RTO has entered the conversation...
As the Return To Office talk heats up, both Tabcorp and Amazon are making bold moves to bring employees back full-time, reflecting a growing trend among large corporations. Tabcorp’s CEO, Gillon McLachlan, recently mandated that around 1,500 staff in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane return to the office five days a week. McLachlan emphasised that in-person work is essential to fostering a winning culture, boosting collaboration, and driving company success. While this contrasts with the post-pandemic push toward hybrid models, Tabcorp believes face-to-face interaction will strengthen teamwork and improve outcomes.
Similarly, Amazon has also implemented a five-day in-office work policy, reversing its earlier hybrid approach. The company argues that full-time office presence will enhance collaboration, innovation, and communication. Despite some resistance from employees advocating for flexibility, Amazon insists that the benefits of in-office work—such as stronger work relationships and improved performance—outweigh the drawbacks of remote setups. Both companies are prioritising in-person work as crucial to achieving their organisational goals and strengthening workplace culture.
Cut the Sludge!
What's your "Sludge Work"?
In today’s fast-paced workplace, many employees find themselves bogged down by "sludge work" — the repetitive, low-value tasks that distract from meaningful, productive efforts. Think of those unproductive meetings, redundant email chains, or admin duties that do little to drive innovation or satisfaction. Sludge work eats away at time and energy, pulling focus from high-impact activities that could lead to both personal growth and business success.
Some companies, like Mantel Group, are tackling this problem head-on. They're eliminating these unnecessary tasks to foster a more engaged, creative workforce. By reducing sludge work, employees can focus on projects that matter — whether that’s mentoring others, developing new skills, or pushing forward on strategic initiatives. This approach allows for a greater sense of autonomy and purpose, contributing to overall wellbeing.
Reducing sludge work in your workplace can boost not only productivity but also employee satisfaction, creating a more dynamic and engaged team. It's about cutting through the clutter and empowering people to focus on what really drives success.
If you need a quick sanity check on what you are doing for employee wellbeing, I welcome a call here.
Stay Well,
Tom
To discuss how Pinnacle Health Group can help create a safer work environment, click the button below to speak to one of our OHS Directors for a quote:
October Masterclass: How to set up a Wellbeing Program using our SPACE Framework
Chances are, if you’ve been in a health and safety, wellbeing or HR leadership role over the last 3 years - its been pretty difficult to do any forward planning when it comes to employee wellbeing.
Rapid changing environments and return to the physical workplace have all been necessary and reactive responses to the events of the last few years - and only now are many workplace leaders finding space to map out employee wellbeing with any sort of structure.
After the reactive approach, many leaders are finding it difficult to know where to start, when it comes to mapping out a wellbeing strategy that is suited to the long-term, and one that engages employees towards better overall health.
And many of our clients are going through the process of planning their next financial year budget for wellbeing - not knowing what to include, how to deliver it, and how to measure success.
With that in mind, there is a strong need for workplaces to develop, communicate and execute a powerful workplace wellbeing strategy and program for 2024-2025 - so we will be running a masterclass on How to set up a wellbeing program using our SPACE Framework.
Pinnacle Health Group Australia works with over 200 workplaces ranging from global organisations through to start-ups and small businesses. Working across a range of industries in employee wellbeing strategy and programmes has led to plenty of ‘ah ha’ moments and discoveries on the how-to of workplace wellbeing in the changing environment.
Our real signature is to map out a structured, holistic wellbeing program that engages employees from all backgrounds and health profiles - and makes it easier for the leaders to deliver.
In this interactive and practical Masterclass, delivered by Trent Marsh you will learn:
This 45 minute Masterclass is interactive and suitable for people in HR, Health and Wellbeing professionals in large corporate organisations, government teams, those working in mid-tier businesses and even small business owners.
Wednesday, 16th October 2024
12:30 pm – 1:15 pm AEST
Get your FREE and exclusive ticket
National Safe Work Month
Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace: The Power of Proactive Risk Management during National Safe Work Month
In this solo episode of the Well Workplaces Podcast, Tom Bosna delves into workplace safety and risk management. Timed for National Safe Work Month, the theme, "Safety is everyone's business" and urges workplaces to prioritise safety, aiming to reduce work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Tom emphasises the significance of proactive risk management, highlighting its immense contribution to the nation's economy, potentially saving a staggering $28.6 billion by eliminating work-related injuries and illnesses. The episode covers the risk management process, starting with hazard identification. He provides examples of common hazards, from working at heights to exposure to dust and gases, underlining the broad scope of risk management. Tom addresses the challenges of remote work, emphasising the employer's responsibility in ensuring proper equipment and workstation setups. The episode also touches on psychosocial hazards and offers strategies for managing the risk of UV exposure, particularly relevant for outdoor workers. Tom emphasises inclusivity in decision-making and concludes by urging a collective commitment to workplace safety.
