Australia has one of the highest price tags for alcoholic drinks, and this fact drives higher demand for illicit drugs, which tend to be much cheaper than alcohol, according to an article written by Inga Ting for The Sydney Morning Herald.
In all fairness, many employers are actually doing their best to comply with work health and safety regimes. The problem, however, lies in the fact that they have to comply with up to eight different work health and safety regulations, especially when they have operations in various jurisdictions across Australia.
In the face of all the red tape and complications of this existing system, there is a need for new, streamlined and national work safety laws, and that is exactly what a bill filed before Parliament aims to do once it becomes a law.
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In line with its mission to recognise and reward excellence in workplace health and safety, Comcare has announced the names of the finalists for this year’s 2014 Comcare Work Health and Safety Awards.
The Fair Work Commission has deemed fair the decision of Qantas Airways Ltd to terminate the employment of an employee who showed up for work intoxicated.
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has decided to uphold the termination of a worker who tested positive for cannabis by Woolstar Pty Ltd, saying the levels of THC, the most active compound in cannabis, found in his system during a workplace drug test is “a matter for alarm”.
A survey conducted by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC) has revealed that one out of three people employed in companies with drug-testing programs in place continue smoking cannabis, believing they are unlikely to be ever tested.
The Fair Work Commission has ruled against urine testing because, unlike oral swabs, urine testing is unjust and invasive, but don’t really offer more than what oral swabs provide.
It’s heartening to know that many companies are now taking the health and well-being of their employees seriously by implementing well-being programs. Considering that providing medical checks, vaccinations, fitness programs, and even gym memberships were hardly a priority in the past, these programs that help ensure a healthy workforce are a welcome addition in the lives of employees of all ages and rank.
However, for all the benefits that well-being programs offer employees, they should not be the end-all and be-all of an organisation’s WHS or Work Health and Safety management system. Unfortunately, many employers today seem to put a lot more emphasis on well-being programs than those that concern overall workplace safety.
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