The 'nanny state' gets worse...

[prydey]

http://www.news.com.au/business/work...-1226489795262

BOSSES will have to roster jobs around workers' social lives and check that staff who yawn or daydream aren't too tired to work safely.
Those proposals are contained under national laws being drawn up to fight workplace fatigue.
Employers are furious they will be turned into the "yawn police" under Safe Work Australia's draft code of practice for workplace fatigue.
The government agency's checklist for employers to spot worker fatigue includes headaches, daydreaming, constant yawning, low motivation and moodiness.
It has proposed that bosses "eliminate or reduce the need to work extended hours or overtime" so staff don't get too tired.
"Safety critical" tasks - such as administering drugs, driving a truck or electrical work - should not be performed in the post-lunch "low body clock period" of 2pm to 4pm, the draft code states.
And rosters should be drawn up to accommodate workers' social lives.
"If a worker leaves their job tired and exhausted they may be less able to enjoy out of work activities or could be a danger to themselves and others in the community," the document says.
"Likewise, if a worker arrives at work unfit for duty due to a lack of sleep, illness or other condition, they may be less productive or could be a danger to themselves and others in the workplace.
"To avoid any potential conflicts between personal and work demands, controls include (to) consult with workers and design shift rosters that will enable workers to meet both work and personal commitments."
The code says employers should train workers in "balancing work and personal lifestyle demands".
The code of practice - to be finalised next year - will be admissible in court if an employer is charged with breaching workplace health and safety laws.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Peter Anderson said employers should not be held responsible for fatigued workers worn out from partying or family demands.
"It would require employers to delve into matters of a personal and private nature that are none of their business," he said.
"We don't want to be the yawn police."
The Australian Industry Group's representative on the Safe Work Australia board, Mark Goodsell, warned that employers might be held responsible for the fatigue of staff moonlighting in other jobs.
Any boss who pried into a worker's partying habit would "look like a nark and invade their privacy", he said.
"People can lie to you and say they weren't doing anything on the weekend to make them tired," he said.
"They've got no obligation to tell you what they're doing at home.
"But there is a legal implication that if an employer is accused of breaking the law, the fact you weren't following the code can be used against you."
Even unions have criticised the code, with the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union complaining the fatigue checklist is "not very helpful".
"How would a workplace assess such things as `reduced immune system function' or `hallucinations' and `headaches'?" it told Safe Work Australia in a submission.
And the ACTU suggested that high-risk tasks be minimised between 2am and 6am - not the the 2pm to 4pm suggested in the code.
Safe Work Australia said it was revising the code to address concerns - but would not give details of any changes.
"Changes aim to reflect recent research findings and outcomes of case law," a spokeswoman said.
----------
FYI Checklist: Safe Work Australia's guide to worker fatigue
> Headaches and/or dizziness
> Wandering thoughts, daydreaming, lack of concentration
> Blurred vision or difficulty keeping eyes open
> Constant yawning, a drowsy relaxed feeling or falling asleep at work
> Moodiness such as irritability
> Short term memory problems
> Low motivation
> Hallucinations
> Impaired decision-making and judgment
> Slow reflexes and responses
> Reduced immune system function
> Increased errors
> Extended sleep during days off work
> Falling asleep for a few seconds without realising
> Drifting in and out of traffic lanes
Source: Safe Work Australia draft code of practice on workplace fatigue


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/work...#ixzz28YTOKYGf

surely this can't be serious!!

[pottery beige]

surely this was drafted by some green slanted overeducated accedemic...

who wouldnt know a hard days work if it snuck up and slapped em on the ***..

do good world gives me the *****.. accomadating the weak.. we all become weak.. how about the weak just toughen the **** up...

[prydey]

imagine trying to get deliveries done in the early afternoon!!

'yeah, it will have to wait for tomorrow now, my driver is just having his siesta as he was a bit tired after lunch..'

whatever next.

so if you decide to have a big night mid week, your boss then has to accomodate you?? here's a solution, meet them at the door with their pay check and tell them to find employment elsewhere!!

[ROBBO1981]

and all the 457 visa workers are rubbing there hands

[csv8]

GovCo gets worse......"For the first time, the Government's paid parental leave for fathers will be extended to dads who whose partner is another dad.

Two women who become mums are also eligible for the paid leave.

The two weeks of baby care leave, paid at the minimum wage of about $606 a week, will from next January be available for fathers with same sex partners.

The baby they care for could come from adoption, sur
rogacy or other arrangements with a birth mother.

