THE drive to be productive is making office workers sick, says an Australia Institute study that found one in four people are too busy to seek an appointment with a doctor.

The findings, published to coincide with the think tank's second Go Home on Time Day, have prompted the Public Health Association to call for Australian workers to slow down to ward off obesity and depression as well as deal with more immediate illness.

The poll of 1360 people found 27 per cent were too busy to go to the doctor even though they needed to, and 44 per cent admitted to avoiding GP appointments in the past because of a lack of time.


Other findings showed the hours clocked up in the office were an impediment to healthy living. Almost half of respondents said work stopped them from exercising, while 35 per cent said it stopped them from eating healthy meals.

''We don't have time for either prevention or cure,'' said the Australia Institute's deputy director, Josh Fear.

Melanie Walker, the deputy chief executive of the Public Health Association, said the results were worrying: ''If these things are happening, it has an impact on people's long-term health and their ability to prevent the onset of serious illness.''

Chronic overwork had become a creeping problem in Australia, and most people were unaware we clocked up some of the longest weekly working hours internationally, she said.

''We do the hard yards compared to a lot of other countries … In France there are people rioting in the streets at the idea they have to work over the age of 60,'' she said.

Mr Fear said that in Europe regulations prompted by health and safety concerns stop people from working more than an average 40 hours a week. Part of the problem of overwork in Australia was created by the workplace relations system, he said.

''A lot of Australians who work in blue collar industries get compensated for the overtime they do and it is specified in awards. But a lot of white collar workers in the typical office environment, doing the standard business work day, are the ones working unpaid overtime and it is unregulated,'' he said.

The poll found perceived time pressures and stress were greater for workers earning more than $80,000. However, Ms Walker said employers could do more to help the national health by encouraging workers to take sick leave to see a doctor.

''Employers have to create the opportunities for people to realistically take up the conditions that are embedded in legislation already,'' she said.

More than 200,000 people took part in the first Go Home on Time Day last year. The website to register for this year's protest, to be held on November 24, opens today at www.gohomeontimeday.org.au.

The whole 'sick day' system is a scam, and the medical fraternity is loving it.  In my workplace, and it';s been the same in all my previous jobs, is that if I need 2 consecutive days off, I need to get a doctors note. 

Now I ask you, if I simply have a cold, why should I pay $65 for a consultation, where the doctor will give me the expert advice to rest and drink plenty of fluids.  *gasp!* Whoa doc, I didn't know that myself, thank you for sharing your wisdom!  That's worth $65 and more!!!  So in effect, I have to wait half my day, sitting with other sick people, for the dcotor to finally arrive, without paying any regard to appointment times, pay $65, all to get a day or 2 off work, when I'm obviously suffering from a contagious, but not serious condition.

About 6 weeks ago I broke my wrist.  Would have been nice to get it set, but look at the hoops you have to jump through.....

1. see doctor for referral to X ray
2. get X ray
3. take X ray back to doctor.
4. Go get plastered.

Assuming they are the standard 40 minites late for each appopintment, only the unemployed have the time for this rigmarole.

Or...

wait 6 hours or more in emergency room.

I chose to rig up my own makeshift cast and avoid using that hand.

... wrote on Oct 27^th, 2010 at 10:19am:


Wow... I'd forgotten how dumb blokey blokes are... I roll my eyes at you. 

1. You are not paying that fee for medical advice, you are paying for the med cert.
2. If you don't want to pay, go to a bulk billing surgery.
3. Many bulk billing surgeries have a first in first served process, with allowances for triage should a serious case turn up.
4. If you go to such a place when they open, which in my case is 7am, there is not wait. You are seen immediately.

So, where you turn up to a private practice, pay top dollar and wait ages to be seen so as to get that med cert. I have no wait time, no fee and a med cert given by Dr Howlongdoyouwantoffwork.

To the broken wrist... your spin is the stuff of hero's... truly. I broke my elbow, booked to see my real doctor (Yes I have two... one that gives med certs for work and one I see for real issues), got in for that day, went straight to x-ray, a service provided by the surgery, got the message the next day to get a scan done, got the message the next day to attend my doctor's surgery, was advised that I had broken my elbow, that... oh alright... we won't put it in a caste, but that you must where this sling and take 4wks off work.

That was all fine and good by me, since I broke my arm at work. Four weeks off work and paid for what was such a minor break that I needed a scan to confirm it. Limited pain, no caste... so I went on holidays.

... wrote on Oct 27^th, 2010 at 2:05pm:

Quote:


The same thing happened to me. Healthy wrists are essential if you're doing manual work and it might have mended the wrong way with a DIY. There are lots of little bones in the wrist that can get rearranged with a break.

You can always get a certificate from the hospital. It's going to cost you more in the long term if it hasn't repaired properly. 6 hours wait in emergency is nothing compared to a life time of arthritic pain.

I guess this is why there is an increase in Casual empoyment.
Its amazing how much one wants to work when they don't get paid for sickies.
Mind you, I still see workers injure themselves outside of work and then rig it to have the Employer pay them Compo.

I have a rule with doctors.  If they don't do bulk billing, don't go to them.  Find one that does.  As for casual work, I have always found the casual employee earns more than the permanent employee.

Verge wrote on Oct 28^th, 2010 at 8:13am:


The bottom line for both work and myself is that I was deemed medically unfit due to an elbow fracture resulting from a healthy disregard for OH&S in the work place.

My responsibility was to ensure I rested my arm in a sling for 4 weeks. So I did exactly what was required of me on holidays. Legally, it makes no difference if I am resting my arm at a resort or at home.

Quote:


4 weeks on work cover for a fracture is pretty normal. There is no abuse in this case. Evidence was found, medical norms were followed. When I returned to the work place, it was to modified duties for the first two weeks. You are just dirty on me because I used my time resting in a couple of resorts... drinking pool side, reading pool side, mud baths, back rubs, beauty treatments, shopping etc... all activities that do not require my using my broken arm.

Quote:


Oh, is it my back break that has you peeved. Well that wasn't work cover. That was a serious crush injury and I am lucky to still walk. I was in a torso brace for most of the 6 mths. I did not leave the house without assistance. I had work colleagues visit regularly for advice and gossip and to check up on me... break the boredom... because it was boring. When I returned, it was a serious graduated return to work with weekly visits from the rehab consultant work arranged.

Both breaks were legitimate. Work never questioned this. The Doctors never questioned this. Both breaks resulted in different kinds of recovery. The arm allowed for recovery whilst visiting a couple of resorts. The back allowed for home based recovery only with most of my time spent on my back pumped up with morphine. 

Quote:


And I honoured my responsibilities. I did nothing to worsen my injury or lengthen my recovery in both cases. I did exactly what was required of me.

You are just pissed off that I could honour my responsibilities and holiday at a couple of resorts whilst I did so. Well poor you... I imagine you must be a harsh employer if you would challenge medical advice and work cover (workers compensation) approval of the case... especially given that both the doctor and work cover have it in mind to get the employee back to work sooner rather than latter.

Anyways... I think it was brilliant that I could take advantage of the time and holiday whilst my bones healed.