21st century work
& workplace health
Neil
Quarmby
1
General Manager
Work Health and Safety Group, Comcare
Comcare’s Role
Comcare partners with workers, their employers and unions to keep
workers healthy and safe, and reduce the incidence and cost of
workplace injury and disease. We implement the Australian
Government’s policies in federal workplaces to drive social
inclusion and productivity.
MENTAL HEALTH
we need to do more in workplaces
• 1 in 5 people will experience a mental
illness
• 10% will be affected by anxiety disorder
• 3% affected by psychotic illness
• 7% will experience substance abuse
disorders.
• Workplaces are experiencing increasing
costs & complexity of mental stress claims
MENTAL HEALTH
Increase in claims
Since 2006-2008:
• 54% increase in mental stress claims
• 9% of accepted Australian Government
Premium payer claims were attributed to
mental stress
• Around 11 per cent of all accepted claims
within the Australian Government premium
payers involved mental stress as either a
primary or secondary condition.
• 43 per cent of the total cost of accepted
claims
Accepted mental stress claims with one week
or more lost time—Australian Government
premium payers
Average total cost* of mental stress claims
(Australian Government premium payers)
Work Pressure and Workplace Bullying
• Bullying and harassment accounts for 44 per cent of psychological
injury claims (up from 40 per cent in previous years)
• Work Pressure accounts for 37 per cent of claims (this is down
from 40 per cent)
OUR OPPORTUNITITIES TO IMPROVE
MENTAL HEALTH
Australian workplaces face a new era
• Harmonised Work Health and Safety laws
–greater productivity and participation
• Better health care, education and financial
independence extend life course at work
• Opportunities for innovative design
shaping the way we do things and offering
greater choice
• Technology revolution – new possibilities
for engagement and productivity
• Changing expectations of work, flexibility,
reward and engagement
Bullying risk factors
• Lack of awareness
• Organisational change/changes in technology
• Negative leadership styles
• Lack of appropriate work systems
• Poor workplace culture and relationships/disrespectful
behaviors
• Workforce characteristics
Regulator role and expectations
• Prevention of bullying and harassment in the workplace
• Apply risk management principles
• Current Comcare strategies
• Workplace Relationships Resolution Team
Prevention and early intervention
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN MENTAL
HEALTH AND WELLBEING AT WORK
Defining success
Workplaces deliver the health benefits of good work and promote the
health and wellbeing of their workers
1. Workplaces deliver the health benefits of good work and promote
the health and wellbeing of their workers
2. Workplaces demonstrate a focus on mental health at work by
establishing principles that are integrated into work design,
people management practices, business processes, leadership
and staff development programs.
3. Workplaces assess the risks to mental health and wellbeing and
take action to continuously improve culture and systems at work.
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
4. Managers have capability and support to help workers adapt to
challenge and change and are held accountable for this work.
5. The work community is able to recognise early warning signs and
people have the confidence and avenues to respond to mental ill
health at work.
6. Managers seek to understand
issues that may impact on
individual’s ability to work and
make adjustments to
accommodate this.
7. People at work are involved in
decisions on how their work is
undertaken, including changes
that affect them directly.
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
8. People at work have guidelines, tools and support for
performance improvement and are accountable for their
behaviours.
9. Mental health and rehabilitation service are evidence based,
improve functioning and foster participation in work.
10. People with longer term incapacity for work
due to mental ill health are offered
pathways back to employment.
11. Injured workers experience of the
compensation process is supportive and
not detrimental to mental health.
12. Injured workers’ have access to information
and support to optimise their involvement in
recovery and return to work
CONCLUDE: SUPPORTING YOU
in work health & wellbeing
> Centre of Excellence
> Healthy work initiatives
> Disability confidence
> Workplace Relationship
Resolution
> Case studies
> Campaigns
> Tools & Advice
> 1300 366 979
> & under “Safety and Prevention”
www.comcare.gov.au