Family First
Additional comments
The practices and procedures of Australia Post over the past
three years in relation to the treatment of injured and ill workers has been
cause for serious concern.
Family First successfully moved for a Senate Inquiry because
for too long these serious allegations were ignored by successive governments
and the concerns were not properly investigated.
During the inquiry and submission process a number of alarming
revelations were brought to light which describe how Australia Post has been
forcing its injured staff to return to work well before they have recovered
from workplace injuries.
Family First believe that this is largely due to flawed salary
bonus policies which are based on "lost time injury" figures. As a
result of these salary bonus policies, managers are encouraged to unfairly
pressure workers to return to work prematurely when they are still recovering
from a workplace injury. In fact, this bonus system may be jeopardising the
health and wellbeing of Australia Post employees recovering from workplace
injuries.
For example, in a submission to the inquiry, it was revealed
how Mr Scott Lynch, an Australia Post employee, was forced back to work simply
to sit in a lunch room and watch TV so that the lost time injury figures would
could be kept low. This kind of action is outrageous and puts the health of
workers at risk.
Furthermore, during the inquiry the committee heard from an
Australia Post employee, Mr Trevor Crawford, who described how after suffering
a brain haemorrhage and broken rib, he was forced to return to work for just 45
minutes per day, which included a 15 minute break.
He stated,
How useful can you be to an organisation when you get sent
back to work for 45 minutes a day? I was not allowed to drive. I was supposed
to take a 15-minute break in the middle of those 45 minutes. I was not allowed
to stand while I was at work. This was all written into the directions of my
return to work program, and that puts you offside straight away. It adds stress
to your life. You are wondering what the heck is going to happen next. I was
doing a duty which I was totally unfamiliar with. It was a duty that was of no
use to anybody because I probably made so many mistakes that someone else would
have had to basically redo it anyway. They just wanted you to be seen to be at
work, and that was wrong.
Both these examples demonstrate clearly that the salary bonus
policies encourage managers to fudge the numbers in order to increase their own
pay packet and are inappropriate.
During the inquiry it was also heard how Australia Post has
been exercising its powers under the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989
to force injured workers to attend InjuryNET facility nominated doctors despite
the preference of some workers to attend their own GP.
This has resulted in workers being recommended for modified or
light duties in cases where the worker's own GP has declared them unfit for
work and raised further questions about the integrity of this program.
Similar concerns were raised by Dr Con Costa about the
independence of these opinions,
If that doctor is being paid quite a high fee and is
contracted to InjuryNET it is not what we really call a second opinion. It is a
paid-for opinion. I do not know if I am explaining myself very well. The
importance of any doctor opinion should not be based on who is paying that
doctor; it should be an independent opinion by someone who has no interest—is
not employed by that third party. That is a worthwhile second opinion. To me,
any other second opinion is not really worth while.
Family First does not believe that the medical advice of
workers' own GPs should be overridden by the advice of facility nominated
doctors who have a conflict of interest.
Subsequent to the hearing, it was announced that a memorandum
of understanding was signed between the CEPU and Australia Post to eliminate
bonuses based on Lost Time Injuries. Family First welcomes this announcement
and the decision to eliminate a flawed incentive program.
Recommendation
Family First recommends that Australia Post conduct a
complete review of its salary bonus policies and eliminate any policies which
raise a conflict of interest between the financial rewards paid to managers and
the health and wellbeing of employees.
Senator Steve Fielding
Family First Party
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