Call For Comment On Draft Policies

Union members are being invited to comment on a raft of draft policies newly released by the Labor Council of NSW.

Labor Council's Bullying Policy, its Drug and Alcohol Policy and its Return To Work Policy can all be accessed from this site along with consultation calendars and feedback forms.

Its draft Drug and Alcohol Policy says that employers should link their own policies on alcohol and other drugs to performance management systems where appropriate and to the workplace's disciplinary procedures, which it says may be required as a last resort.

It says the development of a workplace drug and alcohol policy should generally be included with the workplace's occupational health, safety and welfare policies. In this context, "prevention strategies relating to the misuse of alcohol and other drugs should be developed in accordance with appropriate risk assessment and control principles", the document says.

To access the Labor Council of NSW's draft Drug and Alcohol Policy, click here.

To comment on the document click here.

Labor Council's draft Bullying Policy says employers' own policies should state management and staff's commitment to dignity in the workplace and make it clear that bullying is "inappropriate and will not be tolerated".

It defines a bully as "a person who uses strength or power to coerce others by fear" and defines workplace bullying as "behaviour that intimidates, degrades or humiliates an employee (sometimes in front of other people)" and may include "verbal abuse, behaviour which is intended to punish, constant 'put-downs', aggression, and poorly managed conflicts of opinion or 'personality clashes'" and threats or actual instances of physical assault.

The draft document says employers' own policies should include definitions in line with the UnionSafe description and should explain the step-by-step procedure for making an informal or a formal complaint.

To access the Labor Council of NSW's draft Bullying Policy, click here.

To comment on the document click here.

Labor Council's draft Return to Work Policy states that employers are required to consult with their employees and any industrial union representing them while developing a Return to Work Program. The forms of consultation chosen should also be recorded in the workplace's policy document, it says.

The document also stresses the importance of ensuring injured employees return to work as quickly as possible to enable the best chance for the program's success and says an open communication policy on the issue encourages cooperation and participation in the rehabilitation process.

To access the Labor Council of NSW's draft Return to Work Policy, click here.

To comment on the document click here.

To discuss these policies with other users of this site, please click here.

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Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:37 EST