Resources
Some other handy resources include:
领英推荐
Safety is Everyone's Business
October is National Work Safety Month
It might sound bleedingly obvious, but the early prevention, and detection of musculoskeletal injuries and its workplace causes - has changed significantly in the last few years.
Not only have such programs needed to adapt to some hybrid workforces, flexible and remote working, and the different postures and stresses that have resulted from this - but the general physical health and wellbeing of employees is under the microscope like never before.
A recent meta-evaluation looking at economic return of worksite health and wellbeing programs, found on average, programs were associated with:
Providing an early intervention and injury prevention program for workplaces is imperative, not only to prevent injuries and reduce the associated costs, but to signal a proactive approach to health and wellbeing within the workplace culture.
Well, this is something that we have focussed on at Pinnacle Health Group for over 15 years and with over 200 workplace clients, and one of our absolute passions is sharing this knowledge with as many workplaces and health and safety leaders as we possibly can!
If you would like to learn more about the what, why, and how when it comes to early intervention and injury prevention in the workplace, you can watch the recording of our Masterclass Webinar, where we unveil the game-changing benefits of Injury Prevention and Early Intervention in the workplace.
What's in it for you?
Boost Employee Morale: Learn how injury prevention programs can elevate workplace satisfaction and motivation.
Supercharge Productivity: Discover the direct link between injury prevention and enhanced performance.
Foster Team Collaboration: Explore how early intervention strengthens teamwork and employee relationships.
Reduce Costs: Find out how proactively addressing injuries can significantly cut healthcare and compensation expenses.
Improve Bottom Line: See real-world case studies showcasing the financial gains of investing in employee well-being.
This session will provide practical insights, actionable strategies, and success stories that will leave you inspired and ready to revolutionise your workplace culture.
This 45minute Masterclass Replay, delivered by Josh Lambert, is interactive and suitable for people in HR, or Health, Safety and Wellbeing professionals in large organisations, government teams, those working in mid-tier businesses and even small business owners.
The Great Unbossing - have you heard of it?
"Unbossing" is a fresh approach to leadership where companies move away from traditional hierarchies and give employees more autonomy. Instead of managers calling all the shots, workers are empowered to make decisions, collaborate directly with leadership, and drive innovation. This, not only boosts creativity, but also job satisfaction, creating more adaptable teams that thrive in fast-paced environments.
However, balancing this flexibility with efficiency isn’t easy, especially in the face of economic pressures and the rise of AI. While the shift to remote work during the pandemic worked for many, maintaining productivity and culture over time has been tricky. As AI continues to change roles, organisations are navigating how to blend human skills with technology. The goal is to create workplaces where employees feel both empowered and supported, with leadership guiding teams through these evolving dynamics.
For companies focused on wellbeing, this shift can create more engaged, motivated, and resilient teams—ready to meet the challenges of the modern workplace.
Clerical workers could soon get more WFH rights
Millions of clerical workers may soon gain the right to request work-from-home arrangements under proposed changes, which business groups and employment lawyers believe will also enable unions to advocate for similar rights for all office workers.
The article focuses on clerical workers and their potential new rights to request work-from-home arrangements. Clerical workers typically handle administrative tasks such as data entry, scheduling, and record-keeping. They are often employed in office environments where remote work could be a feasible option.
The proposed changes to workplace regulations are aimed specifically at this group, but the implications extend further. Business groups and employment lawyers argue that if these changes are implemented, they could set a precedent for broader worker rights. This could empower unions and advocacy groups to push for similar flexible work arrangements for a wider range of office workers, potentially impacting employees across various sectors who perform tasks that could be done remotely.
In summary, while the immediate focus is on clerical workers, the potential shift in policy could influence the broader landscape of flexible work rights for many office-based employees.
Catch up on our latest Well Workplaces Podcast episodes:
The Well Workplaces podcast is designed to create genuine wellbeing conversations in the workplace, sharing expert knowledge in a practical way.
Latest Articles on the Blog
Medibank Private Limited ABN 47 080 890 259 trading as Pinnacle Health Group
1300 424 895 | Level 2/695 Collins St, Docklands VIC 3008 [email protected] | pinnaclehealthgroup.com.au
PREMIUM GHOSTWRITER | WORDS that WIN for YOU | Social Media Content for B2B Founders, CEO's, Executives | Former Oil & Gas Industry CEO
1 个月I think this is going to have to be carefully navigated, Tom. Great post!
Certified Professional Lifecoach, Certified Mindset Coach & Public Health Professional
1 个月great perspective here
Professionally delivered software projects. On-time. On-budget. Above expectations. We solve your software problems ? Fully-managed ? Outsourced ? Project Delivery Specialists.
1 个月Great insights! The balance between in-person collaboration and flexibility is definitely key in today’s workplace.