Background

Work Shouldn’t Hurt is an annual, quantitative, longitudinal tracking program for Work Health and Safety (WHS)/ Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), conducted by the ACTU Centre for Work Health and Safety and the ACTU Insights Team.

This report summarises the results of the benchmark (first) wave of surveys, conducted in June-July 2021. Note that this benchmark was therefore established in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, but at a moment of relatively less impact in Australia (i.e. before the major Delta variant outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria).

The longer-term aim of this research program is to evaluate any shifts or stagnations in work health and safety issues, so the union movement can determine where best to deploy effort to create healthier and safer workplaces.

This first wave delivers insights into work health and safety challenges right now and uncovers areas of potential focus for unions.

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