Recovery at work insider - Issue 2

Positive workplace culture improves recovery at work outcomes

From the evidence

A positive workplace culture:

• is essential for individual and organisational wellbeing and performance
• can protect workers from common work stressors, reducing the likelihood of injury
• contributes to positive return to work (RTW) outcomes when injury does occur.^1,2

Workplaces with a positive workplace culture typically have:

• people reporting their work is valued and the workplace is supportive
• a commitment to physical and psychological workplace safety
• a supportive recovery environment.³

What you can do

• Assess your workplace culture, and your safety and RTW systems (see Resources and tools) and identify key opportunities for improvement
• Start the conversation with senior leaders about the benefits of a positive workplace culture on RTW and business outcomes
• Develop a plan with measurable outcomes and get support for change across the organisation
• Keep senior management and other key parties informed of your progress and the benefits of change.

Resources and tools

• Superfriend’s Building Thriving Workplaces – guidelines and actions
• Safe Work Australia’s Building positive workplace culture and leadership film
• Mental Health at Work Recovery at Work toolkit
• WorkSafe QLD’s checklist for psychological safety - Mentally healthy workplaces toolkit
• Safe Work Australia’s checklist for physical safety - WHS best practice for employers

Next edition

Our next edition will focus on promoting the health benefits of good work.

Get in touch

• Call 13 10 50
• Email [email protected]

Subscribe

Subscribe to the Recovery at work e-newsletter.

References

1. Superfriend. Building Thriving Workplaces Guidelines and Actions. Promoting positive mental health and wellbeing and unlocking organisational performance.
2. AFOEM of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). 2017. Consensus Statement on the Health Benefits of Good Work.
3. Wyatt, M and Lane, T. 2017. RTW: a comparison of psychological claims and physical injury claims - analysis of the RTW Survey results. Safe Work Australia. Safe Work Australia. National RTW Strategy 2020-2030.