Presenteeism has largely been analysed through the principles and managed through the actions of the Human Resources profession. The COVID19 pandemic has changed the presenteeism conversation. There seems to be more enforcement of occupational health and safety (OHS) obligations on employees to not present a hazard to their work colleagues and customers and, therefore, to …
Craig Donaldson interviewed Joydeep Hor, managing partner of Australian law firm Harmers on employment issues related to the swine flu outbreak. Joydeep rightly points out that HR and OHS processes should not differentiate between swine flu and other workplace illnesses. Hor briefly discusses the employers duty of care and how to question one’s traditional approaches to … Continue reading “Presenteeism and swine flu”
There is some debate today about whether Swine Flu (in deference to the request from some pig farmers, now renamed “the Mexican Flu outbreak of 2009“) has peaked. Colleagues in Asia over the weekend told SafetyAtWorkBlog that in most circles, the Mexican Flu outbreak has not generated the same level of interest, or concern, as … Continue reading “Swine Flu lessons – presenteeism is real”
Frequently I receive audio media releases from the US about a range of workplace safety matters. These releases are scripted and can sometimes sound corny but within them is a usually a useful nugget of information. The latest one I received concerns presenteeism and mental health so, being so close to World Mental Health Day, … Continue reading “New presenteeism survey figures”
Presenteeism is when a worker attends work when they should not due to illness. Frequently ill workers attend the office or the factory because they feel that they are indispensable. This may be the case but they can then present health risks to others by communicating their flu or other disease to their colleagues. However, … Continue reading “Presenteeism in the US”
The prevention of workplace psychosocial hazards will be an increasing issue of concern and debate in 2024 as more Australian jurisdictions re-emphasize the application of occupational health and safety (OHS) laws to this insidious hazard. That debate requires a broad range of voices to better understand prevention strategies and to assess existing strategies that have …
We need to seek alternative perspectives to better understand ourselves and our place in the world. In 2020,Takenori Mishiba wrote about comparative perspectives of workplace mental health laws. The book has been published in a more affordable paperback edition very recently. The attraction of this book is that Australia was not part of Mishiba’s research. …
