1. EMPLOYERS & WORKPLACE HEALTH
Translating Research into Best Practice
Nikki Brouwers
Occupational Therapist &
Managing Director, The Interact Group

2. OVERVIEW Health Benefits of Good Work
Early Intervention in the Workplace
Importance of Employer Contact
Summary of the Research

3. HBGW IN A NUTSHELL … “Work is a tonic that makes you well”.
Long term worklessness has the same health impacts of smoking 10 packets of cigarettes a day (Alyward, 2010).
The use of research to influence NTD’s to “prescribe” work as treatment and to outline the side effects of worklessness.
Focus on capacity not incapacity.
Positive psychology.

4. FAILURE OF THE MEDICAL MODEL Engel, 1977; Kiesler, 1999; Mead and Bower, 2000; Glouberman, 2001; Waddell & Burton, 2004; Marmot, 2004; Aylward, 2005)
Recovery is not a casual relationship.
Cure is NOT the only route to return to work: ageing workforce.
Focus on treatment and pain is perpetuating disability.
Diagnosis is not a predictor to RTW (OECD, 2007).
It is far more important to know what person the disease has, than what disease the person has!
So why do we focus on MRI results, treatment plans assuming this will lead to RTW outcomes?

5. NEW RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Safe Work Australia, 2016
Employer Response and Early Intervention is crucial
What does this look like..?

6. POSITIVE EMPLOYER RESPONSE
Early assistance and intervention pre-claim
Early reporting of injury (and lodgment of claim)
Make an effort to support the worker & help with recovery
Find suitable duties
Provide information on rights and responsibilities
Treat the worker fairly both during and after the claims process
Contact, especially early contact
New research illustrates the power of the employer and rehabilitation IN THE WORKPLACE
A positive employer response is critical
Research conducted for Safe Work Australia in 2016
Presented by Dr Mary Wyatt at the most recent HBOGW Forum in Melbourne (last year)

7. … leads to a remarkable increase in RTW rates!
New research illustrates the power of the employer and rehabilitation IN THE WORKPLACE
A positive employer response is critical
Research conducted for Safe Work Australia in 2016
Presented by Dr Mary Wyatt at the most recent HBOGW Forum in Melbourne (last year)

8. POSITIVE EMPLOYER RESPONSE
43% improvement in RTW rates for physical claims
65% higher RTW rate in psychological claims
Ref: RTW Survey: Safe Work Australia, 2016

9. POSITIVE EMPLOYER RESPONSE
Pre claim assistance from employer associated with higher RTW for both groups:
19% higher physical claims (83% vs 70%)
33% higher psychological claims (72% vs 54%)
Ref: RTW Survey: Safe Work Australia, 2016

10. DISPUTES & EMPLOYER RESPONSE
When a dispute is present, RTW less likely in both psychological and physical claims.
No dispute:
RTW is 22% higher (physical claims)
RTW is 31% higher (psychological claims)
Ref: RTW Survey: Safe Work Australia, 2016

11. CONCERN ABOUT CLAIM LODGEMENT
Low levels of concern about lodging a claim associated with higher RTW result for both groups
Difference greater for psychological claims
Ref: RTW Survey: Safe Work Australia, 2016

12. SUPERVISORS ARE KEY
Supervisors are the worker’s first point of contact
Supervisors need support and training to deliver best practice employer response
They need the skills, competencies and knowledge to enable them to support workers under their supervision

13. POWER OF EMPLOYER CONTACT
Our experience with injured workers off work for 1-12 weeks = no contact from the employer at all – only from the insurer
Usual response from employers is:
“I thought that was the insurer’s job” “I didn’t know what to say” “It isn’t my job. The policy says the supervisor/manager is to call”  “I was worried that they would think that I was pushing them back to work”

14. POWER OF EMPLOYER CONTACT
A change in behaviour and expectations is required to deliver best practice and achieve better RTW outcomes.

15. SUMMARY
The workplace provides the most cost effective intervention with a recover at work focus:
RTW Survey analysis shows the greatest influencing factor is the workplace
58% reduction in days lost and a 38% reduction in claims costs
Pre-claim assistance from employer associated with higher RTW for both groups:
19% higher for physical claims (83% vs 70%)
33% higher for psychological claims (72% vs 54%)

16. THANK YOU Nikki Brouwers Managing Director The Interact Group

17. REFERENCES
Realising the Health Benefits of Work - The Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
What the Research is Telling Employers – Dr Mary Wyatt source/default-document-library/what-the-research-is-telling-employers.pdf?sfvrsn=0
National Mental Health Report 2013; Tracking progress of mental health reform in Australia, $File/rep13.pdf
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies & Employment Support in England Presentation by Kevin Mullins -
Helping_people_return_to_work__-_Using_Evidence_for_Better_Outcomes_280510_v1 -
Waddell G A, Burton AK. Is Work Good for Your Health and Well‐being? London; 2006.
Institute for Work and Health, Return-to-work practices,
Dame Black, C, Frost, D, November 2011, Health at work – an independent review of sickness absence, The Stationary Office Limited, United Kingdom.
Dame Black, C, September 2012, 6th International Forum on Disability Management, 10 September 2012, Disability Management and work. Are we making progress? London, United Kingdom.
Engel, 1977; Kiesler, 1999; Mead and Bower, 2000; Glouberman, 2001; Waddell & Burton, 2004; Marmot, 2004; Aylward, 2005