From Watching to Conversation
The Conversation We Must Have
Help workplaces and communities respond with greater understanding when injury changes a life.
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Through stories, screenings and discussion, Shattered invites people to recognise what recovery can involve—and the part they can play in supporting it.
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For employers and colleagues, that may mean maintaining respectful contact, listening without judgement and helping create a safe pathway back to meaningful work where possible.
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For families, friends and communities, it may mean acknowledging loss, offering practical help and continuing to include someone when their circumstances change.
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Health professionals, insurers, rehabilitation providers and public institutions also contribute to that experience. Clear communication and cooperation can help people understand what comes next.
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The film’s intended impact begins with everyday behaviour: how we speak to people, how we listen and whether we remain connected when recovery takes time.
Dr Rebecca Michalak talks to productivity benefits of good mental health
Dr Julian Parmegiani talks to Independent Medical Examinations
Rosemary McKenzie Ferguson speaks to the harm done to people through a dated system
Dr Dianna Kenny talks to role of case worker, employer & delays in treatment
Dr Paul Phillips talks to probity - in independent assessments - is it relevant?
Politician Taylor Martin reflects on the responsibilities involved in decisions affecting injured workers.
Shattered was made possible through the contributions of many injured workers, families, advocates, experts and supporters who shared their experiences, insights and time throughout the project.
ABOUT THE ISSUE
The System Must Be Designed to Heal
Workers’ compensation systems exist across the world to protect workers and their families after a workplace injury.
Their purpose is simple:
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ensure injured workers receive medical treatment
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provide income support while recovery takes place
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protect families from financial hardship
However, over time these systems have become complex administrative structures involving healthcare providers, insurers, regulators and government agencies.
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For injured workers, recovery no longer happens only in a doctor’s consulting room.
It takes place inside a system of decisions made by multiple institutions.
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When those systems function well, recovery is supported.
When they do not, they can delay healing, create conflict and deepen harm.
A Changing Pattern of Workplace Harm
The nature of workplace injury is also changing. While many industries have improved physical safety, psychological injury is rising across modern workplaces.
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Psychological injuries often involve:
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longer recovery periods
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uncertainty in treatment pathways
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complex return-to-work processes
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higher levels of dispute within compensation systems
Recovery from psychological injury depends heavily on stability, trust, safety and supportive environments.
When injured citizens must navigate adversarial administrative systems during recovery, those essential conditions can be undermined.
The System Around the Patient
When someone is injured at work, they do not enter a healthcare system alone.
They enter a broader ecosystem that may include:
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Employers
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Treating doctors and therapists
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Insurance companies
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OHS & Workers' Compensation Regulators
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Government agencies
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Unions
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Volunteer Support organisations
Each plays an important role in treatment, return-to-work planning and compensation.
But the interactions between these institutions can profoundly shape the recovery experience.
For injured citizens, navigating this system can become as challenging as the injury itself.
Why This Film Matters Now
Many workers’ compensation systems were designed more than a century ago, when workplace injuries were primarily physical and industrial work dominated the economy.
Today the world of work has changed dramatically.
Now we see:
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complex modern workplaces
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rising psychological injury
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longer and more uncertain recovery pathways
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heavily structured administrative compensation systems
These changes raise an important question:
Can systems designed in another era still support healing in the world of modern work?
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Against this backdrop a growing number of clinicians, researchers and lived-experience advocates are now also raising questions about the impact prolonged conflict and stress can have on health and recovery. For some, the consequences extend far beyond the original injury, with recovery and return to work disrupted by the very systems intended to support them, affecting families, relationships, wellbeing and future life opportunities.
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Through lived experience, expert insight and the voices of injured citizens, Shattered explores how systems can evolve to better support recovery.
HOW WE CAN SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER
See the Person
An injured person still has relationships, skills, hopes and a life beyond their injury. Listen to their experience and involve them in conversations about the support they need.
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Keep Connection Safe
Ask how and when someone would like to stay in touch. Respect their boundaries and recognise that contact with a workplace may be difficult after psychological injury. Connection should help someone feel supported.
Make Communication Clear
Explain roles, decisions and next steps in language people can understand. Give people space to ask questions, particularly when pain, distress or uncertainty makes information difficult to absorb.
Help Workplaces Respond
Employers and colleagues can influence what happens after injury. Respectful contact, flexibility and safe, suitable work can help preserve belonging and create opportunities for recovery.
Recognise What Families Carry
Injury can change household income, relationships, routines and plans for the future. Families may need practical support and understanding while they adjust. Some people have little family support, making community connection especially valuable.
Put Understanding Into Practice
A screening is a beginning. Use the conversation to identify something your workplace or community can do differently—whether that is improving contact after injury, reducing stigma, offering practical help or making it easier to ask for support.
TAKE ACTION
Bring Shattered into your workplace or community and make space for a thoughtful conversation about life after injury.
You can:
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Host a workplace or community screening.
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Use the discussion resources to explore the experiences shown.
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Invite people from different roles to listen and learn together.
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Identify practical ways to strengthen support, inclusion and connection.
People do not need to understand every part of workers’ compensation to offer care. They can begin by listening, asking what would help and following through.
SUPPORT THE FILM
Help Shattered reach people who can carry the conversation into everyday life.
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Support helps bring the series to workplaces, community groups, educational institutions and professional audiences, alongside resources for thoughtful discussion.
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By hosting a screening, sharing the series or helping connect us with new audiences, you can contribute to greater understanding of workplace injury and what people need afterwards.
