Central Safety Group Melbourne

November 2021

Return to work in COVID times: managing psychosocial risk

Presentation by: Dr Natasha Lazareski, Managing Director, PsyFlex

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on workplace conditions and work arrangements with new psychosocial risks that can affect the health and wellbeing of workers. Occupational health expert Dr Natasha Lazareski discussed this issue, along with strategies to manage it, in a presentation to Central Safety Group on 9 November 2021.
She said that, if not appropriately assessed and managed, psychosocial risks increase stress levels and can lead to physical and mental health problems. Psychological responses may include low mood, low motivation, exhaustion, anxiety, depression and burnout. Insurers are reporting that active psychological claims against employers have risen during the pandemic and are expected to continue to increase.  
Natasha spoke about how workplace stresses and psychosocial risks are arising as people return and readjust to their previous workplace settings and systems, across a wide range of occupations.
Natasha also discussed the impact of confusing and misleading information surrounding the COVID-19 crisis and how to manage this risk in your workplace.

The presenter:

Dr Natasha Lazareski is a medical doctor, specialising in occupational health, with over 20 years’ experience working with Australian organisations. She is founder and Managing Director of workplace wellbeing and resilience specialist PsyFlex. Prior to this she held positions in a range of organisations including the National Australia Bank, Ambulance Victoria and CGU. Her recent work has been with government organisations, educational institutions, healthcare providers and a number of other industries.