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Flexible workers are happier workers it seems. New research shows they feel better rested, more engaged and have a higher sense of wellbeing than those confined to the office.
A NSW government study conducted in partnership with Edith Cowan University found employees able to work remotely when they need to consider the arrangement an overwhelming positive.
They also report less trouble sleeping and sense that their comfort and emotional security are being better looked after despite the social isolation.
The psychological health of the 1039 employees interviewed about lockdown didn't much differ, with wellbeing, distress and burnout reported at similarly moderate levels for flexible and non-flexible workers alike.
Factors such as the industry they worked in and the type of contract they were employed under weren't really important either.
What did matter, were individual circumstances such as having a disability or having to care for a partner or young children while working from home.
Women faced additional demands due to societal gender norms.
An improper ergonomic set-up was nominated by respondents as a barrier to safe, flexible work, with some indicating it had caused them physical pain.
Some said they had been offered financial support to set up ergonomically appropriate home work stations but many hadn't.
Flexible workers also placed a high value on feeling trusted by line managers and employers generally.
"It's reassuring to see that for the most part, working flexibly can be a very positive experience," NSW Centre of Work Health and Safety director Skye Buatava said.
At the same time, the dramatic WFH shift during the pandemic has "highlighted the need to ensure the right support mechanisms are in place for modern ways of working".
"We discovered some flexible workers felt their organisation did not have adequate work health and safety processes in place and that training around mental wellness was lacking," she said.
In response, the centre has launched an easy-to-use best practice guide with free resources on supporting flexible workers.
"We've also got a suite of training modules and guidance materials with practical advice for employers and employees on creating a mentally healthy workplace at home, both during and after the COVID-19 restrictions," Ms Buatava said.
© AAP 2021
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Researchers hope a new vaccine to protect koalas against the ravages of chlamydia could boost long-term survival prospects for the species.
The vaccine, which has been years in the making, is being trialled at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Queensland.
Starting today, about 400 koalas will be given the vaccine.
The trial is of particular importance for southeast Queensland and NSW, where chlamydia affects 50 per cent or more of the koala population.
Male and female koalas contract the disease through sexual contact and mothers can pass it to their joeys as they suckle in the pouch. It can cause eye disease, bladder infections, and worst of all for a species under pressure, infertility.
The University of the Sunshine Coast is leading phase three of the vaccine rollout, after previous phases determined it was safe and produced a good immune system response, therefore affording a good level of protection.
Peter Timms, a professor of microbiology at the university, says koalas admitted to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital will get a single-dose jab after they've been treated and before they're released back into the wild.
All koalas will be micro-chipped, allowing the hospital to record animals that return for any reason over the following year.
Wildlife vet Amber Gillett says chlamydia is the most common reason koalas are admitted to the hospital, and the disease is one of the most significant threats to the species.
"Although many koalas with chlamydia can be treated using traditional antibiotics, some animals cannot be saved due to the severity of their infection," she says.
"Having a vaccine that can help prevent both infection and the severity of the disease is a critical element in the species' conservation management."
As the trials continue, the vaccine is progressing through the government registration process with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.
That should help speed up its manufacture and use if the trials go to plan.
© AAP 2021
Image: Arnaud Gaillard (arnaud () amarys.com), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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A father and son who travelled from Sydney's east to Byron Bay, sparking a lockdown in the region, have pleaded guilty to most of the charges they face.
Neither Zoran Radovanovic, 52, who was treated for COVID-19 in Lismore Base Hospital after testing positive to the virus, nor his 19-year-old son Kristian appeared in Lismore Local Court on Monday when their cases were mentioned.
Police alleged the pair violated public health orders after going to Byron Bay in late July. The region was plunged into a one-week lockdown in August after the father's positive test.
Zoran Radovanovic's lawyer on Monday emailed guilty pleas to four charges of failing to comply with electronic registration (QR codes).
He is also facing three charges of not complying with COVID directions.
His son entered guilty pleas to all four charges against him: two of not complying with electronic registration, one of not complying with directions and one of not wearing a face mask in public transport or a taxi.
Both remain on bail, with the father's case to be mentioned again at Lismore on November 15 and the son's matter to be mentioned in Waverley Local Court on November 8.
© AAP 2021
Image: Chris Potter, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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There have been 58 new cases of covid19 in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District up until 8 last night.
Of the new cases:
*35 are from the Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA) - 9 are linked to known cases
Postcodes - 2500 (1 case), 2502 (8), 2506 (2), 2518 (15), 2519 (2), 2526 (3), 2530 (4)
*11 are from the Shellharbour LGA – 1 is linked to a known case
Postcodes – 2527 (3), 2528 (6), 2529 (2)
*12 are from the Shoalhaven LGA – 1 is linked to a known case
Postcodes – 25240 (6), 2541 (6)
*There are no new cases from the Kiama LGA
106 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District which includes the Southern Highlands.
56 are from Hunter New England LHD and 11 are from Southern NSW LHD
Across the state and NSW has recorded a total of 477 new locally acquired cases.
Sadly, NSW Health is reporting the deaths of six men.
Two were in their 50s, one in their 60s, and three in their 70s.
Five were not vaccinated, and one had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
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