possible inreased risk of breast or pancreatic cancers, due to PFCs being suspected as being "endocrine disruptors." This study is the first to link PFC levels in the air to levels in the blood of office workers, which were 3-5 times greater than those reported on in household air, "suggesting that offices may represent a unique and important exposure environment," say researchers.