It is the exact scheme which will be used by fathers in conventional households from January 1.

Last January the Government introduced paid parental leave of 18 weeks for the "primary carer", usually the mother. Some 200,000 have taken up the baby care break."

[FGII-XR6]

this is not a new thing, employers in the heavy vehicle industry are already responsible for monitoring fatigue under the chain of responsibility provision of national fatigue laws.
This is a safety issue and the impact of worker fatigue can't be minimised. that being said a driver who is constantly fatigued can have his suitability for the position reviewed

[prydey]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

this is not a new thing, employers in the heavy vehicle industry are already responsible for monitoring fatigue under the chain of responsibility provision of national fatigue laws.
This is a safety issue and the impact of worker fatigue can't be minimised. that being said a driver who is constantly fatigued can have his suitability for the position reviewed

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Pilots and truckies have a strict set of fatigue rules they work by.... the pilots rules for flying hours etc have been around for decades.

Doctors and nurses Australia wide are frequently working up to 3 and 4 days straight with only a few hrs sleep in empty hospital beds (and not going home).

I can understand if Hosptials were finally forced to introduce such rules, but for the rest of the workforce?

In any case its only a draft (daft) proposal.

agree with these 2 posts but certain employment positions carry with them responsibility.

what gets me about the article is the opening line..

BOSSES will have to roster jobs around workers' social lives and check that staff who yawn or daydream aren't too tired to work safely.

obviously this is just the journo's words but i like to stay up late on sunday nights to watch the F1 etc, so my boss now needs to factor that in to my roster...??

[Jim Goose]

Pilots and truckies have a strict set of fatigue rules they work by.... the pilots rules for flying hours etc have been around for decades.

Doctors and nurses Australia wide are frequently working up to 3 and 4 days straight with only a few hrs sleep in empty hospital beds (and not going home).

I can understand if Hosptials were finally forced to introduce such rules, but for the rest of the workforce?

In any case its only a draft (daft) proposal.

[GTP owner]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Doctors and nurses Australia wide are frequently working up to 3 and 4 days straight with only a few hrs sleep in empty hospital beds (and not going home).

I can understand if Hosptials were finally forced to introduce such rules, but for the rest of the workforce?

In any case its only a draft (daft) proposal.

No we don't work 3 to four days straight. Safety rules have curtailed the extreme hours and it is now considered unreasonable to make someone work under those type of conditions - for patient safety reasons. A dr can't be held responsible for an adverse outcome if forced to work unreasonable hours.
A heavy week these days is around 70 hours. We don't have them very often.

I can imagine the new laws in place...."sorry mrs J I can't come to deliver your baby, I'm recovering from a big day in the shed working on my XB, and watching Bathurst with my mates. You understand don't you, it's about a social life/work life balance"

[2011G6E]

Fatigue management is a simply huge part of our industry (train driving). We have education campaigns, handouts, booklets, meetings, etc, on how tom manage and more importantly recognise fatigue.

We all know heroes who claim they can drive on a trip for twelve or more hours straight, but they can't. Well...they do, but they're human like the rest of us and are affected by fatigue.

The trick with the difference between being "tired" and being "fatigued" is that you will know you are tired, but you won't usually know when you're fatigued, which is much more dangerous. Unless you know the warning signs...or have an offsider like we do who is told to watch for them...you will not know you've drifted off until the worst happens.

We are told that if we think we might be unfit for duty for any reason (as with the above case of going to work after a funeral), then just call in sick. If you have a valid explanation, you won't get into trouble. It;s our responsibility to ensure we are fit for duty.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Fatigue management is a simply huge part of our industry (train driving).

Originally Posted by mik

fatigue management is also a big part of the truck industry,

most of these types of industries, there is already legislation in place. the way i read the article was implementing it across the board in all workplaces. anyone who can't see how ridiculous that is is just stubborn.

maybe people will realise how stupid it is when they notice the price of everything going up because bosses now have to try to cover for those who think the world revolves around them.

[RspecAU]

It may seem a bit trival to those who think this is a joke but how the hell would ur wives and families feel if u were killed at work by some who wasn't able to concentrate and trust me when i say that workplace deaths are quiet high not only in australia but world wide. Safety is big thing and shouldn't be taken lighty.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by RspecAU

Safety is big thing and shouldn't be taken lighty.

Agree, but there is a difference between safety and wrapping the entire world in cotton wool.

