hours of work – Page 3 – SafetyAtWorkBlog

Old news is new news

Recently, parliamentary workplaces in the United Kingdom and Australia have had scandals about inappropriate behaviour – COVID-era parties and sexual harassment and assault, respectively. Official inquiries have repeatedly identified that Ministers and parliamentarians are overwhelmed with paperwork and expectations of being contactable 24/7. These do not excuse poor, unsuitable or criminal behaviour, but they are part of poor work design and contribute to poor psychological health and can be improved. But overwork in parliament is not a new phenomenon.

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The 38-Hour Week is not a Myth—It’s an Ignored Safeguard

Safe Work Australia’s recent Research Summit conducted several workshops. Time allowed delegates to only attend two of the eight – a morning and an afternoon. The standout seminar I attended was for “Work as a determinant of our psychological health”.

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Heat, Harm and the Cost of Denial

As Victoria shivers in the middle of its Winter and a cop-killer runs loose in the mountains in the middle of the state, it may seem odd to think about the occupational health and safety (OHS) context of working in excessive heat. However, give us a couple of months, and it will be a hot topic again in the Southern Hemisphere. (First and last weather pun, I promise)

A recent article in The New York Times (paywalled) examined excessive heat in Spain, providing useful details on the changes being implemented—some old, some new.

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A Fair Day’s Work: Leisure, Safety, and the Politics of Time

Recently, I read Sean Scalmers’ new book “A Fair Day’s Work“. Last week, Scalmer spoke at a lunchtime lecture. There were two questions that I posed in the online seminar, but neither was answered at the time. Thankfully, he responded to me directly.

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“reinvigorated in nerve and muscle” – working hours and OHS

Prominent in some of Australia’s political and economic debates are issues related to hours of work. This may be associated with the four-day work week, the five-day work week in construction, working from home, or the general debate about productivity, whatever definition you prefer, and there are many.

With the political backdrop of the government’s Economics Roundtable, a very timely new book by Sean Scalmer – “A Fair Day’s Work – The Quest to Win Back Time” was published.

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Construction Safety Reform Begins When Government Commits

The Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT) has released a significant report about the pilot projects for its Culture Standard for the Construction Industry. It claims some significant changes in productivity, diversity and occupational health and safety (OHS).

According to a media release by the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) accompanying the report:

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Avoiding Burnout in the Corridors of Power

Last week, some of the Nine newspapers reported on a spate of departures (paywalled) from the Australian Prime Minister’s office. There is always a constant churn of political staffers, with regular movement between private enterprise and public service.

There are some sound economic reasons for leaving just after 12 months into a new government, and the departures are not indicative of a toxic workplace, but working hours in the Australian Parliamentary and political sector have been contentious recently. This latest newspaper article notes the role of working hours but, curiously, primarily in passing.

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