Occupational health

Personal/carer’s leave: a timely refresher
INMOTION 01 Mar, 2022

Personal/carer’s leave: a timely refresher


In light of the recent COVID-19 surge across Australia, it is more important than ever to understand how personal/carer’s leave functions and who is eligible.



Personal/carer’s leave, more commonly known as ‘sick leave’, is a paid leave entitlement that all permanent employees will receive, allowing them to take time off for personal illness or injury and caring for family or household members.


However, there is often confusion about when an employee is entitled to personal/carer’s leave.

Physios and WorkSafe team up for pain education
INMOTION 01 Mar, 2022

Physios and WorkSafe team up for pain education


WorkSafe Victoria recruited APA pain physiotherapists to help injured workers with complex, persistent pain recover and navigate the system.



WorkSafe Victoria’s pain education pilot program


In April 2020, WorkSafe Victoria launched a pain education pilot program, working with APA titled pain physiotherapists to improve treatment and recovery pathways for injured workers—clients with complex, persistent pain who were being considered for spinal surgery.

Transform and scale up
INMOTION 31 Dec, 2021

Transform and scale up


Like many others, this clinic had to adapt to the challenges posed by COVID-19. Change born out of necessity is setting up success for the future.



Like many businesses, Sydney clinic Physiocise had to reassess its services during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as restrictions tightened across the nation.

Record keeping and pay slips: a refresher
INMOTION 31 Dec, 2021

Record keeping and pay slips: a refresher


Keeping accurate records of work and issuing payslips are two of the most important, yet often overlooked, obligations of an employer. It is imperative to maintain employee records for a multitude of reasons, for the benefit of both employee and employer.



Adhering to the obligation of creating and maintaining accurate employee records (eg, time worked, wages paid) and issuing payslips to each employee is critical as it proves employees have been receiving the correct wages and entitlements for their employment.

Encouraging positive mental health discussion
INMOTION 31 Dec, 2021

Encouraging positive mental health discussion


It’s mental health month and 10 October is the start of Mental Health Week. The Mental Health Australia 2020 campaign asks us to challenge our perceptions of mental illness and encourages us all to view mental illness in a more positive way. Here are ways physiotherapists can proactively help their patients. 



A positive view of mental illness is a way to reduce stigma for those experiencing mental health problems and make it easier to ask for help.

Diversity in the workplace
INMOTION 31 Dec, 2021

Diversity in the workplace


Diversity in the workplace has become a key focus for organisations in recent years as the benefits of implementing equal opportunity and inclusive initiatives have become increasingly apparent. 



While creating and fostering a culture of diversity is undoubtedly a challenging task for business owners and managers, the reward that a diverse workplace culture brings is an investment well worth making. 

Continuing education in the face of a global crisis
INMOTION 31 Dec, 2021

Continuing education in the face of a global crisis


To protect Australia’s future health workforce; national boards, accreditation authorities, educational providers, health regulators and Ahpra have issued national principles for clinical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. 



This unique multi-sector collaboration is intended to help education providers minimise the impact of COVID-19 on student education by enabling students to continue their studies and graduate during the pandemic.

Managing conflict in the workplace
INMOTION 31 Dec, 2021

Managing conflict in the workplace


Added pressure due to the pandemic may lead to increased feelings of stress, fear or anxiety—which is likely to heighten the potential for conflict within a business. A conflict management process will assist in navigating disagreements that may arise. 



Start by developing a policy


A comprehensive conflict management policy can act as a roadmap for both managers and employees to understand the processes they are expected to follow when conflict arises.

2020 membership
INMOTION 31 Dec, 2021

After the professional relationship ends


The APA National Professionals Standards Panel, in collaboration with the NSW Physiotherapy Council, examine the boundaries between physiotherapist and past patient. 

Maintaining appropriate professional relationships when working with patients is an ethical requirement of all physiotherapists. The Physiotherapy Board of Australia (PBA) is unequivocal in its guidelines with respect to preserving clear professional boundaries with current patients.

Time to get serious about climate change stance
INMOTION 31 Dec, 2021

Time to get serious about climate change stance


The APA should be among the health leaders advocating for a better future.



I have been a physiotherapist and APA member for almost 20 years, and an environmentally conscious person and environmental sustainability advocate for even longer. These two aspects of my life are both equally important, yet I feel in Australia, in this current climate and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they are still too mutually exclusive.