[Jim Goose]

I know some mine sites employ some rediculas rules, as well as some good ones regarding fatigue.

Many years ago I was kept awake all night by housos, at around 4am was when the boys in blue finally arrived. 5.30 i was getting ready for work.
Told my supervisors i had 30mins of sleep and they said ok, your not driving any forklifts today.....

Sadly a lot of people seems to show up at work hungover with minimal sleep, how does a boss react to that? or worse if the boss is hungover and tired and then expects you to work because he is?

Again it boils down to common sense, which these days is lacking.

[mik]

it is getting like the individual has less and less responsibility to look after themselves, govco will do it for you !

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by mik

it is getting like the individual has less and less responsibility to look after themselves, govco will do it for you !

no they won't - they will just hold you responsible for not wrapping them in cotton wool
making laws that cannot be implemented does nothing more than cover their own buts, while holding others responsible

[JG65TE]

Swa have just changed forklift assessments to something only a rhodes scholar will pass.complete with incorrect answers in the assessment guide and told trainers to use it. I am no longer surprised by anything they do. I think I feel a yawn coming on. See ya tomorrow boss

[302 XC]

This mid day siesta is used O/S and it actually works
A non productive working doesnt make money and really is a liability not only for himself but for other workers
Fatigue is no different to someone at work of their head,wether by grog or drugs
People need to take responsibilty for their actions, im not responsible for you, you are
A place i worked at many moons ago, there were 2 on a night shift, 1 bloke turned up well under the weather, he got sent home , the shift couldnt work with 1 worker so the factory closed for one shift,massive loss productivity
As for the author of the story, never let the whole truth get in the way of a good story

[onfire]

I think you'll find most progressive workplaces will at least speak of " work / life balance " and while the points above seem a little outlandish.. yet how many truly back it?

How often do you see people working 10-12+ hours a day? Potentially even as unpaid over time? Working sick, hurt or exhausted? Working rotating hours, or rotating days where they start early some days, later the others? Being called out without significant breaks, or constantly on call.

The answer is, all the time.

I know personally, I've been sick, carried a few aches and pains, worked 12 hours out of necessity, been exhausted, etc. All in the last month.. just looking at that list.. I've personally experienced:

Headaches and/or dizziness
lack of concentration
Blurred vision
a drowsy relaxed feeling
Moodiness such as irritability
Short term memory problems
Low motivation
Impaired decision-making and judgment
Reduced immune system function
Increased errors
Extended sleep during days off work

The big one for me has been the short term memory problems, resulting in an increased amount of minor mistakes or missing details, and I'm not the only one. Consider 5 or 6 core members of management in the same boat? How efficient is your workplace? If I'm walking around all day making poor decisions, in an irritability state and forgetting things... how does that impact my team? My Business? Significantly. How does that effect me?

While the contents of the original post seem out there, the idea isn't necessarily a bad one. It should simply be about the employees having enough down time to be able to function as close to 100% as possible.

[Benny D]

mmm sounds good to me.
better tell my boss i can only start at about 9am because i will be too tired beforehand,
might aswell knock off after lunch, again coz im tired.
and i want full pay.....

[Ben73]

Might tell the boss my social life doesn't allow me to work weekends or night shifts anymore.
Ill say I can only work 11am-7pm weekdays and must have a nap for an hour after lunch.

[H.G]

isnt this called fatigue managment??

[EDManual]

I work when I want. Doesnt matter when, as long as the jobs done. Thats the way to go i think.
If a mate asks me if I want to go fishing on a friday morning, I just go, and do a bit of work to make up for it at a later date.
If I am tired, i just wake up later.

[castellan]

Well it's all about legal issues. get use to it because it's not going away and if you don't look out you will be taken to the cleaners. end of story.
People are getting smarter and they know there rights now and if they can get some deal to go there way, who cares ! they certainly don't and we are not a christian nation anymore, so anything goes.
It's all a casino mentality world now. wake up to it ! and no one especially the young generation gives a rats.
I have given up employing anyone now, because you are just shafted no mater were you turn.
Communism is on the way.

[gtfpv]

i totally agree with this .
at the moment employers push psuyh and push unsafe work practices and long hours with no consideration to the employees or thier families .
Recently the emphasis of safety has been put moreso onto the employee rather than the company being resposible for negligence , so WHY NOT GIVE THEM SOME OF THIER OWN BACK .
most people dont realize when a truck overtakes them , he is in a hurry and fatigued because his company has him on a deadline , which a lot of them take drugs just to stay awake . ( that isnt acceptable ) we all know about it but that seems ok . ( well it's not ok ) .

