Intelligence

Psychosocial harm in the workplace often develops gradually as multiple pressures accumulate over time, making it difficult to recognise until a crisis emerges. Understanding how factors like workload, organisational change, poor communication, and inadequate support interact can help leaders identify patterns early and implement effective controls before serious incidents occur.

Cooper Grace Ward's Damien Jarrett and Jess Byrne examine Hunter v Alliance Airlines Pty Ltd, a Supreme Court workers' compensation case involving a cabin crew member's back injury from a jammed galley cart. The discussion explores how the case evolved from maintenance and staffing allegations into a training dispute, and examines the court's approach to quantum arguments when the injured worker chose to pursue her own business rather than return to employment.

Coal miners in New South Wales hold special status as exempt workers under the workers compensation scheme, affording them protections that differ significantly from standard workers. Despite recent legislative reforms that have reshaped the NSW workers compensation landscape, coal miners retain many of their historical entitlements, including ongoing weekly payments without strict cut-offs and exemption from standard work capacity assessments.

The Australian Government has released draft legislation proposing to ban non-compete clauses for workers earning below the Fair Work Act high-income threshold, currently $190,100 per year. The reforms are not yet law and are intended to commence in 2027, subject to legislation passing Parliament.

The High Court's Personnel Contracting decision fundamentally changed how businesses must assess worker relationships, revealing that ABNs and contractor agreements alone don't determine employment status. When the ATO or state revenue authorities reclassify these arrangements, businesses face retrospective liabilities across PAYG withholding, superannuation, and payroll tax that can transform healthy balance sheets into insolvency scenarios.

A plaintiff was awarded $1.38 million in damages against his employer after sustaining injuries consequent to a fall from his own ladder while inspecting hail damage to a roof