Webinar series: Get serious about a healthy workplace

Over 88 million work days are lost each year due to absenteeism, costing the Australian economy $27.5 billion in sick leave and lost productivity¹.

Following the success of our health and well-being leadership forums held across Queensland in early 2015, WorkCover Queensland and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland hosted a series of three webinars to further enhance employer learnings.

There is increasing evidence that a health and well-being program in the workplace improves injury management and return to work outcomes for injured workers. Overweight or obese workers take on average, 7.4 days to recover from a work-related injury compared to 3.3 days for workers with a healthy weight².

Workers in poor health with associated chronic disease factors generally encounter complications in their return to work following a workplace injury for example, workers who smoke don't heal as fast and treatment for knee injuries for overweight workers takes longer, especially when weight loss is required before surgery.

A healthy workplace and workforce can help reduce staff-related costs and improve your safety and workers' compensation performance.

Dr Rob McCartney, occupational physician was our guest speaker for the three webinars which focussed on the concepts and benefits of an integrated approach to health and well-being in the management of:

• musculoskeletal disorders
• drugs and alcohol; and
• psychological barriers to rehabilitation and return to work.

Below are links to the webinar resources.

1. Absence Management Survey, Direct Health Solutions (2013)

2. Van Nuys, K., Globe, D., Ng-Mak, D., Cheung, H., Sullivan, J & Goldman, D. (2014)