[castellan]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i totally agree with this .
at the moment employers push psuyh and push unsafe work practices and long hours with no consideration to the employees or thier families .
Recently the emphasis of safety has been put moreso onto the employee rather than the company being resposible for negligence , so WHY NOT GIVE THEM SOME OF THIER OWN BACK .
most people dont realize when a truck overtakes them , he is in a hurry and fatigued because his company has him on a deadline , which a lot of them take drugs just to stay awake . ( that isnt acceptable ) we all know about it but that seems ok . ( well it's not ok ) .

Yes there are real idiots out there who don't give a rats as all they look at is the paper work side of theirs and could not do the work they push on others if they tried.
I have a mate who loaded trucks and another mate of mine got him the boot because he did not give a rats how it was loaded and just wanted his trucks loaded as fast as possible. so old mate who loads is responsible if the driver of the truck he just loaded has accident and he can be sued for it. but the truck company dude could not give a rats.

I am a contractor, subcontracting for a builder and i can not say anything as to the correct way it should be done, so as there is no problems down the track but they are not interested or don't have the brains to understand. and you will just get the boot if you complain. and they have the hide to say if there is problem, you can just come back and fix it. why should i when i know that it will fail, but when i am not sure. i should be able to go to the BSA and get such a one the boot out of the industry, but no it does not work that way

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i totally agree with this .
at the moment employers push psuyh and push unsafe work practices and long hours with no consideration to the employees or thier families .
Recently the emphasis of safety has been put moreso onto the employee rather than the company being resposible for negligence , so WHY NOT GIVE THEM SOME OF THIER OWN BACK .

Why not quit and find a job where you aren't pushed so much ?

Originally Posted by gtfpv

most people dont realize when a truck overtakes them , he is in a hurry and fatigued because his company has him on a deadline ,

And some of us just like driving fast, or you're driving too slow.

Originally Posted by gtfpv

which a lot of them take drugs just to stay awake . ( that isnt acceptable ) we all know about it but that seems ok . ( well it's not ok ) .

Wrong.... unless you watch ACA.

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i attended a funeral , and instead of going to the wake , i felt obliged to go to work , when i got to work i informed the boss i had just came from a funeral !!!
one would think that work should be allocated accordingly in these circumastances , but no , i was sent straight up into a dangerous job , whilst others were allocated softer work for the day , 1/2 hr later i had a fall , fractured my back ,broke 2 ribs , punctured my lung , and liver and was in the back of an ambulance , and had 4 months off on compo .
a little common sense may have prevented this .

Why would you think you would be allocated an easier job? Did you tell your boss that you were mentally fragile and wanted an easy job that afternoon.

You reported for work, therefore your boss would think you are fit for work.
If your were not fit then it's your fault for turning up and not being able to do your job properly.
What did workcover think of your injuries and was any action taken against your employer?

[onfire]

Jesus.. you can debate semantics, different factors, different variances, different hypothetical situations and all the " what if " scenarios all you want.. the reality goes back to the root point...

... keeping the employees happy.

If I'm tired, sore, exhausted, over-worked, etc.. I'm grumpy, fatigued and probably a little unhappy.. as are you, and every one else after a massive week. Which leads to stress, a lack of motivation, care factor, attention to detail and poor decision making.. all these things, straight up can lead to a potential health and safety risk. Simple.

It's not about prying into people's social lives, or sending people home because they're got a case of the cbf's.

It's not about Jimmy being tried because he's stayed up all night playing online poker, that's Jimmy's fault.. it's about management and employers asking the questions like " why is Billy yawning and looking exhausted when it's 2.30pm on a Wednesday afternoon? " and taking into consideration that Billy has already pulled 40+ hours.

[gtfpv]

i have 1st hand experience where employers lead you into an accident .
i attended a funeral , and instead of going to the wake , i felt obliged to go to work , when i got to work i informed the boss i had just came from a funeral !!!
one would think that work should be allocated accordingly in these circumastances , but no , i was sent straight up into a dangerous job , whilst others were allocated softer work for the day , 1/2 hr later i had a fall , fractured my back ,broke 2 ribs , punctured my lung , and liver and was in the back of an ambulance , and had 4 months off on compo .
a little common sense may have prevented this .

[Dr Jekkyl]

There will always be over-the-top proposals but until there are no preventable workplace deaths we can always do better.