The Safe Work Australia Psychosocial Health, Safety and Bullying in Australian Workplaces report has revealed the frequency rate (claims per 100 million hours worked) of mental stress claims, which declined from 2002–03 to 2015–16, is rising again in recent years.
The rate for harassment and/or bullying claims has increased over the same period reaching 17.5% in 2018-19.
“The 2018-19 rate is likely to be higher once claims numbers are finalised. These trend data provide one indicator of the psychosocial health and safety status of Australian workplaces over time and should be interpreted with caution,” Safe Work Australia said.
“Factors such as changes to jurisdictional legislation, and an increased willingness to report and claim for work-related mental stress, will also have influenced the number of claims over the reporting period.”
The data revealed that while mental stress claims only make up a small proportion of overall claims, the associated time lost and costs are significantly higher compared to those observed for all workers’ compensation claims.
"Mental stress claims provide a source of information on the psychosocial health and safety status of Australian workplaces," the report said.
"Mental stress includes a subcategory of claims for harassment and/or bullying. These data provide a reasonable match to the accepted definition of workplace bullying, which is repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety."
RATE OF CLAIMS
The frequency rates of workers’ compensation claims for harassment and/or bullying and exposure to workplace or occupational violence made by female employees were more than twice the rates of these claims made by males over the three years 2016-17 to 2018-19 combined.
Similarly, the rate for claims made by females relating to work pressure was almost twice that of similar claims made by males.
The research found occupations with a higher risk of exposure to work-related harassment and/or workplace bullying include clerical and administrative workers, defence force members, firefighters, police and labourers.
Industry groups with the highest rates of claims for work-related harassment and/or workplace bullying are public order and safety services, residential care services and civic, professional and other interest group services.
This is the sixth annual national statement issued by Safe Work Australia to identify trends in psychosocial health and safety and bullying in Australian workplaces. The data presented in this statement are accepted workers’ compensation claims caused by mental stress.
This mechanism of injury or disease is assigned to claims when an employee has been exposed to one of a range of stressors e.g. harassment or bullying, traumatic events or unreasonable work pressure, that has caused an injury or disease.
Workers’ compensation data provide the only national administrative data indicators for psychosocial stressors in Australian workplaces, including workplace bullying.
