Articles

This page lists all practical and feature articles available on RTWMatters. From top ten tips, how to guides and case studies, through to webinar recordings and video interviews with industry experts.

Click the ‘Topics’ button below to drill down into all articles and research updates on your topic of interest.

Click the ‘Quick Guides’ button for practical bit sized guides that give you a sound basic knowledge base.

What's work got to do...got to do with it?

contributorGabrielle Lis

Returning to work is even harder if the work itself feels meaningless. What makes a job meaningful?

Motivation - the juice, just gimme the juice.

contributorAnna Kelsey-Sugg

The what, where and why of motivation, distilled to dot points.

How is exposure to trauma affecting you and your employees?

contributorAnna Kelsey-Sugg

There is a way of minimising the adverse effects trauma workers are exposed to - start by...

Things have gotta change: back pain and why our thinking is all wrong

contributorAnna Kelsey-Sugg

When it comes to back pain, we don't have the right vocabulary - and we need it. The right words...

Case Study: Mild traumatic brain injury

contributorBronnie Thompson

Just over two years ago I was in a hurry. I'd been to a store and was returning home to...

Not working is bad for the heart and the head. There's proof.

contributorRobert Hughes

UK research evidence shows that risk of death for workless people is 20% higher.

All bad news or incentive to improve?

contributorGabrielle Lis

The financial crisis provides employers opportunity to support employees to better health - but...

Grrrrrrrr

contributorRobert Hughes

Who suffers when people dud the system?

Are you happy with your working relationships?

contributorRobert Hughes

Workers' Comp has a high staff turnaround, so a working relationship still great after 11 years...

Tired of workplace health wannabes?

contributorGabrielle Lis

Every workplace has health champions and health underdogs. Motivating the latter can be a real...

Fatigue is the biggest threat to a person's safety

contributorKevin Jones

A new perspective on an established hazard

An open letter to the Heads of Australian Workers' Compensation Authorities.

contributorRobert Hughes

How one woman changed Australian culture and why RTW can profit from her example.

The power of storytelling

contributorAnna Kelsey-Sugg

The impact of 'patient narrative' - first-hand stories of illness and injury - shouldn't be...

Musculoskeletal hazards: Why ticking the box gets a red cross

contributorGabrielle Lis

Assessing risk isn't about ticks and crosses in a box. So why do Australian workplaces tend to...

Riding the see-saw of workers' comp costs

contributorGabrielle Lis

During recession, claim numbers go down but claim duration goes up. What happens to costs?

Workers' comp and recession: Expect a decline in rate of claims

contributorGabrielle Lis

Unless plant closures and mass lay-offs are planned, workers' comp claim rates decline during...

Patient styles, distress, and what they get

contributorDr Mary Wyatt

How patients communicate has an important influence on the treatment they receive.

Tests vs. Symptoms - which wins?

contributorDr Mary Wyatt

Is it useful to know the pathology of a wrinkle?

Superdoc (11) - Claims staff turnover? No surprises when you think about it

contributorSuperDoc

Job turnover in claims staff is high; if staff felt they could make a positive difference,...

New Zealand's Bronnie Thompson looks at the next steps back to work - looking broadly at the path forward.

contributorBronnie Thompson

Two cases demonstrate the importance of thinking about the big picture in return to work

Superdoc (10) - Rehabilitate or terminate - who cares?

contributorSuperDoc

Financial rewards and KPIs as perverse incentives.

Superdoc (9) - Back pain and investigations

contributorSuperDoc

An investigation won't tell us what we usually need to know about back pain - so why do we often...

Superdoc (8) - Back pain and the 'fear avoidance model'

contributorSuperDoc

Our Superhero Superdoc is back on back pain and the importance of not being afraid of it.

OHS and Return-To-Work

contributorKevin Jones

On developing a good relationship with OHS Managers.

RTW success sounds like this

contributorAnna Kelsey-Sugg

Have a look at this letter from an employee of one workplace doing fantastic things for injured...

Superdoc (7) - Fighting fear and back pain

contributorSuperDoc

Fear and back pain make a destructive combination - our local superhero talks about why.

What creates positive workplace culture?

contributorRobert Hughes

When we look at the reader statistics for Return To Work Matters it is obvious that Workplace...

SuperDoc (6) - Issues around causation

contributorSuperDoc

A look at the issues surrounding work causation ... and the funny questions people ask superheros.

SuperDoc (5) - On partnerships with doctors

contributorSuperDoc

Partnerships between doctors and the workplace are worth working on.

SuperDoc (4) - Communicating with doctors

contributorSuperDoc

How to Communicate with Doctors (or Yakking with Quacks)

SuperDoc (3) - On the importance of listening - and saying no.

contributorSuperDoc

Super Doc gives a super-spiel about the importance of listening - and saying no

SuperDoc (2) - On medical certificates & common sense

contributorSuperDoc

On medical certificates, flexibility and common sense

SuperDoc (1) - On not treating doctors as the Great Decider

contributorSuperDoc

Better than a blog - it's a monologue! Not the Great Decider, who is this guy?

What's it all about?

contributorRobert Hughes

The what and why of Return To Work Matters

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