Director faces prison for workplace death

A black and white photo of two hands holding onto jail bars.

In a stark demonstration of the consequences of failing to properly meet work health and safety standards, a company director in Western Australia has become the first person to serve a prison sentence in consequence of a workplace death. Whilst terms of imprisonment are not new to work health and safety laws – being introduced…

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Night on the town sinks compensation claim

An in-action shot of a short glass with some alcohol (similar to whiskey or rum) in the middle of being knocked and the alcohol is splashing out of the glass.

Many employers offer their employees the opportunity to travel during their employment – whether to meet clients or customers, or to attend training, seminars, or conferences, and this is often considered a “perk” of the job. health and safety Often these journeys come with a reasonable amount of down-time between formal engagements, during which the…

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Domestic violence results in workers compensation payment

A half shot in black and white of a person extending their arms and showing the palm of their right hand, which covers their entire face. The motion is insinuating pushing something away or saying 'no'.

The need for employers to consider the impact of domestic and family violence on their workforce has been highlighted by the outbreak of COVID-19, with many domestic and family violence support services reporting a spike in cases as a result of lockdowns across the country. A recent case, Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer v Hill [2020] NSWCA 54, has illustrated…

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What you need to know about the latest changes to the Workers’ Compensation scheme in Queensland

a yellow triangle sign nailed onto a wooden post. The sign shows a stick figure slipping on something and is about to fall down.

Last week the Queensland Government passed new laws that will change the state’s Workers’ Compensation scheme by introducing some greater responsibilities on employers and insurers, and expanding the scope of coverage for the scheme. The Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 (Qld) proposes to adopt a number of recommendations from last…

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Break-ception: when a pre-shift smoko on-site is a ‘temporary absence’ from work

A person's hand can be seen holding a lit cigarette on the left hand side of the image.

Workers’ compensation legislation can be complicated and confusing, even to experts, and the recent Queensland case of Mandep Sarkaria v Workers’ Compensation Regulator [2019] ICQ 001 aptly demonstrates just how technically bewildering this legislation can be. In this case, the Industrial Court of Queensland held that Ms Sarkaria was “temporarily absent from her place of employment” on…

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