State and Federal Health ministers meet on Thursday to consider the landmark Boland Review of Work, Health & Safety Laws.
Finance Sector Union (FSU) National Secretary Julia Angrisano has stressed the need for a positive outcome for finance sector workers.
Ms Angrisano said the FSU was calling on the Health Ministers to:
· Amend regulations to deal with identifying psycho-social risks associated with psychological injury and the control measures to manage those risks;
· Review incident notification provisions to provide for a notification trigger and that they cover illnesses emerging from new work practices, industries and work arrangements;
· Enhance Category 1 offences if an employer is grossly negligent in exposing an individual to a risk of serious harm or death; and
· Amend the model WHS Act to provide for a new offence of industrial manslaughter.
"A recent ACTU study 'Work Shouldn't Hurt' found that finance sector workers are more likely to take 12 months or more off work due to mental health issues. This is higher than in other industries and I think a lot of the community will be surprised by this" Ms Angrisano said.
The FSU and the University of Divinity have completed their own studies that offer a similar picture of the devastating impact of 'unaddressed psychological hazards' or 'impaired emotional and psychological functioning' due to unhealthy financial services industry workplaces.
"We need new regulations that identify the psycho-social risks and the appropriate control measures to manage those risks," Ms Angrisano said.
"We want to highlight the impact of toxic workplace practices on finance sector workers who are subjected to extraordinary levels of workplace pressure by their employers to continually meet unrealistic sales targets."
"It is vital that workers are protected from the full range of potential harms when they go to work, and that employers act to eliminate or reduce risks to mental health, including those caused by sexual harassment."
"To achieve that outcome, we need stronger workplace laws."
