What are employers required to pay?

If a worker's compensation claim is accepted and they receive weekly compensation, the employer will be required to pay employer excess, unless they have taken out the excess buyout option with their policy.

Employer excess is very similar to the excess you pay on any other insurance policy—it represents the first payment of weekly compensation, which is paid to the injured worker by their employer.

The excess amount is calculated at 65% of Queensland full-time adult's ordinary time earnings (QOTE) rounded to the nearest $10. Tthe employer excess amount from 1 July 2008 is $690 and will apply to all claims with a date of injury on or after 1 July 2008. The amount payable for employer excess is set out in section 16 (Excess period—Act, s 65) of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2003 (the Act).

For claims with an injury date prior to 1 July 2008 or for more information on employer excess and how it is calculated, call us on 1300 362 128.

What happens if an employer does not pay the excess?

If an employer has not elected to insure against the excess period and fails to pay the excess to the injured worker within 10 business days of receiving notice from WorkCover Queensland that the claim has been accepted, we will make the payment to the injured worker on the employer’s behalf.

We may recover from the employer the amount of the excess together with a penalty equal to 50% of the excess amount as an addition to the premium payable by the employer under section 66(6) of the Act.