Dr Megan Woods is a coach, consultant and adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania with internationally-recognised expertise in workplace mental health and return to work. As the founder and heart of Flourishing Phoenixes she specialises in supporting professionals to move through – and on from - toxic and depleting work-related experiences, and in helping individuals and organisations achieve safer and more successful return to work. She does this by providing 1:1 coaching for people returning to working, and for managers supporting workers to return. In collaboration with Worker Assist Tasmania she also hosts free monthly in-person workshops for injured workers in Hobart, to provide a safe and inclusive space for social connection and peer support. Additionally, as co-director of One Safe Tasmania she provides training, resources and consultancy support to Tasmanian small and medium businesses about workplace mental health, injury management and return to work.
Supporting the supporters: helping managers better support injured workers and return to work
Managers consistently report out of their depth when supporting workers through injury, recovery and return to work. Many fear they will do or say ‘the wrong thing’, inadvertently compromise critical processes, and even cause additional harm. These challenges and concerns can create highly stressful experiences for everyone involved, and even compromise the recovery and return to work of injured workers. But they also offer insights into how we can better support managers to navigate this role demand.
This workshop explores how organisations can best support managers to feel capable, supported and confident to support injured workers, and protect their own psychological health and safety through this process. The workshop will examine each part of the injury management and return to work journey, highlighting what managers need to do, what support they need, and how that can be provided. Participants will also be invited to consider a) what their organisation is doing now to support managers to engage in injury management and support return to work, and b) what additional supports they could develop or provide to help managers feel more confident, capable and supported in this process. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of what support they can provide, the resources and practices they could use to provide that, and how making those changes could translate into better outcomes for workers, managers, workers compensation claims, and the organisation.